Salt Lake City

[Faster]

It has been almost two years since one of my most favourite sports events I have ever witnessed.

The Games of the XXth Olympiad 2004 in Salt Lake City were wonderfully done, and a true testament to the importance of the Games. The first thing I can remember about those games is when Peter Mansbridge said that Iran had pulled out of the Olympics a few weeks before the games begun.

The games that were had some of the best sports stories of the games.

Do you all remember Simon Ammann also known as Harry Potter of Switzerland coming out of no where to win the two Individual Ski Jumping Events.

[4gamesandcounting]

Looking back on it, I can see Salt Lake City was a fantastic winter games. I wish I had watched more at the time.

However at the time, I must say that I was rather disillusioned with the organisers. The vote scandal had totally put me off the games, which is a shame because i can now see they were a great games. The Opening Ceremony also put me off, lots of it was great, but for me it just felt a little boring. I think there was lots that was similar to Atlanta's ceremony, which wasn't a bad ceremony, I just felt it had been done before. It is difficult having two ceremonies in the same country soon after each other I think.

As I say, that was just my view at the time. I think Salt Lake did a great job, and i wish i had been there to see it.

[Faster]

For sports alone these games were great

If i am not mistaken only once before these games had a sport been swept, but it happened twice at these games once by Samppa Lajunen in the Nordic Combined

And by Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the Biathlon

And you can not forget that horrible ref in the women's hockey final. Stupid American b!tch calling like 8 penalties in a row on Canada for no reason.

What about the speed skating race from hell when the Aussie won be complete accident.

and Canada after 50 years finally winning the Olympic Hockey Gold Medal, with the winning goal by Joe Sakic, my favourite player, and tournement MVP

[mexico1968]

Its funny but i use to think that those games where so much time ago... :laugh:  :laugh: ..i think is confussiong..but 3 years are very far today...

[mr.x]

awesome memories, awesome accidents. :cool:  i saw the Aussie win by accident live, it was just so hillarious......and Canada winning gold in mens ice hockey created huge jubilant celebration, comparable to that celebration Greece had when they won Euro earlier this year.

[LuigiVercotti]

mr.x Posted on Dec. 14 2004,15:51

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awesome memories, awesome accidents.   i saw the Aussie win by accident live, it was just so hillarious......and Canada winning gold in mens ice hockey created huge jubilant celebration, comparable to that celebration Greece had when they won Euro earlier this year.

Steve Bradbury's win was certainly a highlight for me, and I although I missed it on TV when it occurred, I still got a huge charge when my fiance told me on the phone (after I stoped saying 'No way!' and picked my jaw off the ground  :laughlong: ). Steve's victory may have been fortuitous, and I know some fans were cheesed off that his hang back technique meant he 'stole' the gold medal from the faster Apollo Ohno (or was that "Oh....NO!"). Then again Steve had been a world championship short track speed skater, had some terrible luck in the past (almost bled to death after a bad fall and skate slash) and had been part of the 94 Aussie team that won our first winter medal ever. So yes...that was a highlight, and in some ways well deserved. I think as time goes on Bradbury's story will be one that resonate as much if not more so, as any multiple gold medallist's would.

The other Aussie focus was Alisa Camplin's win in the freestyle aerials. I watched that live and was absolutely blown away that she won so professionally after having to step out from behind the injured favourite Jacquie Cooper. Considering Australia has had about as much success in the winter Olympics as can be expected from the one of the driest and least mountainous countries in the world, then SLC was a huge success.

As for other highlights, Janica Kostelic's perfomance was superb, I thought it was great to see the Canadian's finally win hockey gold, Norway winning the most gold medals was outstanding, the Scots...sorry, British gold medal women's curling team and Der Konig von Luge, Georg Hackl coming back for a silver medal.

Lowlights were the whole SLC bid scandal, the doping tainted efforts of Spanish cross-country skier Johann Muehlegg, the ice skating judging fiasco and perhaps the way security concerns took away much of the spontaneous joy of the games. I am sure though that the highs beat the lows, and all up SLC were magic winter games (but Lillehammer is still best  :wwww: )

[Faster]

Ohno did not outright win any gold medals at those games, he won one by disqualification that i thought was a little iffie. When i watched that race, i was absolutely and utterly shocked races like that are why i like short track

[LA84]

(1) Jim Shea winning the gold in the skeleton.  Third generation Olympian who had lost his grandfather, a 1932 Olympian, just the month before.  Very moving.

(2)  Sale and Pelletier's long program.  Next to Torvill and Dean's 1984 performance, it is probably one of the most flawless figure skating performances at an Olympics I have ever seen.  It is a shame that they will be remembered for something other than the athletisism and artistry they exhibited that night.

(3)  Canada's gold medal hockey performance.  No I am not trying to suck up    it was just really cool to see them finally after so many years get the gold.

[Faster]

When i say Sale and Pelletier, i knew instantly they won, but when i saw the marks, my jaw hit the floor.

Watching Canada beat the USA was amazing, to watch Sakic skate down the rink and score to make it 3-2, and then score again to make it 5-2 it was amazing.

[LA84]

When i say Sale and Pelletier, i knew instantly they won, but when i saw the marks, my jaw hit the floor.

Watching Canada beat the USA was amazing, to watch Sakic skate down the rink and score to make it 3-2, and then score again to make it 5-2 it was amazing.

So that was the "thud" I heard that night - all of our jaws hitting the floor at the same time  :grinning:

I felt the same about the 2002 U.S. hockey team as I did about the 2004 U.S. basketball team.  A bunch of arrogant professional fools who deserved to get spanked.  It just made it sweeter for me seeing who walked away with the gold.  

But I also think overall SLC had one of the best hockey tournamounts going on ever.  I mean, I don't generally watch hockey that much but there were very few of the games I missed!  :cool:

[Faster]

the American hockey team wasn't as aggorant as the basketball team. The NHL wanted it to be a Canada vs USA final with the Americans winning, but Canada won. The way the NHL treated the players from Germany, Slovakia, and others left a bad taste in my mouth, but other then that it was good.