Maddie Bowman (USA skier 1/2 pipe) defending Gold medalist, 5th after first qualification round
-
For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.
Spoiler: PyeongChang 2018 Olympics
- Thread starter James
- Start date
I put pine needles in my shorts to soften the landings too....
Watching ice dancing. The Canadians didn't just show up the previous competitors but they showed up Mick Jagger. Fun to watch. More to come but fun music for them - and us old classic rock fans.
Eric
Eric
Breaking: Le Monde has reported that the French ski team has asked Mathieu Faivre to leave Pyeongchang immediately. Link here (in French).
Faivre (best known to some in the US as Shiffrin's boyfriend) was cheesed off after finishing 7th in the GS. Asked about the overall good results of the French team in that event, he said he didn't care about the collective result and was "in it only for myself." So the team's director, David Chastan, sent him packing from the Olympics "for disciplinary reasons."
Oops.
Faivre (best known to some in the US as Shiffrin's boyfriend) was cheesed off after finishing 7th in the GS. Asked about the overall good results of the French team in that event, he said he didn't care about the collective result and was "in it only for myself." So the team's director, David Chastan, sent him packing from the Olympics "for disciplinary reasons."
Oops.
I'm not quite sure what the click-bait after that story in Le Monde is saying, but I don't think it is very complementary towards skeleton.
"La gazette des Jeux d’hiver : « sport de merde », pantalons et skeleton"
edit - just like American click bait! Total misdirection. Apparently the "sport de merde" was Martin Fourcade talking about his own results, or maybe how a long biathalon makes you feel.
"La gazette des Jeux d’hiver : « sport de merde », pantalons et skeleton"
edit - just like American click bait! Total misdirection. Apparently the "sport de merde" was Martin Fourcade talking about his own results, or maybe how a long biathalon makes you feel.
Last edited:
Well, that's NOT the way I have seen this described. He was talking specially about the GS, his specialty, and last time I checked, an individual event.
He was #2 in the world and this has not been a great year. The press has been in his face ever since the revelation of his romance.
So, he has a decent first run, and is in contention for a medal. Then, he skis a poof second run and finishes out of it.
My understanding is that he was approached by French writers within 10 minutes after he finished and asked about how excited he was about Pintu's bronze and all of the French guys in the top 10. The "team."
He responds that on that day he was concerned about his performance and was really not happy. Nothing to celebrate. He also said they hate a TEAM EVENT to ski as a team in a few days.
Somehow that's come out as it has. I have heard that people are attributing his "down" year to his relationship which is insane.
Pintu is NOT a great guy. In fact, he has been a real pain in the ass in terms of the pecking order for GS skis with Head. Like despite Matt finishing #2 in the world, Pintu should get to pick his 40 pairs first.
Which BTW, Ligety did to Pintu. In Ligety's contract. His tech picks first.
The team thing works for the Norwegians {minus HK...most selfish kid on the WC} and the Swiss. Not sure how cozy some others are. I have heard that Pintu is a nice engaging guy, and professionally completely selfish.
Not terribly unusual in the sport. We have three one person teams within the USST umbrella.
MF was not going to ski another event anyways, other than the Team, and plenty of discussion that he and MS could both be headed out of Dodge.
We'll see. I think blowing this up is BS.
I think they should get married, he should become a USA citizen, and we can have ONE legitimate GS skier!
This one's a grandstand play by a few people who want to look good and safe face.
Vive Le France!
He was #2 in the world and this has not been a great year. The press has been in his face ever since the revelation of his romance.
So, he has a decent first run, and is in contention for a medal. Then, he skis a poof second run and finishes out of it.
My understanding is that he was approached by French writers within 10 minutes after he finished and asked about how excited he was about Pintu's bronze and all of the French guys in the top 10. The "team."
He responds that on that day he was concerned about his performance and was really not happy. Nothing to celebrate. He also said they hate a TEAM EVENT to ski as a team in a few days.
Somehow that's come out as it has. I have heard that people are attributing his "down" year to his relationship which is insane.
Pintu is NOT a great guy. In fact, he has been a real pain in the ass in terms of the pecking order for GS skis with Head. Like despite Matt finishing #2 in the world, Pintu should get to pick his 40 pairs first.
Which BTW, Ligety did to Pintu. In Ligety's contract. His tech picks first.
The team thing works for the Norwegians {minus HK...most selfish kid on the WC} and the Swiss. Not sure how cozy some others are. I have heard that Pintu is a nice engaging guy, and professionally completely selfish.
