Memorable moments from female athletes at the Winter Olympics

All in all, the Vancouver Olympics were  a roller coaster of emotion; so anticipated and anxiety-driven, filled with milestones and achievements as well as heartbreak.  In the span of two weeks, there were personal, poignant moments to cherish, along with stories of accomplishments and  disappointments. A lifetime of emotions, condensed into 14 action-packed days.

Needless to say, there were lots  of memorable moments from the Winter Games , not the least of which was Shaun (”The Animal”) White’s repeat  gold medal and his Double McTwist 1260, a whirl of somersaults and flips that ends with a blind landing.

In this post, we’d like to shine the light on the oft-overlooked female athletes and some of our fave moments that will last long after the athletes pack up and leave Vancouver.

Hannah Kearney (Women’s moguls)

Four years ago, U.S. moguls skier Hannah Kearney sat in the stands in Turin after placing a dismal 22nd in the qualifying round as Canadian Jenn Heil proudly climbed atop the podium for gold. It was a moment Kearney never wanted to repeat.

She proved that during the first weekend of the Games, when she exorcised that nightmarish performance and spoiled the party for Heil with a dominating victory on Cypress Mountain. Kearney turned her showdown with the defending Olympic champion into a blowout, posting a score of 26.63 to claim the first U.S. gold medal in Vancouver.

Joannie Rochette (Figure skating)

Twenty-four year old Joannie Rochette may not have won the gold medal in figure skating but she won the hearts of fans around the world with her incredible performance.  She competed just days after her mother, Therese, died from a sudden heart attack after arriving in Vancouver. A grieving Rochelle broke down in tears after her short program and followed  with an emotional free skate program to capture the bronze at the Pacific Coliseum.  It hardly mattered that two skaters beat Rochette, including gold medalist Kim Yu-Na of South Korea who broke a world record with a highly memorable routine.

Petra Majdic (Cross-country skiing)

If gold medals were handed out for bravery then Slovenian cross country skier Petra Majdic would have been a runaway winner. Majdic broke five ribs when she slipped and fell down a gully during a training run but defied medical advice and excruciating pain to battle through three races and clinch the bronze in the women’s sprint classic. She was in so much pain that she needed help just getting on to the podium to collect her medal.

Lindsey Vonn/Julia Mancuso (Women’s downhill)

Lindsey Vonn lived up to the hype and won the women’s downhill on a badly bruised shin in a 1-2 finish with American teammate and rival Julia Mancuso in the opening week of the Games.

Kallie Humphries, Heather Moyse, Helen Upperton, Shelley-Ann Brown (Women’s bobsled)

Before the Vancouver Games, Canada had never won a medal in women’s bobsled. By the time the Games  ended, the country had two -gold and silver – courtesy of new champions Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse and runners-up Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown who sent the Whistler Sliding Center into a roaring frenzy with their medal-winning final runs. That Upperton missed a medal four years ago by .05 of a second driving Moyes, whose arrival in her sled booted a broken-heart Humphries, simply added another layer of drama to the moment.

Lydia Lassila (Women’s freestyle aerials)

Australia’s Lydia Lassila has won the gold medal in the women’s freestyle aerials by beating Chinese stars Li Nina and Guo Xinxin into the silver and bronze positions respectively.

The Chinese, led by Turin silver medallist Li, had been highly expected to win the event and even perform a podium clean sweep. They currently dominate the World Cup points table, filling five of the top six berths.

But Lassila, the only non-Chinese in the world top six, wowed the judges, and the underdog, who recently battled back from a series of injuries, moved into the gold medal position.

Angela Ruggiero, U.S., Canadian & Finnish Teams  (ice hockey)

Women’s ice hockey offered a myriad of memorable moments during the Vancouver Games. From early complaints that the sport wasn’t competitive enough, to the high-stakes gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada, to the post-match celebrations, we’ll remember these female athletes.

