1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,480 Speaker 1: Guess what will what's that mango? 2 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 2: So you know what my favorite part of the Winter 3 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 2: Olympics is, all. 4 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 3: Right, I think I want to guess on this one. 5 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 3: I'm gonna guess the bobs led. 6 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 2: I mean, that's super fun. But my favorite armchair sport 7 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 2: at the Olympics is trying to spot the carpetbaggers. 8 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: The carpetbaggers. 9 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, you know you see it in the Olympics, 10 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 2: but especially in the Winter Olympics, Like at Sochi, there 11 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 2: was this couple from Long Island in their late forties 12 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: who thought would be fun to compete at the Olympics 13 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 2: for Dominica, which is this tiny island nation in the Caribbean. 14 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 2: And you'd obviously have to be super fit to be 15 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: in your late forties and make the US ski team, right, 16 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: but in Dominica you kind of just have to have 17 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 2: a pair of skis in a passport. 18 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 3: So, I mean, how prevalent is this carpetbaggering? How do 19 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 3: they get away with this? 20 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 2: I mean it is discouraged, but sometimes it's like elite 21 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 2: athletes who couldn't make cut in their country where they live, 22 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 2: but then you know they want to compete for their 23 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 2: country of origin, and sometimes it's athletic mercenaries, like Bahrain 24 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 2: is notorious for buying Kenyans to long distance for their nation. 25 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: And then there are these wealthy crazies who could just 26 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 2: buy their way in, like Germany has this prince named 27 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 2: Hubertus who was born in Mexico, but it's competed for 28 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 2: Mexico in slalom six times. I believe wow at Sochi, 29 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: he was fifty five years old when he's doing this. Yeah, 30 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 2: and you might remember him from wearing this outrageous spandex 31 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: mariachi outfit. 32 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna look him up. 33 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 2: I don't remember this, he said. If he wasn't gonna win, 34 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: at least he could name for best dressed. Getting excited 35 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 2: to spot these Olympic outcasts made me wonder about all 36 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 2: the other things at the Winter Olympics, like when did 37 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 2: the Winter Olympics start? And why does Norway dominate the games? 38 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 2: And why does curling get to be a sport. So 39 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 2: let's stay in. 40 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 3: Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 41 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 3: Will Pearson and it's always I'm joined by my good 42 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 3: friend Mangesh hut Ticketter and on the other side, of 43 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 3: the soundproof glass, showing off his brand new Winter Olympic 44 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 3: stuffed animal pal. I don't know how he got a 45 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 3: hold of that. That's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. 46 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 3: Look over there, Mango at Sue Harang, you know, the 47 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 3: white tiger mascot for the upcoming Games. 48 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd recognize them anywhere. So I love that the 49 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,799 Speaker 2: Winter Olympics get their own mascots. It's actually one of 50 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: my favorite things about the Olympics. 51 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 3: Well, you know, the winner Games might play second fiddle 52 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 3: in terms of scale and viewership, but I feel like 53 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 3: the mascots, those things can go toe to toe with 54 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 3: their summer cousins. In fact, one thing I learned while 55 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 3: preparing for today's show is that we actually have the 56 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 3: Winter Games to thank for this whole idea of these 57 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 3: Olympic mascots. You know, they didn't start out as this 58 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 3: cute and cuddly animal like Sue Harang might be just 59 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 3: look at it over there in Tristan's lap. But the 60 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 3: very first one was this creepy caricature of this armless 61 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 3: skier I don't know why, with his manic red face. 62 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 3: His name was Shush after the term for the straight 63 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 3: downhill ski run. And then he popped up as this 64 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 3: unofficial mascot of the nineteen sixty eight Winter Games that 65 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 3: were in France. And even though his simple, big headed 66 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 3: design led to most fans calling him the skiing sperm, 67 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 3: Schus was a big hit with attendees and so he 68 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,399 Speaker 3: kind of paved the way for the first official mascot 69 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 3: four years later, and that was that multicolored dot son 70 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 3: named Waldy who appeared at the Summer Olympics in Munich. 