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Just 99 Days Until the Winter Olympics

By: Stepfanie Romine : 11/5/2009 4:13:53 PM : 112 comments : 7,630 Views

The countdown is on. Just 99 days left until the 2010 Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver. Having spent a couple of days in that fair city last month, I can tell you that the excitement is already palpable.

I love the Olympics, both Winter and Summer. Sports don't exist in my world normally. (If you ever see me in the vicinity of a ball, duck and run! And if I've got a bat or a racket, run faster. I'm not violent--just really clumsy!) But from the Opening Ceremonies to the Closing, I'm glued to the TV. Suddenly, sports are really exciting to me. It makes me proud to be an American--and even prouder when I watch athletes from other, smaller countries win when they truly deserve it. During the Olympics, there's such a love-thy-neighbor mentality. Unlike during other sporting events, there's no hostility, no swearing, no smack talk. It's just peace, love and good sportsmanship. (That's probably not 100% correct, but just let me live in my fantasy world, OK?)

Two of my favorite winter sports are figure skating, with its simultaneous grace, strength and beauty, and hockey, which takes a level of guts that I don't possess.

As a preview of our Olympic coverage, today I'm sharing with you two videos of Olympic athletes showing off their best moves, which I took last month in Vancouver:

First, hockey player Angela Ruggiero demonstrates her speed, agility and coordination on the ice.

Then, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker perform one of their figure skating routines.

Are you excited for the Olympics? What is your favorite Olympic sport?
Photo courtesy of Nike, of Olympic athletes and hopefuls

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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)

