I love watching most sports and have enjoyed the Winter Olympics. I wonder if I am the only one disturbed however by how important chance seems to be in many winter events. I am particularly thinking about short track skating and snowboard cross. The Olympics should be about being the best,not the luckiest.
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Originally posted by ande
Things can go wrong in swimming
you can
blow a turn
poorly split a race
breathe water / choke
get a cramp
hit the bottom
blow a start
blow a finish
With the possible exception of breathing a wave these are pretty much things that are under the swimmer's control. I think the issue raised with short track speed skating and snowboard cross is that you are subject to errors on the part of your competitors. Several competitors in snowboard cross were eliminated by another competitor wiping out and taking someone out in the process, similarly in short track. You don't see swimmers getting "boxed" in by members of a competing team either. In swimming you pretty much have your own lane and your competitors are largely limited to psychological influences.
Originally posted by ande
Things can go wrong in swimming
you can
blow a turn
poorly split a race
breathe water / choke
get a cramp
hit the bottom
blow a start
blow a finish
With the possible exception of breathing a wave these are pretty much things that are under the swimmer's control. I think the issue raised with short track speed skating and snowboard cross is that you are subject to errors on the part of your competitors. Several competitors in snowboard cross were eliminated by another competitor wiping out and taking someone out in the process, similarly in short track. You don't see swimmers getting "boxed" in by members of a competing team either. In swimming you pretty much have your own lane and your competitors are largely limited to psychological influences.