71 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 2: So Schuss is great, but if we're talking unnerving mascots, 72 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna go with Schneeman. 73 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: Shush, and Schneman. 74 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 2: Schneeman was the first official mascot at the Winter Games, 75 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 2: and this was back in nineteen seventy six, and he 76 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 2: was basically just a snowman head on tiny legs wearing 77 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: this big, floppy red hat. It's almost like a kid 78 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: started building Schneman and then gave up after realizing there 79 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 2: was an Atarian cide where it was warmer. 80 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: I'm done with you, schneaem It. 81 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 3: Well, obviously, today's show is all about the Winter Olympics, 82 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 3: and we're getting pretty excited around here for next month's games. 83 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: In Pyeongchang. 84 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 3: So we wanted to take the opportunity to dig into 85 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: some of that weird history and the surprising controversies that 86 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 3: surround these lesser known Olympics. So, Mega, where do you 87 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 3: feel like we should start? 88 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 2: Well, you know, I always like starting at the beginning, 89 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 2: you Which actually wasn't that long ago for the Winter Olympics. 90 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 2: So the first official Winter Games were held in France 91 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 2: back in nineteen twenty four, which was only twenty eight 92 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 2: years after the first modern Summer Olympics in Athens. But 93 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: the Winter Olympics were known by a different name originally, 94 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: So the first event was actually called Winter Sports Week, 95 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 2: and it was this twelve day program consisting of six 96 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 2: sports and sixteen events. 97 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 3: That's such a weird name, like it sounds like something 98 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 3: you'd participate in in college or something. 99 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: So why did they call it this? 100 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,559 Speaker 3: Was it like a test run for the winter version 101 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 3: of the Olympics or what? 102 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly right. So, figure skating and ice hockey were 103 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,119 Speaker 2: actually part of the Summer Games already at that point, 104 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 2: and the idea of giving cold weather sports their own 105 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,799 Speaker 2: showcase was first floaded by the IOC in nineteen twenty one. 106 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 3: So, I mean it seems like the interest was there. 107 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 3: So why did this first event get such a like 108 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 3: a watered down name. 109 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 2: Well, I mean some Scandinavian countries boked at the idea 110 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 2: of a separate event because they already took part in 111 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: their own competition called the Nordic Games and they didn't 112 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: want an official winner Olympics to steal their thunder. So, 113 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 2: you know, the committee made this Winter Sports Week. But 114 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 2: the Games were this huge success. There were ten thousand 115 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: paying attendees who turned up to watch sixteen countries compete 116 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: in sports like speed skating and bob sled and curling, 117 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 2: and the events were such a smash hit that just 118 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,799 Speaker 2: one year later, the IOC retroactively declared it the first 119 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 2: Olympic Winner Games. 120 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: Huh. 121 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 3: All right, so who were like, you know, like the 122 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 3: Michael Phelps of the first Winter Olympics. Were there any 123 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 3: standouts or were the athletes still trying to kind of 124 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 3: figure out what they were doing in the competition. 125 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, so, you know, the Scandinevan countries, like I mentioned, 126 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 2: had this leg up because they'd been holding their own 127 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 2: competitions for over twenty years at this point. So Norway 128 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 2: in particular, has always dominated the Winter Games, and the 129 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 2: first one was no exception. They had this incredible athlete, 130 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 2: thorleaf Haw, which is about as Nordica name as you 131 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 2: can have, i'd say, And he was this legendary skier 132 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 2: who won three gold medals in three different events that year, 133 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 2: and he also took home a bronze medal for the 134 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 2: ski jump competition. But this is super weird. Fifty years later, 135 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 2: it was discovered that a scoring mistake had actually happened 136 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 2: and the medal actually belonged to this US athlete named 137 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 2: Andrews Hoggen. 