In the blink of an eye.

The Olympics hold a special fascination for me this year. I think it is cuz humans are at the top of their game this century. I mean physically wise. Just think of it. These athletes train from the time they can barely walk for this and come as close to physical perfect in their sport as is humanly possible. Technology is giving it's all to help toward that end too. With machines and gadgets for training and special clothes to help them make every second count. In fact, they all train so hard and well that each one is as good as humanly possible. World records will always still be set but in only the tiniest increments. Most races are won by a blink of an eye...literally by one hundredth of a second.

Can you imagine losing a medal..and a gold at that, by only one hundredth of a second? to give everything you got and poof! gone cuz maybe you took a breath when you should not of. I have heard announcers say that time matters the most right from the start gate. Whew..to have to be that precise must be gruelling. They blinked at the wrong time maybe.

I think also the winter Olympics are better and more exciting than the summer because non-human factors are more important. The weather plays a bigger part.  With humans being so trained, their skills are darn near equal. More and more for instance in gymnastics we are seeing athletes with near perfect scores and sometimes it comes down to a finger out of place to take points off. With winter sports, the snow conditions have such a huge impact. As I was watching the downhill skiing and snowboarding, I watched as many had trouble with the not so great conditions on the slopes. One crappy little bump can end their run on the spot. I feel so bad for those that take a tumble and their dream dies right then and their. All their skill and blam!!! lady luck smacks them. Right now my mind sees the snowboarders coming out of the chutes and one lucky guy gets the right spot on the slopes and swishes out ahead. Snow sure is fickle.

I was a bit perplexed though when I heard the athletes complaining about an hour delay for the men's speedskaters start time. I was amazed that with an even so important and the millions in equipment that they could not get the ice ready in time for the scheduled start. But I was more amazed at how that affected the skaters. The announcers was saying that they got testy when they could not start when they were supposed to as it threw off their warming up timing. I guess an extra hour put the screws to already ramped up nerves huh? With as hard as they have to train and the normal life they have to give up...I guess it is only right we allow them a bit of leeway in the mental battle they go thru.

A great thing I saw last night was that the uniforms were much nicer than yesterdays events. I actually loved all the downhill skiers apparel.