Who can forget the champagne, beer, at least one cigar and an attempt to drive an ice resurfacing machine after the Canadian team captured the gold medal in a 2-0 win over the U.S?  It seemed like a typical championship celebration, save for the fact the IOC and Hockey Canada felt the Canadian women’s team somehow provided a disservice to Olympic “ideals” by enjoying as they saw fit on the ice. Never mind that IOC honchos can dine with whatever wine and spirits they like, the court of public opinion forced the IOC’s complaints to go up in a cloud of smoke.

And when the president of the IOC announced to the world the sport needs to change to remain on the program, Finland’s women’s hockey team stepped up big time. Their overtime win against Sweden on Thursday had all the feel of gold. Just as the Swedes in 2006 stunned the hockey world by upsetting the Americans for the first non-U. S./Canada final in women’s Olympic hockey history, Karoliina Rantamaki’s goal 2:33 into extra time gave the Finnish team their first medal since women’s hockey’s debut Olympics in 1998.

Special Mention: Though it was certainly a memorable moment when Ruggerio won her fourth Olympic medal, her biggest contribution to the Olympic movement might still be to come: Ruggiero, who played hockey at Harvard, was elected by her peers to represent all Olympic athletes on the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission. The appointment will be for eight years and allows Ruggiero to become a full-fledged member of the IOC.

In the end, it wasn’t a single nation or gender that owned the podium, but the single-minded, passionate pursuit of athletes from around the world. And along with their competitive performances,  memories saved for eternity.

After Vancouver, the baton is handed to Russia

Do Svidanya (Goodbye) Vancouver. Do Vstretchi (See You) in Sochi.

As the Vancouver Olympics come to a close, the focus turns to the other side of the globe and Russia’s first Winter Games which will  take the Olympic movement to a new territory and a new set of challenges.

Scheduled to take place from February 7 to February 23, 2014. this will be the first time that the Russian Federation will host the Winter Olympics; the Soviet Union hosted the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow.

The Russian city’s first big moment in the world spotlight came during Sunday’s closing ceremony, with the Olympic flag handed from the mayor of Vancouver to the mayor of Sochi.

At the end of the Handover ceremony , the audience inside the BC Place was invited to hold up their own small Zorbs, like snow domes. Around the world, the crowd appeared as twinkling red, white and blue spheres, representing the Russian colors, and demonstrating Sochi 2014’s commitment to the involvement of people from all cultures and backgrounds.

After the glitz and glamour of the closing ceremonies, the hard work will continue back home as organizers continue to prepare for an event that has the prestige of Russia and its leaders – including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin – on the line.

Ever since Sochi was awarded the games by the International Olympic Committee three years ago, questions have been raised: Can Sochi complete its massive construction projects on time? Will the funding hold up? Will the games be safe in a city near the separatist Abkhazia region in neighboring Georgia?

Putin, Russian president at the time, was instrumental in Sochi securing the games when he traveled to Guatemala City in 2007 and personally lobbied IOC members. He and current President Dmitry Medvedev remain centrally involved in making sure the games are a success.

Sochi, established as a summer resort under Joseph Stalin, is a city of about 500,000 people in Russia’s Krasdonar region. Olympic organizers hope the games will serve as a catalyst in turning the area into a year-round world-class destination for Russians and foreign tourists alike.

Organizers say the games will feature the most compact layout in Winter Games history, with a cluster of ice arenas situated along the Black Sea coast and snow and sliding venues a half-hour away in the Krasnaya Polyana mountains. A new rail line is being built to connect the two clusters.

Sochi has to build virtually all of its Olympic facilities from scratch. All the venues are now under construction, with 16,000 workers busy on what is probably the biggest construction site in the world.

Sochi promises that all venues will be ready two years in advance to allow for the holding of Olympic test events. The first trial run will take place a year from now with a second-tier European Cup event in Alpine skiing. More than 70 test events are planned in 2012 and 2013.

The cost of the Olympic infrastructure project is put at $7 billion.

