Let's go... Belarus?

[Sith Ahnk]

Am I the only people who thinks these Olympics are completely... um... strange?
Huge skating controversy leads to first ever double gold at a Winter Olympics.
Australlia wins their first ever winter Olympic gold medal, and then promptly does it again.
Belarus, a country no one knew existed, knocks off the number one seed in men's hockey, who destroyed Canada and were favoured for gold.
I swear.. next thing we'll see is the US going on a huge drought and never winning another medal.

[Sith Ahnk]

Even stranger... theres an SW planet called Belarus O.o

[Marcus Telcontar]

Even stranger... theres an SW planet called Belarus

There is?!?!

[Sith Ahnk]

Apparently. There is an accompanying cruiser, which someone built at TNSO. I will try and find information on it.

[Marcus Telcontar]

Belarus-class Cruiser
one of the earliest starship designs approved by the New Republic, the Belarus-class saw limited production. It was designed by Loronar from their popular Strike-class cruiser, and was a bit more efficient in terms of its crew complement but much less adaptable in terms of modularity. Its single-design construction made it cheap to produce. The weapons systems on the Belarus-class cruiser were improved laterally, with 5 turbolaser cannons, 5 turbolaser batteries, 2 ion cannons, and 2 tractor beam projectors on each flank, but the rear quarter was virtually defenseless. Five additional turbolaser cannons, an ion cannon, and 4 tractor beam projectors protect the forward quarter, while only a pair of tractor beam projectors are found at the rear. The Belarus-class measured 400 meters in length, was equipped with a Class-2 hyperdrive, and required a crew of 1,753, with 125 gunners and room for up to 410 troops. (BTS, CTD)


So it is.

[Sith Ahnk]

Hopefully they won't upset Canada and win the gold

[ReaperFett]

I knew Belarus existed. Former Russia I believe

[Sith Ahnk]

Did you know they had an Olympic hockey team capable of beating the number one seeded team from Sweeden, a country that produces NHLers like Britain produces... umm... whatever you produce?

[ReaperFett]

Belarus isn't that bad a sporting team. In a way, it's a bit like somewhere like Croatia, a few really class people

[Sith Ahnk]

But we're talking Sweeden... Sweeden is like the third top hockey nation

[ReaperFett]

you know it's called Sweden, right? :)

[Sith Ahnk]

But it sounds like Sweeden on TV

[Marcus Telcontar]

Much like Australia sounds like Horsetrailia on TV?

[Sith Ahnk]

No one ever talks Australlia on TV, except in Women's Tennis, they talk about the Oz-tra-alien open

[Gash Jiren]

Canada can never be beaten. Ever. We will destroy you all...

Ahnk, myself and the rest of the Council of Evil Bastard Internet Canadians declare you... no longer Canadian, for your blasphemous statements about the Canadian hockey team.

The dreaded CoEBIC strikes again, ruining another life... the humanity...

[Seth Darkserpent]

Canada can never be beaten.

I just hope you're right.

[ReaperFett]

Canada can never be beaten
Womens curling. Ours beat yours :)

Oh, and I didnt see any Canadians in the top three of that event where you go round the Tobogan course head first on a tea tray :)

[Jyanis Scorpion]

Heh, yeah by one point on the last stone.

But the women's hockey is something to watch this year. They're all doing better than the men. The Western women are anyway. I don't think any of the other teams can really match up to the US or Canada in women's hockey, as the pool of female hockey players in other countries is very low. Your elite are low in numbers. That is why they are the two in the gold medal match tonight.

But I'd like to see Canada go on against Russia at least, as that is always a good show, but you never know when Belarus could pull out another fluke on an unsuspecting team.

[Laran Katern]

Belarus beat Sweden by a lucky goal that handcuffed tommy salo. It goes to show you what can happen when an entire team plays in the system and not as individuals, such as i hate to admit, before the finland game, canada had been doing. Sweden ultimately played their system prior to the belarus game and shocked everyone. Playing in a system is ultimately why the czechs won last time. Now that Canada is back to playing their style of game, which was evident against finland, thigns are going to be much more interesting. And should canada beat belarus, and not run into another hot goalie, the finals will be a good one, no matter who they play - russia or the us. I'd rather find myself playing the US though, just because they have the weaker goalie, plus it provides some payback for not only the worlds a few years back, but it's the us. I always want to beat them.

and that's just getting me started on the subject....

