Olympic highlights

I love the Olympics, especially the winter ones. I remember watching them from the time I was a very little girl. One of the greatest memories I have is going to the Summer games in 1984 in Los Angeles with my mom.

Sadly, I wasn't able to watch a single event this year. I was either working while the games were on, or someone was busy watching something else, or playing video games at the time. However, I did stay up to date on my favorite sports, speed skating and hockey.

Now, I'm not as big of a hockey fan as my friend Bainwen is, but it's my second favorite sport. (Sorry, baseball will always be number one for me.) Then you add the Olympics to the mix, the most awesome display of athletics in the world, and you've got my attention! I was getting worried when the US and Canada teams both got beaten out of medal contention. But, oh the good news! Sweden was in the running for a medal! They had to go up against Finland for the gold. Happy news...They won! The very best part to me, was that Nicklas Lidstrom, my favorite hockey player, (Go Wings!), was the one that scored the goal that sealed the victory.

Lidstrom's goal, coming just 10 seconds into the third period, snapped a tie and sent Sweden to a 3-2 victory over Finland on Sunday in the men's hockey finale.

I'm of Swedish ancestry, very proudly so, and usually root for the Swedes anyway. I even exchanged a flag with a Swedish man at the '84 games. I gave him my US one for his Swedish one. I think my mom still has it somewhere.

Another interesting note, the US won their very first medal in curling. Curling? You ask...WTF is that? Well, it's an interesting sport where two guys basically brush a large stone down the ice, trying to put it in just the right spot to score points. I know, obscure. I only know because my daddy curled in college. That, and it's one sport you're sure to get tickets to if you ever want to go to the games. ;)

However, the most interesting thing to me in these Olympics was the speed skating events. I have always loved the sport, both long and short track. I remember watching the Queen of Speed Skating and Dan Jansen go flying around the track and being mesmerised by them. This year I had a real close interest in the men's competition. Bay City, Michigan's very own Alex Izykowski was on the men's team. He was in a couple of events, and eventually became part of the Bronze medal winning team for the 5000 meter race. I'm hoping we have a really big party here, so maybe I can finally see a real Olympic medal (or were they CD's this year?) up close and personal. That, and he's cute. :>

So another Winter Olympics have come and gone. I really wish I could have seen them. Maybe I'll have better luck in four years when they come to Vancouver, Canada. After all, I'm not that far away. And I would like to say someday that I've been to the Summer and Winter games. By that time my kid would be old enough to enjoy them even. Now that would be a cool tradition to start. I'll never be an athelte, but at least watching these guys and gals lets me dream a little.

"Citius, Altius, Fortius"