Not terribly unusual in the sport. We have three one person teams within the USST umbrella.
MF was not going to ski another event anyways, other than the Team, and plenty of discussion that he and MS could both be headed out of Dodge.
We'll see. I think blowing this up is BS.
I think they should get married, he should become a USA citizen, and we can have ONE legitimate GS skier!
This one's a grandstand play by a few people who want to look good and safe face.
Vive Le France!
Haha now the real Muleski roars.
The marrying to get a male GS racer is brilliant. We should cultivate seductive skiers to lure the talent to our shores!
Imagine if Jules snared Aksel!
The marrying to get a male GS racer is brilliant. We should cultivate seductive skiers to lure the talent to our shores!
Imagine if Jules snared Aksel!
Well, since the current development plan seems to have been killing it.........
Some programs thrive by recruiting "transfers", HaHa!!
But seriously, this sounds like BS. I read an Instagram post of his, apologizing, that was written long before this expulsion took place. I though it sounded very genuine. This is not that big a deal.
Team.....HaHa. Guess we need to think about. A lot of skiers that we all "assume" were such great people. Phil and Steve Mahre......Killy.....Stenmark.....Klammer. It's a very long list.
Last edited:
I’m watching Redford’s Downhill Racer again tonight and Creech is complaining that Redford isn’t a team player, to which Dabney Coleman remarks, “It's not exactly a team sport is it?”
I do imagine Eileen is a little cross with that hot blooded Mediterranean Mathieu though....
I do imagine Eileen is a little cross with that hot blooded Mediterranean Mathieu though....
It's for depth perception in flat lighting.
She hasn't had a top 10 finish in the downhill in the last 5 years. But, anything is possible.
I have no idea what's big deal. Skiing is individual sport. Of course I can't speak for someone else, but if I would be ever on Olympics, end up 7th when I would be actually going for medal, I would be disappointed too.... even if all 3 other "teammates" would be finishing 1, 2 and 3. It's about your own performance and placement. Your teammate's medal doesn't do anything for you. You are not winner, it's your teammate who won not you. So it's pretty normal you are not happy. I mean you can be happy for your friend, but that's simply not same as if you win it. Skiing is just not football, basketball or even cycling, where there is team. Here your personal result counts not your friend's result. So I really don't see any issues with this at all.
In xc skiing, where team could actually play a role, but did you ever see Norwegians playing as team trying to get one of their own up front? I don't remember a single race where this happened, but I do remember few races in past, where they went into the race with such plan, and after first km they were killing each other just to lose on the end. And noone was "sent home" or even criticized for not "playing as team".
In xc skiing, where team could actually play a role, but did you ever see Norwegians playing as team trying to get one of their own up front? I don't remember a single race where this happened, but I do remember few races in past, where they went into the race with such plan, and after first km they were killing each other just to lose on the end. And noone was "sent home" or even criticized for not "playing as team".
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2015
- Posts
- 6,342
It's not a big deal but there is a difference between playing good PR and expressing true and understandable feelings. Personally I'd take the apology and make no more of it but who knows what else comes into it? Already he seems to be better known as MS's BF than for his world ranking, who knows how rabid the French media are?
Playing good PR 5mins after you finished "only" 7th in maybe your most important race of life? I don't think there's anyone who can do this. You are super frustrated and good PR is last thing that comes to your mind in moments like this. But that's also on side of journalists... instead of stupid click baits, they should have some respect and avoid such things straight after the race. I'm sure he would answer completely different today, but 5min after race, I don't blame him form "missing good PR senses".
So... Journalists want athletes to be human and give from the heart honest answers, but then when one does he gets raked over the proverbial coals....
This is a perfect reminder why cliche answers are typical and the athletes seem robotic.
People need to get a life!!!
I love that he was honest and pissed off, he should have been.
This is a perfect reminder why cliche answers are typical and the athletes seem robotic.
People need to get a life!!!
I love that he was honest and pissed off, he should have been.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2015
- Posts
- 6,342
Yep. I totally understand I'm terrible at work in playing happy clappy poker face to decisions that are manifestly BS so I'd definitely be unable in the face of huge disappointment.
Personally I'd rather we had more rather than less personality from athletes but reality is that saturation media coverage of major events has to be filled with something so stories will be made of non issues. Usually in the UK it's footballers getting themselves into trouble on Twitter but agents now have a better grip on that.