138 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 3: Wow, fifty years later, I mean, I guess better late 139 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 3: than ever, but still that is a long time. 140 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: So were there any other US victories that year? 141 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 4: Yeah? 142 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: Actually, the very first gold medal awarded went to this 143 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 2: American speed skater named Charles Jutra, and he was this underdog, 144 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 2: but in the end he beat out all twenty six 145 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 2: other skaters by completing the five hundred meter event in 146 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 2: just forty four seconds. And my favorite underdog though, is 147 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 2: this Norwegian ice skater who's named Sonja Henny. And not 148 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,840 Speaker 2: only was she only one of eleven female athletes competing 149 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 2: that year, she was also only eleven years old. 150 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: Eleven years old. Wow, so did she win? 151 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 2: No, she came in dead last time. But the nineteen 152 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 2: twenty four Games were actually just the start of her career. 153 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,559 Speaker 2: She won a gold medal at each of the next 154 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 2: three Winter Olympics. 155 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: Wow, and she grew up to. 156 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 2: Be this Norwegian movie star. 157 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 3: I mean, Norwegian just really do kind of own the 158 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 3: Winter Games, don't they. 159 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: I mean I was reading that Norway has actually won. 160 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 3: More gold medals in the competition than any other country 161 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 3: After Sochi. Their record stands I think it's one hundred 162 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 3: and eighteen gold medals and something like three hundred and 163 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 3: twenty nine total. 164 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they're actually one of only three countries the 165 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 2: other two being Austrian Liechtenstein, that have actually won more 166 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 2: medals in the Winter Olympics than in the Summer ones. 167 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 4: Hm. 168 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 3: I mean it makes a lot of sense given their 169 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 3: geography and the climate. But you know, that cold weather 170 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 3: advantage is actually kind of at the root of one 171 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 3: of the Winter Olympics' biggest controversies. 172 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: You know, put things in perspective. 173 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 3: There are ninety countries that are set to compete in 174 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 3: pyeong Chang this year, which is a far cry from 175 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 3: the more than two hundred countries that participated in the 176 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 3: twenty sixteen Games that were in Rio. You know, the 177 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 3: reason for that disparity isn't so much a lack of 178 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 3: interest as it is a lack of resources. 179 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: You know, being able to compete. 180 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 3: In events like lusing and figure skating and Bob's letting. 181 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 3: I mean, all of that requires this practice and these 182 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 3: very expensive facilities. And his Olympic historian David Waalachinsky puts it, 183 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 3: if you want to run one hundred meters or even 184 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 3: a marathon, you can just step outside your door and 185 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 3: go do it. If you want to play soccer, you 186 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 3: can do that anywhere. But if you want to compete 187 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 3: in the luge, I don't think so. So obviously, you know, 188 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 3: something like the alpine skiing is it's an expensive hobby 189 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 3: and if you're trying to compete, just think about all 190 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 3: the equipment and training and also just the regular access 191 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 3: to these facilities that you'd need to have. 192 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. So, I know in tennis they say if you 193 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 2: don't play for two days, you lose some of your 194 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 2: muscle memory and you're basically relearning your strokes. Yeah, which 195 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 2: is crazy, right, But if you think about something like that. 196 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 2: For skiing, I mean, the climate dependent nature of the 197 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 2: events definitely hurts your chances if you're from a tropical place, 198 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 2: and the Winter Olympics have also developed this, you know, 199 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 2: elitist stigma because the cold countries also tend to be 200 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 2: richer and whiter, which is probably one of the reasons 201 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 2: that they still aren't as popular as the summer counterparts. 202 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 2: Which isn't to say that more temperator even downright tropical 203 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 2: countries don't get a chance to shine. I mean, everyone 204 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 2: remembers cool runnings, right and the Jamaican bob sled team 205 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 2: from the nineteen eighty eight Calgary Games. But there's still 206 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: a long way to go if the Winter Olympics want 207 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 2: to be an event that's truly representative of international athletes. 