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From the (New York) Jewish Week on why skating for Israel has its advantage.
Elise Amendola/Associated Press
Also, to put things into perspective, this tragic news about Nodar Kumaritashvili, a luge athlete from Georgia, who was killed when his sled jumped off the track and crashed into an unpadded pole.
I think we tend to forget just how dangerous many of the winter games can be. Skiiing, bobsled, luge, skeleton (careening head-first on the sled; who came up with that sport?), ski jumping — all have the potential to end in disaster. Does anyone remember the opening for ABC’s Wide World of Sports that featured the skier crashing? (Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt.)
The summer Olympics don’t have this kind of drama. Aside from pulled muscles and the rare broken bone, there are not too many serious injuries (save for the occasional bicycle melee).
There are enough problems with the Olympics these days: the tremendous costs, both to the consumer and the host city, neither of whom seem to recoup their losses; the spectre of performance enhancing drugs; the politics. It’s small change compared with news like this.
The opening ceremonies will be held this evening. No doubt a moment of silence will be observed. But the show must go on.
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