So what do you have planned for mid-February 2014? Whether you’re an athlete hoping to compete, or a fan who wants to watch the Games, it’s never too early to start making plans.

(via USOC)

FREE DOWNLOAD: Women & the Winter Olympics Reference Guide

The Winter Games kick off in Vancouver Friday, February 12th and we’re stoked to see our fave female athletes compete in events like skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, luge, bobsled and more.

For all the deets on who’s competing when, along with notes on athletes to watch, Olympic trivia and more, download our FREE Women & the Winter Olympics Reference Guide.

Enjoy, and check back for lots of Olympic news and info over the next two weeks.

Related Posts:

Vancouver 101: Figure Skating
Vancouver 101: Bobsled, Luge, Skeleton
Vancouver 101: Speaking  Canadian

Burton goes denim & plaid to outfit the US Olympic snowboard team

Earlier this month, Burton unveiled the US Snowboard Team Uniforms for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.  And in sharp contrast to other nations, the Vermont based company has  given the team a distinct ‘un-uniform’ edge – utilizing well worn denim plus a special red, white and blue plaid.  When the US Snowboard Team steps onto the World’s stage this February in Vancouver, they will look and feel unmatched with designs that speak to both individuality and heritage, key hallmarks of the Burton brand and the snowboard culture.

The Olympic uniforms feature a fresh and progressive style while also managing to pay tribute to more classic Americana fashion staples. The pants seamlessly integrate the look of real, worn, vintage denim (very cool), and the jackets feature plaids adorned with leather patches and chenille crests with both pieces incorporating the performance benefits of Gore-Tex fabric.

All product development at Burton is rider driven and this Olympic outerwear is no exception. Burton held a roundtable discussion with top pro-snowboarders and Olympic hopefuls Elena Hight, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Jack Mitrani, Luke Mitrani, Steve Fisher, Scotty Lago, and Louie Vito to review design concepts for the outerwear before arriving at the final creation.

“Since its inception, Burton has been a rider driven company,” said Jake Burton, Founder and Chairman of Burton Snowboards. “For the creation of the US Snowboard Team uniform, we listened carefully to the riders’ needs and used their input to ensure that the final fit, fabrics and overall design would maximize their performances and take these riders to the podium. It was also absolutely critical to ensure these Olympic uniforms were worthy of bearing the Burton name.”

“Although we are creating a uniform, our first objective is to express the individuality of snowboarding. As such, we are taking vintage American looks and interpreting them in a very unique and unexpected fashion.” says Greg Dacyshyn, Senior Vice President of Creative at Burton.

Looks like they’ve successfully managed to straddle both patriotic and street-influenced factors for the Games. What do you think?

Vancouver 2010 unveils headline performers for nightly Vancouver Victory Ceremonies

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) unveiled an exciting lineup of top Canadian acts who will pay tribute to medal-winning Olympians at Canada’s Games in 2010 during nightly Victory Ceremonies held indoors in downtown Vancouver.

The 12 headliners, which include Nelly Furtado, Barenaked Ladies, Loverboy, and Hedley, are part of the Vancouver 2010 concert series, presented by Bell, and will perform for one night each from February 14 to 26 inside BC Place during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The full night of entertainment is a fabulous chance to gather together with Olympic fans from around the world to celebrate the world’s best winter athletes as they receive their medals in speed skating, snowboarding and freestyling skiing – including the first medals to ever be awarded in the newest Olympic event of ski cross. See below for the full list of headliners and dates they appear, as well as a breakdown of nightly medal presentations.

“The Victory Ceremonies will be the place to be in the evenings in Vancouver during the Games. For 12 nights only, spectators will get a chance to witness in person the top athletes of the day in their shining moments on the podium,” said David Guscott, VANOC’s executive vice president in charge of celebrations and partnerships. “At the same time, they will also be treated to an amazing night of top Canadian music and international acts, from punk rock to country to pop, thanks to our partners Bell and the Canadian provinces and territories.”