208 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, And since we're talking about controversies and 209 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 3: you mentioned the eighty eight Olympics, I just have to 210 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 3: take a second to talk about Eddie the Eagle. 211 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: So I'm not sure I know that mascot. 212 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 3: I know it sounds very cuddly, but Eddie the Eagle 213 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 3: is actually one of the nicknames for Michael Edwards, and 214 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 3: he was this British plaster who always dreamed of competing 215 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 3: as a downhill skier in the Olympics, and after determining 216 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 3: that ski jumping would be cheaper and less competitive in 217 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 3: order to be able to prepare, Michael became the first 218 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 3: in British history to participate in the event. Now, there 219 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 3: was only one little problem, and that was the fact 220 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 3: that he was terrible at ski jumping. In fact, he 221 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 3: crashed at the World Championship in nineteen eighty six, kind 222 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 3: of became the laughing stock of the press and they 223 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 3: not so lovingly referred to him as mister Magoo. But 224 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 3: you know, Edwards was undeterred and he managed to fulfill 225 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 3: his dream by competing at the Calgary Olympics just two 226 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 3: years later. Although he successfully landed his Johnbie, he didn't 227 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 3: score even like half the total points as any of 228 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 3: the other competitors. But nonetheless, Eddie the Eagle, as he 229 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 3: was called by the President of the IOC, became this 230 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 3: national star and you know, an unexpected point of pride 231 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 3: for England. 232 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 2: So I'm guessing where the story is going, right, It's 233 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 2: just like that little Norwegian girl who rallied and came 234 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 2: back to clean house at the next Olympics. 235 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: Uh, definitely not Now. 236 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 3: Edwards competed for a spot I think in the next 237 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,079 Speaker 3: three Winter Games, but the Olympic community had raised the 238 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 3: qualifying standards at that point and that was really to 239 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 3: box him out. 240 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: And you know. 241 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 3: Still he claims about seventy percent of his income now 242 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 3: comes from speaking engagement, so it wasn't a total loss. 243 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: For the guy. 244 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, And as far as controversy is going, that one's 245 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 2: pretty innocent, Like most Olympic scandals are a little more 246 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 2: tinged with, definitely. And so I was reading about Orton Enderland. 247 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 2: She was this East German Lewes champion who wound up 248 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 2: forfeiting her gold from the sixty eight Games when it 249 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 2: was discovered that she and her teammates had actually heated 250 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:13,839 Speaker 2: the rails that are sled just prior to the race. 251 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 2: I mean, I didn't realize the physics of this, but 252 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 2: the extra warmth had reduced the sled's friction with the ice, 253 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 2: which gave them a much faster run time. And so 254 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 2: the three women were disqualified, but the East German Olympic 255 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 2: committee never took responsibility. Instead, they blamed it all on 256 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 2: a capitalist revenge plot. 257 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, that must have been a capitalist revenge plot. 258 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 3: You know, it's funny because I know about like corking 259 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 3: your bed or deflating a football, but I honestly have 260 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 3: no idea how to cheat in winter sports. I mean, 261 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 3: it wouldn't even occur to me to heat the metal 262 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 3: under your luge. That's also a sentence I never thought 263 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 3: I would say. But all right, well, speaking of East Germany, 264 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 3: there's one interesting thing I came across, and that was 265 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 3: that West and East Germany actually reached across the Iron 266 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 3: Curtain and they decided to compete together as this unified 267 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 3: team of Germany. This happened in three Olympics, fifty six 268 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 3: and sixty and sixty four. But that's when the truce 269 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 3: came to an end because this alternate for an East 270 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 3: German team, I think on the toboggan team. They used 271 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 3: the games as a way to make a break for freedom. 272 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 3: And so her name was outa Gawller, and apparently she 273 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 3: fled for West Germany while her teammates were celebrating during 274 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 3: a reception one night. 275 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 2: That's crazy. 