[Sith Ahnk]

I always said Salo was a jobber
Katern... you're echoing my hopes for the final to a T

[Admiral Lebron]

Both American Hockey teams are getting gold!

[Sith Ahnk]

No... the Canadian Womens team is guaranteed it.

[Khan Surak]

Could someone explain to me what the sport of 'Skeleton' is?

[Darth Turbogeek]

Is;nt that like a totally minimalist blobsleh or soemthing like that?

"In skeleton, athletes lie on tiny sleds and go headfirst down the bobsled track at about 90 mph. Broken bones are not uncommon. "


There it is

[Khan Surak]

Heh, that's why they call it skeleton. :eek

Isn't Deutschland ahead with 30-some medals?

[Gav Mortis]

Minimalist bobsleigh...I like that! :)

It's a one man/woman bobsled thing. They basically lay down on a tiny board and soar around the track, hurtling about at increadible speeds, head first....clever.

[Darth Turbogeek]

The Skeleton sounds like a real rush, especially going head first. I and here I was thinking the Luge was nuts.

[Gav Mortis]

A rush? Madness is more like it. I wouldn't put my life in the hands of a three millimeter sheet of metal on ice skates. The least damage that would come from this if something were to go wrong would be brain damage! No thank you!

[Darth Turbogeek]

Skeleton racing is the oldest competitive sled racing sport in the world (ancestor to both bobsled and luge). Skeleton originated in 1892 when an Englishman built a new metal sled, whose skeletal shape became its namesake. Skeleton was purely recreational until debuting at the Olympic Winter Games in 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. It wasn't until 20 years later, in 1948, when St. Moritz again hosted the Games, that skeleton made the Winter Games program.

In 1999, Skeleton was re-introduced into the 2002 Olympics as a full medal sport. The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City will be the first time in 52 years that skeleton will once again be a full-medal Olympic sport.

Skeleton is a unique sport in that it uses the same track and start as the bobsled, but athletes ride down the track headfirst on their sled instead of in a sleigh. Each skeleton athlete must wear a helmet with a chin guard. This helps prevent injury, as their faces and chins are only 1 inch from the ice surface when they race down the track at speeds exceeding 120km/80mph. The goal is to slide down the track in the fastest time, which means taking the quickest line down the track and avoiding hitting the walls. To begin, athletes sprint from the start block. At the 50-meter mark, they jump onto the sled, stomach down, with hands at their side and toes pointed. Athletes hold their toes only 2 inches from the ice surface as they slide down the track.

The keys to the skeleton race are the "push" and the competitor's driving technique. Athletes wear shoes with spikes so they can grip the ice at the start and have a fast, hard push. There is no steering mechanism on a skeleton sled, instead racers use their shoulders--and at times their feet-to help guide or steer the sled down the track.

Skeleton sleds may weigh no more than 37 kilograms for women and 43 kilograms for men.

Each skeleton sled rides on a pair of runners that the athletes polish to increase speed. The runners are not sharp but are rounded and are about 1 inch in diameter. The fastest skeleton sleds have the best runners. The skeleton sled and a pair of runners may cost $5,000 or more.

Skeleton racing continues to fascinate those who have seen and heard about the sport.





Man, these Skeleton riders are insane!!!

[Khan Surak]

Kind of like cliff-diving. There's only two ranks in clliff-diving:

1. GRAND CHAMPION
2. Stuff on a rock

In Skeleton's case:

1. GRAND CHAMPION
2. Sack of mangled flesh

[Darth Turbogeek]

Yeah, that puts it quite well

:lol :lol :lol

[Sith Ahnk]

Skeleton board- 240 dollars
Cost of setting up a competitive olympic team and marketing yourself- 5798 dollars
Surgery, to reattach your head and rigfht arm- 150945 dollars
Being the only surviving competitior and being awarded the gold medal by default- Priceless

[Khan Surak]

:lol :lol