LIZZYLIZARD03 11/25/2009 10:46:03 AM	I love the Winter Olympics! I feel a really close connection to the events because my hometown of Steamboat Springs, CO has sent more athletes to the Winter Olympics than any other town/city in the United States. They also hold some of the Olympic trials on our mountain. This year they will hold the trials for Freestyle and Nordic Combined Skiing. When the Olympics were in Utah, our ski resort had a marketing slogan, "When Olympians gather in Utah its called the winter games. When they gather in Steamboat its called Thursday"! There is a lot of pride around Steamboat when it comes to the Winter Olympics. My favorite events are probably ski jumping and snowboarding.	112
KBUCKMASH 11/11/2009 2:06:51 PM	When it comes to a ball and bat I am as bad as Stephanie and am not into most sports shown on TV year round. The exception is figure skating and gymnastics and when it comes to the Olympics I try to plan my schedule around when they are on TV! Even though the other sports are not usually watched, do watch them during the Olympics because of the sportmanship and the dedication of most of the athletes - especially the Americans and the countries that participate, regardless of their odds of winning. As someone has already pointed out, we all need to be wishing and praying Vancouver and everyone involved are safe from harm and danger.	111
NEXTYEAR 11/10/2009 11:16:27 AM	I love the winter Olympics. They inspire me to get out and get going in the cold.	110
BILLALEX70 11/9/2009 8:09:28 PM	I really enjoy the Olympics anymore. The more active I become the more I appreciate all of the training and effort that these athletes put forth. I may never achieve the same results as these athletes, but I can say that I give it my best effort when training. I have a feeling you're more of an athlete than you want to give yourself credit for. Just because you don't use a racket or bat doesn't mean you're not an athlete.	109
BARBARA0214 11/9/2009 10:29:12 AM	I also love the Olympic Games. Bud Greenspan did a many part documentary called Olympiad when I was in my teens. It gave me a wonderful background on the games and I have been a fan ever since. My favorite winter sport is figure skating. I really miss Jim McKay. He was a wonderful sports reporter.	108
KSDB84N6 11/8/2009 11:55:13 AM	Can't wait for these--I love winter sports on TV. They allow me to be warm and comfortable, but remind me to get out in the cold and exercise.	107
MEOWSER2 11/8/2009 11:35:21 AM	I love ice skating! I will also be watching skiing. Perhaps I like them all lol!	106
LEELYNN2 11/8/2009 11:21:05 AM	I probably won't be able to watch much if any, but If I could, I'd love to see the hockey team play.... Ice hockey is the most fun a person can have!	105
KRISTINB1977 11/8/2009 9:19:47 AM	Fingers crossed for Brent Aussprung to make the Speed Skating team! He just had the fastest time for US men in the 500m in Berlin. Go Brent!	104
SWEET2NURSE2003 11/8/2009 9:10:23 AM	I don't watch the games too much. But I do enjoy the skating and gymnastics portions.	103
CH33RDANC3R 11/8/2009 2:39:14 AM	M,W,TH preparing for a 5k, F and S cross training and strength training	102
SERENITY44 11/7/2009 11:50:17 PM	I love the Winter Olympics! My favorite events are all the different ice skating categories. I can't wait! ^_^	101
HEALTHYIN10 11/7/2009 9:30:06 PM	Not a huge sports fan, but love to watch the Olympics! There's just something really emotional for me in supporting "my team"	100
SUEZETTE-414 11/7/2009 8:37:22 PM	We watch both summer and winter Olympics in this house.	99
MEROBACK 11/7/2009 7:42:07 PM	For me I would have to say it is the ice dancing. The girls and boys are so elegant and graceful when they skate and the lifts and jumps that they do are so challenging and you can see that they work very hard to get their moves to align with their partners. And the outfits that the girls wear are beautiful and give the ice dancing a little extra pizzaz.	98
VALI_T 11/7/2009 1:33:16 PM	I love the Olympics, both summer and winter. But I'm sick to death of the television coverage where I get to watch more about each athlete's favorite food and where he or she grew up than I get to watch of the actual sporting events. I'm never going to pay the big money to get the special pay-per-view thing where you can watch more of the Olympics events so I'm just stuck with the network TV coverage, which gets worse and worse every time the Olympics roll around. But even with the rotten coverage that shows one minute of sports for every half hour of non-sports related coverage, I still really love the Olympics and getting to see the best of what people from virtually every country in the world can do with their bodies.	97
JCFAIRFI 11/7/2009 12:01:35 PM	Not a big fan of the Olympics, but I love watching hockey.	96
MYSPARKLER 11/7/2009 9:32:15 AM	Thanks for sharing the excitement! I love watching both the summer & winter games!	95
CBRENNAN2 11/7/2009 9:25:11 AM	My whole family really likes the figure skating. And I also like the ski jumps, & speed skating.	94
DIANE1253 11/7/2009 9:12:32 AM	I LOVE the Olympics, both winter and summer. I don't have just one favorite sport. For me the Opening and Closing ceramonies are the most interesting as they bring in the curlture of the country	93
MAYBER 11/7/2009 6:26:19 AM	I like watching the Olympics but at what point do they have to say enough is enough we have ran as fast as man was intended we have done as many revolutions in the jumps as we can do and do not care for the new skating scoring we have too many one time athletes now Do like the figure skating the most in winter and swimming in the summer	92
MELOSPARKLE 11/7/2009 5:55:10 AM	I love figure skating! It's definitely my favorite!	91
DOLPHINLAM 11/7/2009 2:37:13 AM	For the winter olympics i like the figure skating and the speed skatings and for the summer i like the swimming, volleyball, diving, beach volleyball	90
HOPE2BE 11/7/2009 12:26:18 AM	Mine is figure skating and the gymnastics, horses, snow skiers	89