276 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: Did she make it? 277 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 3: She actually did? And you know what, she actually wasn't 278 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 3: even the only one. According to the Associated Press, there 279 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 3: were thirteen fans from Eastern European communist countries that also 280 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 3: escaped under the cover of the Olympics. 281 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 2: That's amazing and you kind of have to admire people 282 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 2: who saw an opportunity and seized it. So one of 283 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 2: my favorite Olympic controversies centers on this guy named Stephen Bradbury, 284 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 2: who depressed dubbed the accidental gold medalist. He was on 285 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 2: the Australian speed skating team that won the country its 286 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: first medal at the Winter Olympics back in nineteen ninety four, 287 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 2: but his most triumphant moment came at the two thousand 288 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 2: and two Games in Salt Lake City, and by that 289 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 2: point Bradbury had suffered a number of debilitating injuries and 290 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 2: was no longer at the top of his game. In fact, 291 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 2: he only made it through the quarterfinals that year because 292 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 2: another athlete was disqualified, and he made it through the 293 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 2: semis because a number of his competitors fell down on 294 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 2: the track. Oh wow, And that fall actually gave him 295 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,719 Speaker 2: this great idea for what would turn out to be 296 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 2: a winning strategy when it came time for the big race. 297 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 2: Bradbury figured his best shot was just to hang back, 298 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 2: you know, on the off chance that another fall might 299 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 2: clear the field for him, and amazingly the plan worked 300 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 2: like in spades. As he was racing, there was this 301 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 2: disastrous fall that caused all four of his competitors to 302 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 2: collapse in him. Yeah, it was just before the finish line, 303 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 2: and Bradbury kind of just skated slowly around them, claiming 304 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 2: his coal metal. 305 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 5: You know. 306 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 2: The craziest part was like the crowd was booing and jeering. 307 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:45,959 Speaker 3: I mean, I kind of love that story. It might 308 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 3: not be like a glorious win, but a win. 309 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 2: Is a win exactly. And Bradbury's sort of admitted that 310 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: he won by sheer luck, and he used to sort 311 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 2: of be upset about it and conflicted about it, but 312 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 2: now he kind of considers his reward for you know, 313 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 2: this entire career hard work. 314 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:02,839 Speaker 3: I mean, you know, like we were saying earlier, the 315 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 3: Winter Olympics don't always favor these warmer weather countries, and 316 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 3: Australia certainly being one of those, so. 317 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: You have to take what you can get. 318 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 3: I think there's actually one other long running controversy I 319 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 3: do want to mention, but before we get to that, 320 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 3: let's take a quick break. 321 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: You're listening to. 322 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 3: Part time genius, and we're talking about the little known 323 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 3: origins and shocking scandals of the Winter Olympics, all right, Mega, 324 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 3: So the last controversy I wanted to mention is just 325 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 3: how long it took for a British curling team to 326 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 3: receive its gold medals. 327 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 2: And why is that? 328 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 3: Well, Great Britain won the curling competition way back in 329 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 3: the inaugural Winter Games of nineteen twenty four, but the 330 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 3: winner actually didn't get their gold until a whopping eighty 331 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 3: two years later. So what was the hold of Well, 332 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 3: the delay stem from some confusion over weather curling had 333 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 3: been an official event at the first Games, or whether 334 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 3: it was what they called a demonstration sport. You know, 335 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 3: these are the events that are mostly there for promotional 336 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 3: purposes and kind of build interest in these niche sports. 337 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. So, my friend Dave was a ski archer, and 338 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 2: he was like tenth in the world and number one 339 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 2: in the US when we were in college. It's not 340 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 2: a big sport here, but it is in Europe, and 341 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 2: I was always hoping they'd make ski archery a sport 342 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 2: just so I could watch him in the Olympics. But 343 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 2: it never happened. 