Olympics Sochi Style

 

Heja Sverige!  So the cross-country rivalry between Sweden and Norway in just cross-country is continuing to entertain, and this year in Sochi, to exacerbate the Norwegians.  Sweden has been able to clinch more medals for the sport, even winning the gold in both women's and men's team relays! Charlotte Kalla with three Olympic medals is now the darling of Sweden.  Read more here, Sweden wins Olympic gold


As the New York Time's states:

"But a strange thing has been taking place here the last 10 days: Sweden has been beating Norway, sometimes badly, including this weekend at the all-important team relays — a kind of Super Bowl of cross-country skiing — in which Sweden won both golds and Norway was shut out of the medals.

With four cross-country events left, Sweden has won nine medals to Norway’s seven. (Every other nation combined has eight.) Norwegian news outlets have used words like “catastrophe” and “disaster.” Social media in the country are abuzz with calls for answers."   See link below*

 

The answer the Norwegians have been pointing to it appears is the wax, the answer the Swedes suggest is hard work.  ;-)  Well, I am not much of a cross-country skier although I did explore my inner Skade (the Nordic goddess of skiing) by hitting the snow-covered links yesterday.  I spent about three hours skiing around admiring the weather, the blue sky, the hills, and the birds.  I'm not due to join any teams, Olympic or other, in the near future but I did like the sport a lot. 

 

 

* http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/sports/olympics/swedens-cross-country-skiing-success-rattles-norway.html?_r=0