AlexDS69

I support a total ban on Russia competing, not just in Rio 2016 but in Pyeongchang 2018 - both Olympics and Paralympics. Would the overall level of competitiveness be affected? Of course. But it would nice to see someone win gold in rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming who isn't Russian. Not that there's any doping in those sports, but if Russians can manipulate the judging in figure skating... The turnover in synchronized swimming was rather quick, don't you think? The USA had won gold in Atlanta, but between then and Sydney, they just disappeared in favor of the Russians. It was as if they didn't even matter anymore.

Yeah, I did forget Hong Kong. Sorry about that.

Why not have one IOC member per country/territory? This way, every country/territory has a say (however small) in the major decisions of the IOC.

In the interest of brevity, I will only list the existing Olympic countries that have competed in the Winter Olympics since they first started in 1924, and I will use their names according to the International Olympic Committee. The name that follows is the transliteration of each country's Korean name (unless the English and Korean transliterations are the same). First Country: GREECE - Geuriseu GHANA - Gana FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA (Macedonia) - Gu Yugoseullabiaui Makedonia Gonghwaguk GUATEMALA - Gwatemalla GUAM - Gwam SOUTH AFRICA - Namapeurika NETHERLANDS - Nedeollandeu NEPAL NORWAY - Noreuwei NEW ZEALAND - Nyujillaendeu DENMARK - Denmakeu DOMINICA - Dominika GERMANY - Dogil TIMOR LESTE (East Timor) - Dongtimoreu LATVIA - Rateubia RUSSIAN FEDERATION (Russia) - Reoshia Yeonbang LEBANON - Rebanon ROMANIA LUXEMBOURG - Ruksembureugeu LITHUANIA - Rituania LIECHTENSTEIN - Rihitensyutain MADAGASCAR - Madagaseukareu MEXICO - Mekshiko MONACO - Monako MOROCCO - Moroko MONTENEGRO - Montenegeuro REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA - Moldoba Gonghwaguk MALTA MONGOLIA - Monggol UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - Miguk UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS - Migungnyeong Beojin Aillaendeu BERMUDA - Beomyuda VENEZUELA - Benesuella BELGIUM - Belgie (pronounced bell-gee-eh) BELARUS - Bellareuseu BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - Boseunia Hereuchegobina BOLIVIA - Bollibia BULGARIA BRAZIL - Beurajil SAN MARINO SENEGAL SERBIA - Sereubia SWAZILAND - Seuwajillandeu SWEDEN - Seuweden SWITZERLAND - Seuwiseu SPAIN - Seupein SLOVAKIA - Seullobakia SLOVENIA - Seullobenia ARMENIA - Areumenia ARGENTINA - Areuhentina AMERICAN SAMOA - Amerikansamoa ICELAND - Aiseullandeu IRELAND - Aillaendeu AZERBAIJAN - Asereubaijan ANDORRA - Andora ALBANIA ALGERIA - Aljeri ESTONIA - Eseutonia ETHIOPIA - Etiopia GREAT BRITAIN - Yeongguk BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - Yeonggungnyeong Beojin Aillaendeu AUSTRALIA - Oseuteurallia AUSTRIA - Oseuteuria HONDURAS - Onduraseu URUGUAY - Urugwai UZBEKISTAN - Ujeubekiseutan UKRAINE - Ukeuraina ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN - Iran Iseullam Gonghwaguk ISRAEL - Iseurael EGYPT - Ijipteu ITALY - Itallia INDIA - Indo JAPAN - Ilbon JAMAICA - Jameika DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (North Korea) - Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk GEORGIA - Jojia PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA - Jonghwa Inmin Gonghwaguk ZIMBABWE - Jimbabeuwe CHINESE TAIPEI (Taiwan) - Chainiseu Taipei CZECH REPUBLIC - Chekeu CHILE - Chille KAZAKHSTAN - Kajaheuseutan CANADA - Kaenada KENYA CAYMAN ISLANDS - Keimaen Jedo COSTA RICA - Koseutarika COLOMBIA - Kollombia CROATIA - Keuroatia KYRGYZSTAN - Kireugiseuseutan CYPRUS - Kipeuroseu THAILAND - Tai TAJIKISTAN - Tajikiseutan TURKEY - Teoki TOGO TONGA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - Teurinidadeu Tobago PARAGUAY - Paragwai PAKISTAN - Pakiseutan PERU PORTUGAL - Poreutugal POLAND - Pollandeu PUERTO RICO - Puereutoriko FRANCE - Peurangseu FIJI - Piji FINLAND - Pillandeu PHILIPPINES - Pillipin HUNGARY - Heonggari Last Country: REPUBLIC OF KOREA (South Korea) - Daehan Minguk