344 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 3: You know, I've met Dave before, and he never bragged 345 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 3: about this unel I would start every conversation with I 346 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 3: was number one in the world at. 347 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: The ski archery thing. 348 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 3: But you know, it's weird to think about things that 349 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 3: have been these demonstration sports, like, you know, everything from 350 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 3: pigeon racing and ballooning to even volleyball and tennis. But 351 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 3: at some point those were outsider sports. And also there 352 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 3: was a sport called I think corfball. I don't know 353 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 3: what that is, but I'm a big fan just because 354 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 3: of a name. Anyway, some of the demonstration sports wind 355 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 3: up becoming official events, but until they do, they actually 356 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 3: don't give the winners of these the proper Olympic medals. 357 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 3: So even though curling was played at the first Winter Olympics, 358 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 3: it didn't reappear in the Games until nineteen ninety eight, 359 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 3: and its first appearance became accepted as you know, just 360 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 3: being a demonstration event. 361 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 2: So what changed over the course of those eighty some years. 362 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 3: Well, for some reason, the IOC did this deep dive 363 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 3: into its records and they ruled that curling had actually 364 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 3: been intended as part of the official program back in 365 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 3: nineteen twenty four. So even though the original team members 366 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 3: were long gone by this point. They were given the 367 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 3: long overdue honor of being upgraded to these full Olympic 368 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 3: gold medals. 369 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 2: Well, I'm glad you brought up demo sports because I 370 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 2: actually spent some time looking at old Winter Olympics And 371 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 2: have you ever heard of skigering? 372 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: No, is that like corfball. 373 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 2: It's exactly like corfball on skis. So this comes from 374 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 2: the nineteen twenty eight Games. But basically competitors on skis 375 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 2: were pulled over jumps and other obstacles by riderless horses. 376 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 2: Why it was this one off event that never returned 377 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 2: to the Olympics, But it actually still has a following, 378 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 2: and there's a World Skeetering Championship that's held in Whitefish, Montana, 379 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 2: every single year. 380 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 3: I mean, I have to admit that sounds like a 381 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 3: sport that happened by accident where somebody like fell off 382 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 3: a horse. 383 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,920 Speaker 1: It was still attached to it. But I've never heard 384 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:10,159 Speaker 1: of that. 385 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 3: I mean, I did know that dogs made an appearance. 386 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 3: I think it was in the nineteen thirty two Winter 387 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,120 Speaker 3: Olympics that were like Placid, But this was just part 388 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:19,919 Speaker 3: of a demonstration for this sled dog racing, and so 389 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 3: the sport re emerged at the fifty two Games in Oslo, 390 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,439 Speaker 3: but you know, surprisingly it never quite made it to 391 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:26,880 Speaker 3: official event status. 392 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's kind of crazy because sled dog racing seems 393 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 2: like a natural fit. Yeah, I mean, I guess they 394 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,479 Speaker 2: always have the Iditarod, but sadly for like a lot 395 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 2: of other sports that they don't have, like their own championships. 396 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 2: So there's one called ski Ballet or across Sky, and 397 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 2: it was pretty much what the name suggests. So competitors 398 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 2: take to a smooth slope and they performed these highly 399 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 2: choreographed ski maneuvers and it's all set to music. 400 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: Huh, which sounds awesome, right, yeah it does. 401 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 2: It cropped off at two Winter Olympics. It was shown 402 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 2: in Calgary in eighty eight and then again in France 403 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 2: in ninety two, but it never really found an audi 404 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 2: and in fact, the International Ski Federation for some reason 405 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 2: stopped holding formal competition for the sport in two thousand 406 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 2: and that's kind of when the dream of ski bala died. 407 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: I mean, it's kind of weird, but I'd probably watch it. 408 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 3: In fact, I think i'd be really good at it, 409 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 3: all right, Well, one of the weirdest official sports of 410 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 3: the Winter Games was called the Winner Pentathlon. So in 411 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 3: addition to cross country skiing and shooting, the event also 412 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 3: featured get this, skiing, horseback riding, and of course fencing. 