HOPE2BE 11/7/2009 12:26:13 AM	Mine is figure skating and the gymnastics, horses, snow skiers	88
CALAMITIJANE 11/7/2009 12:01:00 AM	i love ice skating	87
AJCOELHO 11/7/2009 12:00:20 AM	I love the Summer and Winter Olympics. In 2010 it will be in my home city and I will be watching everything morning, noon and night. My favourites are Hockey, Speed Skating, Ski Jumping and Skiing. #66 you should watch the Canadian TV channels for speed skating.	86
GIVEUP30 11/6/2009 11:24:14 PM	I used to roller skate and do dancing but not with the one I married. Miss doing it for it is so much fun....Ice skating I just kept losing it...but still enjoyed taking my little ones...	85
GLEORIA 11/6/2009 10:57:17 PM	I love the Winter Olympics. I have hosted an Olympics party with foods from around the world for several years. My favorite sports are the luge and downhill skiing.	84
JASNAFAN 11/6/2009 10:22:49 PM	Bob sled, luge, ski jumping and ice dance! I live on Vancouver Island but won't be travelling across to the Mainland - it's just too expensive. I might watch a little on the television though.	83
FAYLETTE 11/6/2009 5:54:28 PM	I've never been interested in watching any sports, really, and since I live in Vancouver and it's going to be hell to get anywhere in the city during the Olympics... this is all just a big bummer :P	82
GNUATTITUDE 11/6/2009 5:11:53 PM	Hockey! I may have to watch Miracle again to get myself geared up before the Games begin!	81
BHSKITTYKATT 11/6/2009 5:01:56 PM	I love watching the Olympics! Especially the hot male athletes! ;-) Though I am anxious about how busy it's going to get (I live just south of Vancouver, working in the hotel business, and we're gonna be packed).	80
FRAN0426 11/6/2009 4:53:26 PM	I enjoy watching the olympics. Skating for the winter and gymnasics and diving for the summer .	79
LALAFLOWERS 11/6/2009 4:49:25 PM	I am so excited! I get to watch sports that I usually can't get!!!! Plus.. this time, my folks will be volunteering in the athletes village... I can't wait to hear how they do, what they're doing, and more about the whole 'backscene' of the Olympics!	78
LLBRCFAN 11/6/2009 4:30:54 PM	I love both Olympics. Figure skating for the winter is my favorite For the summer one I love Gymnastics.	77
TERRI77 11/6/2009 4:11:24 PM	I went to the 2006 Olympics in Torino. Was thinking about heading to Vancouver, but decided against it. I'll be watching all the coverage that I can on television.	76
MNM_13 11/6/2009 4:03:47 PM	I am very excited for the Olympics! I have always loved the Olympic games and I can't wait for these to come as well. I don't really have a favorite. I will watch pretty much anything they are showing and I can sit there for hours and hours watching it. But now since Sparkpeople I will be working out while watching it!	75
HOLALOLA 11/6/2009 4:02:34 PM	I could have written this article. I agree with everything the author said! I love to travel, so I love hearing about the different countries. My brother and I watch the parade of nations and talk about where the countries are. Just when we think we know them all, we are always amazed to find one we've never heard of before. Though this time he might go to Vancouver so I might have to enjoy it alone.	74
ITGIRL74 11/6/2009 4:01:49 PM	My favorites for the winter Olympics are figure skating, ski jumping, and snow boarding. I used to watch gymnastics religiously, but this past Olympics' controversies really turned me off. And yes, SMLARSON13, I remember the movie Cool Runnings - love it! Edited because reading others' comments reminded me how much I like speed skating, too!	73
DHSPARK 11/6/2009 2:40:52 PM	Figure skating is my fav for the Winter Olympics. Gymnastics is my fav for the Summer Olympics. I do try to watch as much as I can of everything! It's touching to watch athletes "going for it"; something they've been training their whole life for!	72
SMLARSON13 11/6/2009 2:21:01 PM	Love watching bobsledding (remember the movie Cool Runnings? LOL!!) and ski jumping is fun to watch too.	71
KATHIH1 11/6/2009 2:16:55 PM	Figure skating, speed skating and all of the skiing events........	70
KKLENNERT809 11/6/2009 2:13:05 PM	I do like to watch them and my favorite is figure skating and bobsledding.	69
REEDSKI 11/6/2009 1:56:53 PM	In the summer of 2008 I enjoyed watching Michael Phelps and the other Americans swim. I enjoyed watching Shawn Johnson from Iowa and the other American gymnists. In the winter I like the ice skating.	68
AMYLOVESTZU 11/6/2009 12:38:29 PM	i LOVE TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS.. THEY ARE CLOSE TO US THIS TIME.. CANADA IS NOT THAT FAR FROM US	67
ARCHIMEDESII 11/6/2009 12:38:03 PM	I know this is going to sound strange, but two of my favorites are speed skating and short track speed skating. Short track speed skating is absolutely amazing. However, I only get to see races IF an American happens to in the finals. They rarely show this sport on TV. Which is too bad. One year, I started watching curling. I really had no idea how the game was played, but I found it fascinating.	66
LESLIE56 11/6/2009 12:35:20 PM	certainly looking forward to the 2010 Olympics. Vancouver is about 5.5 hrs. flying time, so I'll probably not get there. I watch everything, that's on, though. Crazy for skating. A few years ago I went to Skate Canada, with my DD. in Halifax. we had such a great time. She lives there, and DSIL, bought us the tickets. I'm certainly tied to my TV when the Olympics are on.	65
SHORTY20 11/6/2009 12:34:32 PM	I love the olympics (both winter and summer)! I've always secretly dreamed of being an olympian...maybe I can be in the senior olympics when I get a little older! My fave winter event is the snowboarding, and my fave summer is the swimming.	64
YATMAMA 11/6/2009 12:28:36 PM	I love winter and summer Olympics. Being from New Orleans, I'm awed by the ice skating and skiing! Please, God, keep Vancouver safe from all harm, all danger, from within and from without, and prosper her economy and citizens as she hosts these glorious events. I ask for this divine intervention in Jesus' name.	63