The first Victory Ceremony held in Vancouver opens on Valentine’s Day and has a British Columbia theme with Grammy Award-winning recording artist Nelly Furtado headlining. Medals will be presented on the podium to the world’s newest men’s and women’s speed skating and freestyle mogul stars as they watch their flags rise to the rafters at BC Place. The medal presentations and entertainment will take place against a backdrop featuring the dynamic blue and green palette of the Games within a specially built concert bowl in the stadium.

Pretty Awesome!

Fans can design Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic helmet

As the Winter Olympics draw close, we can’t wait to bring you all the exciting promotions and activities being planned to support the Games and all the athletes.

One of our fave winter athletes is skier Lindsey Vonn. Now NBCOlympics.com invites fans to join in the Countdown to Vancouver and participate in the “Design Lindsey’s Helmet” contest, beginning November 23. Vonn, one of the most successful alpine skiers in U.S. history, is challenging fans to convince her that their artwork is what she wants to feature on her helmet while soaring down the slopes during the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

“This is your chance to be with me in Vancouver,” said Vonn.  “Whether you’re an aspiring graphic designer or just someone who likes to doodle all day, it doesn’t matter if you snow plow down the bunny slopes, tree-ski in waist deep powder, or just hang in the lodge, I want to see your designs.”

To enter the contest, fans as young as 13 years old can log on to NBCOlympics.com/lindseys-helmet/ and enter original artwork by December 21. A team of judges will narrow the submissions down to a final three designs, which will be showcased on NBCOlympics.com the first week of January. Fans will then have the opportunity to log on and vote to help Lindsey decide on the winning design.

The voting closes on January 11 with the winner to be announced in late January. The grand prize winner for the “Design Lindsey’s Helmet” contest will be awarded a trip for two to Vail, one of the world’s top ski resorts. Prizes also include a pair of Head skis and bindings and a Uvex helmet and goggles.

“Now that the World Cup season has started, I’m getting very excited for the Olympics,” said Vonn.  “I really wanted to do something that allowed my fans to share in my Vancouver experience, and this is what I came up with.  I’m looking forward to seeing what people create for my helmet.”

Vonn is coming off a second place finish in the opening Audi FIS World Cup slalom last weekend in Levi, Finland. She is continuing to train at Vail’s Golden Peak in anticipation of the Aspen Winternational World Cup coming up Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28-29. Friday (Nov. 20) she will takes questions from kids in a live Webcast from 5:00-6:00 p.m. MT at LindseyIsEpic.com.

Fans can follow the Vancouver Bound Vonn all season long at usskiteam.com, or get insider news through the Team’s new Fan Club.

Olympic athletes to sport vintage-inspired style

The Countdown to the Olympics includes a lot of important  preparations, not the least of which is what the athletes are going to wear at the Games.

As he has done before, Ralph Lauren will have a hand in outfitting the athletes. His  affinity for Americana will be on full display  at the Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia — complete with a patriotic palette of red, white and blue, along with stars-and-stripes flags and, of course, polo ponies.

Long-sleeve T-shirts with big bold graphics printed on the chest are part of the Olympic Village wardrobe, as well as white warm-up jackets with red and blue stripes down the sleeves and old-school alpine ski sweaters decorated with reindeer.

The closing-ceremony parade outfit includes a mostly red and blue shawl-collar sweater with antique buttons, a newsboy cap, a plaid shirt for the men, and a navy ribbed turtleneck for the women.

“We took a lot of inspiration from the 1930s games, reaching into the heyday of the Olympics and bringing to a more modern sensibility,” said David Lauren, the company’s senior vice president of advertising, marketing and communications.

During an Olympic fashion segment on the TODAY show, freestyle skiers Sho Kashima and Emily Cook modeled the closing ceremony outfits, including the vintage-inspired newsboy caps, cardigans, alpine boots and fleece pants.