413 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 2: Wait, how did this not catch on? Skis, horses, guns, swords, 414 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 2: something for everyone? 415 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,239 Speaker 3: You're not kidding, I mean, I feel like everybody can 416 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 3: find something awesome in this. But I suppose it was 417 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 3: deemed a little too complicated for the Olympics. But it 418 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 3: actually is still held every year as part of the 419 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 3: Military World Games. 420 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:49,439 Speaker 2: So here's an event that, despite fan outcry, was also 421 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 2: deemed too complicated for the Winter Olympics. Chicken sled racing. 422 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 1: All right, that can't be a real thing, No way. 423 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 2: I know it's only sort of a thing. So a 424 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 2: few years ago, KFC and this ad agency hired two 425 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 2: members of the Team USA Bob Sled Team to help 426 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 2: promote their new chicken strips. And the breakman for the 427 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,160 Speaker 2: team is this guy. Jim Carril was filmed eating chicken 428 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 2: from the KFC Go Cup while racing down the track 429 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 2: at seventy miles per hour with a force of five 430 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 2: Gee's so friendly. This is some sort of feet. According 431 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 2: to carryl, no other bobsled team out there is pulling 432 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 2: five g's while eating chicken, and he's right and more 433 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 2: casual fans of chicken sled racing may not know the 434 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 2: physical demands five g's puts on an athlete. Do you 435 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 2: know how much an extra crispy strip weighs at five 436 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 2: g's It's almost a half pound. Seriously, don't try this 437 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 2: at home. 438 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: I love how serious he is with that. That's pretty great. 439 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 3: And yeah, I am guessing the sport never made it 440 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 3: to the demo phase though. 441 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, so, I mean, the company started this social media 442 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,959 Speaker 2: campaign that include this petition to make it an official 443 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,439 Speaker 2: event at the twenty eighteen Games, but as far as 444 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 2: I know, it won't be debuting there. 445 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: That's probably for the best. 446 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 3: But all right, well, speaking of Bob's ledding, did you 447 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 3: ever hear how the sport got it start? Actually kind 448 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 3: of a three for here, because there were two other 449 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 3: winter sports that involved the icy track. You've got the 450 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 3: luge the skeleton, and those can also be traced back 451 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 3: to the same source. 452 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 2: So, I mean, I know what loses it's when there's 453 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 2: like a single person on a sled face up and 454 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 2: feet first. But remind me what's skeleton again. 455 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 3: It's pretty much the reverse, like you sled face down 456 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 3: and face first, which is just awful. 457 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 2: It's terrifying. It just makes me like nervous thinking about it. 458 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 3: I know me too, But the story is pretty strange 459 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 3: as well. So apparently lose skeleton and bob sledding. All 460 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 3: owe this huge debt to a Swiss hotel owner. His 461 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 3: name was Casper Badrutt, and in the eighteen sixties Casper 462 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 3: hit upon the idea of a winter resort and this 463 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 3: was kind of a way to fill empty rooms during 464 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 3: the freezing winter months in Saint Marins. So he convinced 465 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 3: English tours that there was plenty of fun to be 466 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 3: had by speeding through the town's streets on kind of 467 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,239 Speaker 3: a modified sled that that happened to be popular at 468 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 3: the time among local delivery boys. It was only one 469 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,640 Speaker 3: problem to this, and that's an i'mateure. Sledgers were routinely 470 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 3: smacking into unsuspecting pedestrians. They were just trying to walk 471 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 3: down the street, and I guess in some ways that 472 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 3: wasn't great for business. So Casper came up with a solution, 473 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 3: and that was to construct this icy halfpipe, and so 474 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 3: people could, you know, no longer have to recavoc in 475 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:20,160 Speaker 3: the streets, and they started experimenting with new configurations. They might, 476 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 3: you know, strap two sleds together to make somewhat of 477 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 3: a bob sled, And within a decade this recreational sledding 478 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 3: had morphed into a few distinct competitive sports, and by 479 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 3: the time the Winter Olympics rolled around in nineteen twenty four, 480 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 3: bob sled or bob slag as they used to call it, 481 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,719 Speaker 3: it was kind of a natural inclusion on the program. 