Watch the 2018 Winter Olympics!

Shara posing for a picture at the US Olympic Training Center at Lake Placid, NY back in 1998 or '99.

A break away from the usual science and nature blogging to remind everyone that the XXIII Olympic Winter Games are currently taking place in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

We love the Winter Olympics in our house.  I was too young to remember the 1980 Lake Placid Games, but since the 1984 Sarajevo Games I have eagerly awaited the arrival of each Winter Olympics.

The Winter Olympics feature few sports that are familiar to most Americans.  Most of the sports are never shown on the major American broadcast networks with the exceptions of ice hockey, alpine skiing, figure skating, and snowboarding. 

But, once very four years we are reminded of other winter sports such as bobsled, luge, cross country skiing, ski jumping, skeleton, etc.


My favorite moment of this Olympics so far was watching American Chris Mazder place second in the men's single luge.  Why is this such a big deal?  Luge has been competed in the Winter Olympics since 1964, but no American man had ever won an individual medal.

In cross country skiing, American Jessie Diggins placed 5th in the women's skiathlon, 14.7 seconds behind the gold medal time.  This the highest finish by an American woman in Olympic cross country competition.  The other big story in this race was the silver medal finish by Norwegian Marit Bjorgen.  This was her eleventh Olymic medal!  She is now the most decorated female Winter Olympian of all time.  In the men's skiathlon, Norwegian Simen Hegstad Krueger was involved in a crash at the very start of the race, but came back to lead a 1-2-3 sweep by Norway. 

I eagerly anticipate the rest of these Olympic Games.  I hope everyone will tune in to watch the games and support the athletes from every country as they pursue their Olympic Dreams.  Unlike professional athletes in basketball, football, and baseball, most of the athletes in these sports will never become rich.  Many of them work other jobs during the year to support their participation in the sport.  They compete for the love of their sport.  Passion like this is something to aspire to.  In other countries besides the United States, Olympic competitors and especially Olympic champions are celebrated as national heroes.  Unfortunately, this is something we do not do very well in the United States - once the games are over these athletes go back into the shadows where they continue to work to improve so they can represent their country in the sport they love.  These men and women should be revered for their athletic prowess and devotion to something that they love. 

Watch the Olympics!  Be a fan and supporter of all Olympic athletes.