Ralph Laureh, who dressed the American athletes for the summer games two years ago, has signed on with the U.S. Olympic Committee through 2012 in London to provide ceremonial clothes as well as recreational looks. It’s also creating the outfits for the Paralympic teams.

While the winter athletes will sport Ralph Lauren for the open/closing ceremonies,  Nike will rock the podium. The sportswear giant, who has also signed on as an official supplier for the winter games, will provide apparel and footwear for Olympians — for the competition, on the medal stand, and for wearing casually in the Olympic village. Focusing on incorporating sustainable “considered design,” Nike’s design team researched the variety of winter sports conditions the athletes are likely to encounter, from icy storms to heavy snow, and created fashionable modern looks that will also be available to the public at Niketown stores.

Nike unveiled the medal stand looks — blue waterproof down jackets — on short track speed skater J.R. Celski and snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler during the Olympic fashion segment on TODAY. The jackets featured 100 percent recycled fabric, 800-fill down insulation, and a unique faded fabric print that is customized for every single jacket.

With Nike and Ralph Lauren teaming up with the USOC on the fashion front, at least the U.S. athletes will sport a winning look.

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What’s new at the Olympics?

For a non-Olympic year, the Olympics have been in the news a lot lately.   There’s the controversy over whether female ski jumpers should be allowed to compete at the next Winter Games, the debate over which new sports should be added to the programme  and the choice of venue for the 2016 Games.

So let’s review (don’t worry – there won’t be a test).  The next Olympics takes place in Vancouver in February 2010. The Winter Games feature a lot of popular sports, including figure skating, skiing and snowboarding, as well as more obscure sports like curling and skeleton.  We’ll start to profile all the events soon so you’re up to speed on all the action.

The biggest story relating to the Vancouver Games concerns a group of women ski jumpers who aren’t being allowed to compete (despite the fact their male counterparts have been doing so for decades). After appealing to the IOC (International Olympic Committee), they’ve taken their complaint to the courts.  IOC President Jacques Rogge has repeatedly denied the women’s requests and their  case is scheduled to be heard in the BC Court of Appeal Nov. 12 & 13 – just three months before the start of Games.

The next Summer Games will take place in London in 2012.  Baseball and softball were both  dropped for the 2012 London Games in a move many believe discriminated against Americans who dominated in both sports. Japan, however, won the last gold medal for softball and eliminating the sport from the Olympics was a huge blow to women around the world who play the game.

What has been added to the 2012 Games is women’s boxing.  According the the IOC, the  change reflects the IOC’s desire to continually refresh the Olympic programme and its commitment to increase participation by women. Kind of ironic given their stance on women ski jumpers. And their recent pressure on Muslim countries who fail to support the participation of female athletes.

The Sochi Winter Games 2014 seem to be relatively drama-free although there are  activists protesting Russia’s politics who have demanded the 2014 Winter Olympics be moved from Russia to a new site. Despite the protests, the Sochi Games are moving forward with new venues and attractions currently under construction.

The most recent Olympic fanfare had to do with the venue of the 2016 Games. A number of cities vied for the chance to host the games including Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio.  Chicago appeared to be a top choice and President Obama and TV Queen Oprah Winfrey appeared before the committee on behalf of their city.  Much to their dismay, Chicago was voted out on the first ballot and the Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro – making it the first time the Games will be held in South America.

Golf has successfully scheduled a tee time for the 2016 Olympics. The sport returns to the Games  for the first time since 1904 amid the spectacular backdrop of Rio de Janeiro’s sand and sea. Golfers will compete for Olympic medals, but the greater promise for the sport is that the game catches on in countries where golfers are few and golf courses are even fewer. Michelle Wie, for several years the world’s best known female amateur player, helped lobby for golf to be included.  She told the IOC  that putting golf in the games would give young girls everywhere something new to aspire to.

Rugby also got the nod for the 2016 Games after a campaign of its own to show off the sport to a wider audience. The IOC  voted to include rugby sevens featuring 12 men’s and women’s teams.

