| I am not a die-hard sports enthusiast,
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| | Lots of yelling and physics accompany
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| but confess I enjoyed watching the winter
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| | this sport! Imagine four Newfoundlanders
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| Olympics held in Turino Italy. It was
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| | winning the gold - talk about a party
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| nice to watch something positive and
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| | when they get home!There is the luge
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| motivational for a change and to delight
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| | where, depending on the event, one or two
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| in some truly amazing and generous acts.
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| | people lie on their backs on a sled going
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| I find the wide variety of sports
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| | down a tight twisty run ... feet first.
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| showcased fascinating, proving there is a
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| | You might think that is scary enough
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| lot one can do in cold climates of
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| | until you see those in the skeleton
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| winter!Consider the spectrum of sports.
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| | event, maybe appropriately named. These
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| There are the many varieties of skiing.
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| | athletes go down a steep ice track, on a
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| The downhill event has skiers reaching
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| | sled, that has no brakes, headfirst. Hmmm
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| speeds of 140 kilometers per hour (87
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| | ... where do they find people to do
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| mph), you get speeding tickets for going
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| | this?Then there is ice hockey. Grown men
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| that fast in a car! Imagine what it takes
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| | and women strap on boots with blades on
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| to be a ski jumper as you attempt to
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| | the bottom, use curved sticks to shoot a
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| imitate flight and defy gravity the
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| | hard rubber disk in the opponents net.
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| longest once you are airborne. Picture
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| | This happens as they skate at up to 50 km
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| the freestyle skiers who twist and turn
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| | per hour (30 mph) and shoot the puck at
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| in the air so fast I don't know how the
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| | over 150 km per hour (95 mph) while
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| commentators can describe their
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| | maneuvering around on ice. A shame both
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| incredible aerial feats. The
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| | the NHL laden U.S.A. and Canadian teams
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| cross-country skiers have tremendous
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| | didn't even make it to the semi-finals.
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| endurance, and some stop to shoot rifles
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| | Perhaps too much talent, not enough
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| while trying to manage their beating
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| | "team".Over the 17-day period, 2,500
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| hearts and gasping lungs.We were witness
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| | athletes from 85 nations competed for 84
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| to a newer Olympic event that debuted in
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| | medals in seven sports. We shared the
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| Nagano in 1998, snowboarding. I think the
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| | pride of those on the podium as they
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| snowboarders had the most fun creating
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| | smiled or cried as their national anthem
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| their lexicon when they speak of a
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| | played before the world. Two single acts
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| McTwist, Fakie, Duckfoot, an Ollie or a
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| | at this twentieth Olympic Games stand out
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| Nollie! Didn't it just used to be Narly
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| | in my mind and will for many years.I
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| ... or was that suffer speak and I've
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| | applaud gold medalist Joey Cheek, the USA
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| just dated myself?There are those flashy
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| | speed skater for donating his $25,000
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| speed skaters in their skin-tight outfits
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| | bonus to Right to Play, an organization
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| who fly around an oval ice surface at up
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| | of former Olympic, Paralympic and
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| to 60 km per hour (37 mph) battling G
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| | professional athletes worldwide who
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| forces in the turns. The figure skaters
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| | support using sport for development,
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| entertained us with their dance routines
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| | health and peace. Good for you Joey, you
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| and inspiring jumps. They also showed
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| | are an inspiration to many.Perhaps the
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| tremendous grit when Zhang Dan a Chinese
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| | defining moment of the Games was when
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| pairs figure skater had a spectacular
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| | Sara Renner, a Canadian broke her ski
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| fall which made anyone watching cringe.
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| | pole in a cross-country team sprint
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| To our disbelief, this 20 year old got
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| | event. A Norwegian coach gave her a pole
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| up, completed the routine, and won the
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| | to finish the race. She and teammate
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| silver medal. Awesome.We can't forget the
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| | Beckie Scott went on to win the silver
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| curlers. A sport many find strange, but
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| | medal. To me this unselfish act defines
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| appreciate the accuracy involved in
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| | sportsmanship and is hard evidence the
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| curling your rock down a 44 meter (49
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| | true Olympic spirit lives on. See you in
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| yard) ice surface and trying to hit a
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| | Vancouver in 2010.Clayton Shold has 25
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| bulls eye with two sweepers helping
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| | years of experience helping sales
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| control speed and direction of a heavy
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| | professionals increase their revenue and
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| stone, while you opponent is attempting
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| | productivity. He can be reached at
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| to block you or knock you on every throw.
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| | claytonshold@cogeco.
|
