Female hockey tournament is in full swing. By the way, before the Olympiad I couldn’t imagine that our team is its competent participant; though the participation is rather specific. As it turned out, Russian female and male hockey are two big differences. With all regards to our girls, they act on the ice as the Mongolian team at the Russian hockey World Championship. But Mongolians could at least outstrip Estonians, though before that they dealt only with horses. To render justice I’ll notice, that only journalists and sometimes commentators, but not Russian hockey leaders, pay attention at the female team. It’s no wonder, that there are no positive results. And the sport commentator congratulates us with a very good play of our girls against the Canadian team, while the score on the table is 0:12. But at the same time Russians played with zest.

On Monday curling competitions started. By the way, curling is a very amusing thing. It’s resemblance with general auditorium cleaning before the holidays is only visual. In reality heaps of men and women with idiotic brushes and a clever face-expression, rubbing already swabbed sparkling ice, finally produce an exciting show. There are only two “but”. The first is that unfortunately Russian combined team couldn’t get to the Olympiad. But at the same time female team is rather good. The second “but” is that those people, who were planning TV program, were probably not informed about the existence of this kind of sport. Or, perhaps, they think that curling is something average between kegling and bodybuilding. I hope that at least parts of final matches will be shown. By the way, curling will be held every day beginning from yesterday.

Meanwhile lugers’ competitions are very transient. For example, hardly had the Olympiad for Albert Demchenko begun on Friday, when on Sunday it was over. But If you still remember, the end was very successful. As representatives of fair sex, female lugers are not afraid of Mondays. But everything will also be finished for them today. Unfortunately, there is nobody to support Demchenko’s initiative in our combined female team. Two yesterday heats proved a well-known fact: if German Wehrmacht had carried war right like their girls lug, I would have probably been writing all these lines in German, only if I hadn’t been hacking coal somewhere in Kemerovsky region. On the other hand, if all Germans go in for luging, in a couple of years we’ll have to choke with some ardent “Ochota” instead of drinking Bavaria beer. I don’t doubt that the whole pedestal in female luging will be of “German bottling”.

Let me think, whether I’ve missed anything tricky. Oh, yes, it’s half-pipe, my new passion. Yesterday I watched female final and tried either to understand the implication, or to enjoy the beauty of the action. And I seemed to perceive why this pipe is of no interest to our risky snowboard fans. It’s possible to break your head, but only if you dash it against the wall on purpose. It’s also impossible to break the board because of Torino pipe configuration. Only wooden board may be spoilt. But it’s of no rush. All the rest is as smooth as the billiard table, only the curved one. The snow is artificial. Nothing resembles snowdrifts and boulders, hidden under them. The whole action is judged not by your buddy-suicides, but doltish experts, who want to see beautiful pirouettes, but not the striking examples of the backbone in the form of broken stones, stellated with trousers’ – boards’ dribs and drabs.

In general, I liked half-pipe, partially because the last time I dealt with boards at the wood-working industrial complex 25 years ago, or may be because of the delightful idea that personally I was sitting at home in a warm armchair and not exerting myself in this devilish pipe. Though, I had several questions. For example, what’s the use of this crab, or grab and why should the sportsman touch the board with his arm while completing this element. The failure will provide you with loss of points. It’s rather strange, indeed. Figure-skaters also do many elements, but no one makes them hold the skates while showing triple axel. Perhaps the work of the hands is supposed to be shown. If it is so, let all the participants appear with picks or spades, - there will surely be something to shovel in this pipe.

Speaking about the results: I’m absolutely sure that this kind of sport was included into the Olympic program only under the pressure of the sixth marine aircraft-carriers of the USA; and half-pipe itself appeared somewhere on the industrial Colorado state dump. It’s no wonder that only a few manage to dilute male and female Americans, and it’ll become possible to win half-pipe only if the competitions are held on the Independence Day. Of the USA, of course.

Now let’s talk about the most important events.

First of all, it’s great that nothing prevented us from starting to fight for medals in figure-skating. Though there were some obstacles. Here I once again became certain that Chinese expansion is not the result of the morbid imagination, but objective reality are given to us by means of sensibility. These guys complete everything it in a fast, impudent way and on a grand scale. They also don’t neglect massive tactics. Hardly have they learnt to skate on the big rink, when they immediately try short-track, since the board resembles Chinese wall and the sportsmen have no problems with proportions. In those places, where an ordinary person will surely break the board after speeding up, they easily manage to make a turn. So Chinese had no problems with getting medals in short track. I’m sure they would easily slide in the bath-house, if there was a frozen swimming-pool inside.

If they manage to turn, why not try jumping? No problems. The only obstacle is the wind, which may blow the Chinese skater away and he will land very slowly. For this case the female partner is indispensable. And here we go to the tops of pair skating.

Speaking seriously, only awful fall of a Chinese pair with one surname Zhang played decisive role in medal distribution. Though, it seems to me that at the moment Russians Totmianina and Marinin are hors concours. But I doubt whether the experts shared my point of view. All’s well, that ends well. It was our third gold medal.

The second gold was won by our girls in individual race. Besides, they managed to win silver and nearly won bronze. No one could expect such a result, simply longing for one of prize positions. Pessimism off and bump them off in the John!

Just as two days ago at the men’s race, total shooting was far from being ideal. Someone managed to pass two, someone – three lines without misses. Very soon it became clear that one miss is not a problem, while two misses certainly are. Three misses - pour out water and easy all. And the majority of our primeval rivals, including Bailly of France, nearly complete set of Germans, Poiree of Norway, missed the goal thrice and even more times. For example, Wilhelm made five misses. The same can be said about Disl. Only Anna Bogaliy from our team took their original challenge “who’ll miss more”. But even she couldn’t miss more than five times. All the rest changed their mind in time; and then decidedly isolated themselves from the world biathlon elite, though it slightly smells of streikbrecherschaft. But as a result, Svetlana Ishmuratova won gold, Olga Pyleva – silver. It’s a pity that Albina Akhatova, who had all chances to take bronze, failed to do it. Martina Glagov of Germany didn’t follow the example of the elder teammates concerning leaving the targets in inviolability and outstripped Akhatova for 20 sec. If I were one of German team chiefs I would certainly raise a question of Glagov’s unworthy behavior and scandalous breach of the team ethics.

One more silver medal of Monday was heroically won in male 500 m. racing skates. Last medal in this kind of sport was taken 12 years ago. Dmitry Dorofeev did his best, though 0.02 sec. separated him and the Korean sportsman, who finally took bronze.

They say that according to the length of the distance time-transference of 0.02 sec. is somewhat 2 sm. Needless to say whether it’s fair or not.

And it was an American, who became the leader. He won with a big advantage. This Joey Cheek should have left his main job long ago, or his last job was that of a courier in Alaska. He’s the world champion of 2006. It was possible to fight with him. But the process was nearly useless. Nevertheless the silver medal is our now.

It turned out that after the last Monday competition was finished, Russia (freeze, the twinkling, - so wonderful you are) gathered the largest number of medals. Can you imagine that! Though, Americans have one extra gold medal.

But everything changes, doesn’t it?

Hasta la vista. Savar.

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