the Olympics one
a little bit nerdy, and a lot inspiring
A peek inside today’s issue:
how meisters create the perfect surfaces for each of the rink sports (and why it has to be different).
the Olympic champion’s story that’s been overshadowed by her former partner
curling, explained
she’s my new favorite athlete these Olympics
justice for Surya Bonaly
The Experts Known As ‘Ice Meisters’ Create Perfect Olympic Skating Surfaces (NPR)
This Reel sent me down a rabbit hole:
I had no idea that different winter sports required differences in the ice, but now I do - and I loved learning the little details. Here’s the TL’;DR:
Long track speed skating requires the least amount of friction. To achieve this, it’s usually the coldest ice out of all Olympic sports, is filtered to remove nearly all of the minerals to make the ice as dense as possible.
Curling requires the opposite - the ice is textured with “pebbles” (droplets of ice in multiple sizes and shapes sprinkled on the rink) that helps the curling stone glide and curl.
This is the only ice I’m here for right now.
Gabriella Papadakis, ice dancer: ‘My mother turned me into a little soldier who let herself be guided by the decisions of others’ (Le Monde)
copy and paste archive.ph/ in front of the URL, in case the paywall is up
trigger warning: sexual assault
I know I’ve engineered my Meta algorithms perfectly when any mention of the French couple, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, is followed by comments urging for justice for Gabriella Papadakis.
Papadakis is Cizeron’s former partner, and the one he won the last Olympics with. She’s also bravely spoken out about the sexual assault and depression she faced while being at the top of the sport, and how she’s healing.
Papadakis was dropped by NBC as an analyst during these Olympics after her book was published. It takes tremendous strength, discipline, and artistry to win as many titles and medals that she has. It takes even greater courage to speak your truth, and I commend her for doing just that.
A random aside - I’ve wondered this since I started watching Glitter & Gold.
What Exactly Is Curling? (Mental Floss)
I ask myself this question every four years, and this is the article I’ve been visiting for the past 3 Olympics.
What is curling, exactly? And why do we all think we could easily pick this sport up and make it to the Olympics?
This article answers the first question. And the video answers the second, while humbling actual athletes on the skill this sport requires.
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Cutting Edge made me a figure skating fan. The Mighty Ducks made me a hockey fan, especially Julie “The Cat” Gaffney and Connie Moreau.
(Okay, and Joshua Jackson).
Hockey has also grabbed my attention this Olympics, and it’s been so much fun to watch the women’s team just dominate. I’d argue that Laila Edwards is a big part of that.
I, Surya (Africa Is a Country)
I can’t watch men’s figure skating (especially Ilia) without yelling “Surya did it first!” at my TV.
It’s a bit of a problem, but I still feel very strongly that Surya was robbed and disgustingly disrespected. But what I also remember is how she showed up beautifully, fully, and unapologetically.
“Bonaly rose to prominence in the era of the ice princess; the time of Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Katerina Witt, Midori Ito, and Michelle Kwan. So, her success and unwillingness to bend to figure skating’s rules makes her a stand out on this list. Bonaly stuck out like a sore thumb not only because of the color of her skin, but her unwillingness to bend to the skating world’s norms in terms of costumes, hairstyles, behavior.”
Bonaly’s legacy is not just landing a back flip in competition (on one leg, no less). It’s that she showed up on her terms, and gave permission for other athletes (especially women, and especially Black women) to do the same. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, I see Bonaly in Venus and Serena Williams and Simone Biles.
I’d still argue that Bonaly deserves more in terms of credit and recognition in the sport. But this essay is a beautiful one that honors her impact, on and off the ice.
I (obviously) loved this Olympics-filled issue. Justice for Gabrielle, C/B deserved gold, and I loved that lil excerpt from that essay on Surya!
I've just started watching Glitter & Gold, and I wish I didn't know how the ice dancing turned out before I finished the series (why is it always a French judge?!). Also, forever justice for Surya! She was an incredible skater and wildly underrated -- for then and now.