Having said all that, I do have some favorite moments: The Netherlands annihilating the competition at speed skating; one of the greatest performances by any country in any sport in Olympic history Dominique Gisin (SUI) and Tina Maze (SLO) sharing gold in the women's downhill The Ukrainian women's biathlon relay team winning gold (the first Winter Olympic gold for Ukraine in 20 years) while their country is in a major crisis Any gold medal that Canada won (even though I'm an American born-and-raised) The Filipino figure skater Michael Christian Martinez placing 19th in the men's event, an achievement for a skater from a country with no real history in winter sports and where world-class athletes of any kind are hard to find (save for Manny Pacquiao); in fact, that was my favorite moment of the figure skating competition, which left such a bad taste in my mouth

I have never been more underwhelmed by an Olympics, summer or winter. The last time I felt this way was pretty recent: 2008 in Beijing. Every Olympics that I've followed since Barcelona 1992 riveted and inspired me, except for the pomposity of Beijing and Sochi. I guess that when it comes to the Olympics, for me, money can only buy you so much.

I'm wary of whether Qatar can pull off the WC in 2022, but I'm even more warier of the possibility of the World Cup and the Winter Olympics clashing with each other. Unless the World Cup kicks off on New Years Day and ends a week before the scheduled start of the Olympics, wherever they may be, I don't see this as viable. I'd prefer that they organize the WC for March 2022. It shouldn't be THAT hot then, compared to June.

It wasn't Steven's fault that Jiajun Li clashed with Apolo Anton Ohno less than a lap before the finish. It wasn't Steven's fault that Hyun-soon Ahn, Mathieu Turcotte, and Apolo collided with each other and crashed mere feet before the finish line. Steven won the race and the Olympic gold medal fair and square.

I'm surprised that Yu-na Kim of South Korea is not listed as a potential "queen" of Vancouver 2010. Granted, she only has one medal event on her docket (women's singles in figure skating), but figure skating is one of the glamour events of the Winter Olympics. She is the reigning world champion, has not been defeated overall in over a year, and is the reigning world record holder in points in the women's division. Plus, she is as big a superstar as you're going to find in South Korea. How many athletes at the Winter Olympics (or even the Summer Olympics) can say that about themselves in relation to their home countries? And with Korean culture becoming more and more prominent on the world stage (the Korean wave, or hallyu), the timing is right for her fame to be global.

I personally wouldn't consider Serbia as a debuting country in Vancouver 2010. I consider it the successor state to Serbia/Montenegro, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and SFR Yugoslavia, for continuity purposes (just like I consider the Czech Republic the successor state to Czechoslovakia and Russia the successor state to the USSR). Of course, most of Yugoslavia's winter athletes came from Slovenia... But that's just me.

If they don't get Celine Dion for the national anthem, hopefully they can land either Deborah Cox or Tamia (a.k.a. Mrs. Grant Hill). Or better yet, a Celine Dion/Deborah Cox or Tamia duet.

So, how are they going to present the Parade of Nations? In English order? French? Chinese character order? Pinyin, even? I would like it if they did it in Pinyin or character order.

I recorded vast amounts of the 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006 Olympics (both winter and summer). For each games, I recorded on average about 10 VHS tapes worth of coverage. I will record as much of the 2008 Games, but I plan to use the magic that is my HD-DVR, and burn them onto DVD (for my own personal viewing pleasure, of course).

As Celine Dion is the biggest Canadian pop star of our time, she should sing one of the versions of "O Canada" (English or French). The other version should be sung by Tamia or Deborah Cox, perhaps the two most famous contemporary Afro-Canadians of recent times (aside from Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex) , and underrated singers to boot. I saw Tamia sing "O Canada" at the NBA All-Star Game last year, and she was quite good.