Olympic wrap up

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One thing I think is interesting about the Olympics is the way the country boundaries seem to be getting more and more blurry.

I usually think about this during the summer Olympics, when it seems that at least half of the participants on all the teams train in the USA. So-and-so who runs for name-your-big-American-University but is on the not-USA Olympic team. Someone-else who swims for different-big-American-University but is on the different-not-USA Olympic team.

In the winter, the same is true for hockey players, who, nearly all of them, skate in North America professionally but skate for their home countries in the Olympics.

This winter's games seemed to me to take blurriness up an order of magnitude.

A Japanese girl who gave up her citizenship to become a Russian (!!!) so she could skate in "pairs" (which they apparently don't have in Japan). A Canadian skater getting US citizenship so she could train and skate here. A skier who grew up in the US skiing for Canada. A Canadian coach for the Chinese aerial skiers. A Korean coach for American speed skaters. Russian figure-skating coaches everywhere -- including the same coach/choreographer team working with the Canadian ice-dancing pair who won gold AND the American pair who won silver!

If this isn't blurry boundaries, I don't know what would be.

I decided I think it's a good thing. Let them train where they think they need to, with the coaches/partners/teammates who seem to be the best fit, and then let them perform for us.

As long as we all understand that this whole national boundary thing is getting less and less significant to the entire extravaganza, despite the way we count off who wins how many of what color medal.............

And now, just because I can.... Another pic snapped off the tv last night. It just goes to show -- Take The Pic.

It may not be great, but you may be glad to have it.........



One last image from the beginning of the closing ceremonies.

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