The two sports share an Olympic history of sorts, both making their debuts at the second modern games in Paris in 1900. Golf was played again only in 1904, while 15-a-side rugby was in three more games, the last the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Both golf and rugby had to make some concessions to win their respective vote. Golf promised the IOC it would not stage any other major championships during the Olympics, while the Rugby Sevens World Cup will be canceled.

So, stay tuned. Despite the fact that the next Olympics are still four months away, there seems to be no lack of drama relating to the Games.

Coke looking for teens to join Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay

Not often would parents and teachers encourage teens to miss a few days of school, but when a once-in-a-lifetime experience is the reason, there’s no need to worry about detention or losing driving privileges.

Next January, Coca-Cola will offer 10 lucky teens in the U.S. a unique “show and tell” opportunity to share with their friends and family – carrying the Olympic Flame. Coca-Cola is searching for teens who exemplify positive living in their community to carry the Flame in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay when it visits Calgary on January 18-19, 2010.

“Coca-Cola is committed to making a positive difference in the world by rethinking the way we live and work,” said Bill Kelly, senior vice president, Coca-Cola Trademark Brands, Coca-Cola North America. “As a presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, we are using this opportunity to recognize some outstanding teens who personify positive living and serve as sources of inspiration to their friends, family and community.”

Joining the 10 teen torchbearers in Calgary will be Olympians and Coca-Cola “Ambassadors of Active Living” Shawn Johnson and Steven Lopez. Johnson is a four-time medalist in women’s gymnastics from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and Lopez has medaled in men’s taekwondo in three consecutive Olympic Games. Both athletes will participate in the Relay and meet with the teens to share their Olympic experiences and speak about the importance of living positively.

Selection Process

For the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola is seeking potential torchbearers who champion positive living, which is defined in the following ways:

• Balanced Living – staying active and physically fit while having fun with family and friends
• Community – working to make good things happen for people throughout the community
• Recycling – helping the planet by recycling or donating time to a recycling program in the community or school

To participate, nominators can visit www.livepositively.com and submit an essay that expresses, in 200 words or less, why the nominee is a champion of positive living. Nominations will be accepted through May 31.

All eligible entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and torchbearer selections will be based on how the candidates exhibit positive living through:

• Showing leadership to inspire others to a make a positive difference
• How the nominee’s work has inspired others to live positively or created sustainable results
• The breadth and depth of the impact of the nominee’s activities on the community

If you’re not yet ready to compete in the Olympics, this could be the next best thing. Or if you know someone who’s a champion of living and deserves the honor – be sure to nominate them.

Iranian women skiers to participate in Olympics

October 23, 2008 – Iran’s women skiers will take part in the winter Olympic for the first time, the Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported.

Iranian women will participate in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. They took part in the ski on grass held in Tehran and Lebanon’s Asian junior championship both last year, snatching gold and silver medals, said the president of the Iranian Ski Federation.

Iran had two ski coaches after Iran’s revolution but 500 coaches work in the country at the present, Isa Saveh Shemshaki added.

It may be uphill for the skiers from Iran, who aren’t as well known as other international competitors.  But skiing is a popular sport in Iran and there are some great resorts near Tehran where skiers can train.

Situated in the Alborz mountain range near the peak of Damavand (a giant dormant volcano), the Dizin ski resort is Iran’s highest in altitude. Coming in at almost 14,000 feet Dizin is currently the largest ski resort in the Middle East. Shemshak is the host to the nation’s hardest and the steepest slopes

Until recently, ski slopes were segregated, with women skiing on one side and men the other.  It is still illegal for men and women to ride a lift together or share a gondola.  And of course women must remain covered which shouldn’t be much of a problem on the slopes. 

The announcement that women skiers will participate in the Olymics is good news and definitely a step in the right direction. Bring it on girls.

FYI: If you’re interested in learning more about how Muslim women are taking up sports, check out this paper on Islam and Women’s Sports.

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010.

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