Last edited:
To be clear, I wasn’t endorsing anything in the Faivre kerfuffle: not what he said or the team’s response or his response to his eviction. Merely relaying Le Monde’s piece.
Personally I understand his perspective and reaction, even if he didn’t phrase it in the most diplomatic way imaginable. He was disappointed, it was just after the race: totally understandable.
That said, being French myself I also understand the team’s response because in France they are very touchy about how athletes behave when representing the country, especially since the debacle at the 2010 soccer World Cup. Since then they’ve tried to give at least the appearance of a unified front. Not always easy (see also: Davis and Fed Cups in tennis).
Personally I understand his perspective and reaction, even if he didn’t phrase it in the most diplomatic way imaginable. He was disappointed, it was just after the race: totally understandable.
That said, being French myself I also understand the team’s response because in France they are very touchy about how athletes behave when representing the country, especially since the debacle at the 2010 soccer World Cup. Since then they’ve tried to give at least the appearance of a unified front. Not always easy (see also: Davis and Fed Cups in tennis).
I get it.
Some of this is interpretive. If I were racing, hoping for a medal and came in 7th, I probably wouldn't be happy with my performanace no matter how my team mates finished. Its not hockey, where you team wins as a team or loses as a team.
Should he have phrased it differently, or refrained from saying anything at all? Probably.
From a quote on his social media:
“I said that the performance of the team was the least of my concerns when responding to a question (about) how I felt about the French team’s overall good performance,” the 26-year-old, who comes from the southern city of Nice, wrote.
Last edited:
It's just bulls***.
If you follow the sport, you know who his is, and did long before the general US population who might know of MS, heard of him.....recently on NBC. The guy was the second best GS skier on the WC last season.
I pretty much believe that three guys in the sport, of those who are truly "good to great" are interested in team to the degree that they care about others' results. Svindal, Jansrud and Kilde. And they are not expressing those views five minutes after the finish. BTW, a savvy "team" press officer would not have him speaking at all five minutes later. Give it a half hour.
And you can bet that Svindal was equally pissed off not to have two podiums at these games. He's an incredible competitor in an individual sport.
French team looks idiotic with this. Not sure what good they thought would come out of it. May have backfired. Watch Head come out and recognize him for being a fiery "Rebel" just to piss off the French team!
I'd love to see him leave the delegation, take off his coat, move into team Shiffrin's "off campus" location and stick around to watch and support her. Though I think she should get away, too.
The press and others are talking about the Combined like it's a layup gold for her. Not with this DH course, and not with the way she has most recently skied SL. She's a bag of nerves.
Hop on a plane.
If you follow the sport, you know who his is, and did long before the general US population who might know of MS, heard of him.....recently on NBC. The guy was the second best GS skier on the WC last season.
I pretty much believe that three guys in the sport, of those who are truly "good to great" are interested in team to the degree that they care about others' results. Svindal, Jansrud and Kilde. And they are not expressing those views five minutes after the finish. BTW, a savvy "team" press officer would not have him speaking at all five minutes later. Give it a half hour.
And you can bet that Svindal was equally pissed off not to have two podiums at these games. He's an incredible competitor in an individual sport.
French team looks idiotic with this. Not sure what good they thought would come out of it. May have backfired. Watch Head come out and recognize him for being a fiery "Rebel" just to piss off the French team!
I'd love to see him leave the delegation, take off his coat, move into team Shiffrin's "off campus" location and stick around to watch and support her. Though I think she should get away, too.
The press and others are talking about the Combined like it's a layup gold for her. Not with this DH course, and not with the way she has most recently skied SL. She's a bag of nerves.
Hop on a plane.
Last throw of the dice by momma shiffrin to try to keep MS focused on the combined??!! 
I'm with muleski on this, expect some major restructuring announcements for team shiffrin in next few weeks, as soon as the overall is confirmed. And a private beach somewhere for the 2 of them as soon as the last race finishes on theWC
And as for his comments, they were spot on. If he wasn't pi**ed at his performance he would not be a real competitor. Show me a good loser and I will show you a loser....
I'm with muleski on this, expect some major restructuring announcements for team shiffrin in next few weeks, as soon as the overall is confirmed. And a private beach somewhere for the 2 of them as soon as the last race finishes on theWC
And as for his comments, they were spot on. If he wasn't pi**ed at his performance he would not be a real competitor. Show me a good loser and I will show you a loser....