482 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,119 Speaker 2: That's kind of funny because it's actually a similar thing 483 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 2: that happened with the snowboard. So the basic idea of 484 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 2: snowboards first cropped up in the eighteen hundreds, but they 485 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 2: didn't become a commercial product. And I didn't realize this 486 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 2: but until the nineteen sixties. And that's when a Michigan 487 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 2: man named Sherman Poppin strapped two skis together to make 488 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 2: a new kind of ride for his daughter. And you'll 489 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: love this. He dubbed the invention the snurfer snurfer and 490 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 2: he sold over a million of them in the next decade, 491 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 2: and then athletes made their own adjustments and improvements, just 492 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 2: like with the bob sled, and then the sport became 493 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 2: a full blown craze in the eighties and nineties. Also, 494 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 2: I really do wish we could keep calling it snurfing. 495 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, let's try to bring that back if we can. 496 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 3: But yeah, it's wild to think about how recent a 497 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 3: breakthrough something as familiar as snowboarding really is. 498 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: And what's weird. 499 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 3: It's kind of the same with figure skating too. I mean, 500 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 3: ice skating has been around for hundreds of years, but 501 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 3: you know, the expressive acrobatic version that we think of 502 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 3: with figure skaters, that didn't come around until the mid 503 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 3: nineteenth century. And believe it or not, it was an 504 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 3: American who actually popularized it. The guy's name was Jackson Haynes, 505 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,119 Speaker 3: and he was looking for a way to combine his 506 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 3: ballet dance training with ice skating at a time when 507 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 3: most of the skaters were focusing on just doing these 508 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 3: complex patterns and the ice and so moving gracefully to 509 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 3: music and all the spinning and jumping. That was something 510 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 3: that no ice skater was doing at the time, and 511 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 3: it all seemed too theatrical, I guess for some people, 512 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,120 Speaker 3: so this restricted view frustrated Haynes, and so he left 513 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 3: for Europe and this international style, as they started to 514 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,920 Speaker 3: describe it, it began to thrill these audiences in London 515 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,239 Speaker 3: and Paris and other places that they were taking it. 516 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 3: And so we chriss crossed the European continent as this 517 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 3: skating celebrity for over a decade. And so today people 518 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 3: remember him as the father of figure skating. 519 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 2: Oh I love that anyway. I know there are plenty 520 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 2: of other innovations connected to the Winter Olympics like we 521 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 2: should probably talk about, but first let's take a little break. 522 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 2: So Dave Bergart is a dear friend of mine. This 523 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 2: is how far we go back. So I was on 524 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: a study abroad trip to Tibet, and I knew no 525 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 2: one on the program. And as I was walking onto 526 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 2: this bus as a total dork. I mean, I think 527 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 2: I had a sketch pad in one hand and a 528 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 2: ukulelea in my other, and I had this ridiculous little 529 00:23:56,200 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 2: suitcase while everyone had these awesome hiking backpacks. And by Dave, 530 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,399 Speaker 2: and he was on this bus just playing with a 531 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 2: Rubik's cube and he was wearing a Coffeels T shirt 532 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 2: which was a little band from Delaware, and I thought, 533 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 2: another cool dork. I found my people. But then later 534 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 2: Dave was so humble about this, and I was shocked 535 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 2: to learn he was number one in the country and 536 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 2: ski archery and and the fact that he was a 537 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 2: real athlete just blew me away. But that's what I 538 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 2: wanted to talk about today. So Dave Brogart, welcome to 539 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 2: the program. 540 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 5: Hey, thanks mangusch And we can debate real athlete with 541 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 5: ski archery. 542 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 2: So I'm always interested in these like fringe sports, and 543 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 2: I'm so curious, like how did you even learn about 544 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 2: ski archery and how did you get into it? 545 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,439 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a good question. So you know, obviously I 546 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 5: grew up as a competitive archer. I was just like 547 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 5: I think I was one of those kids. I just 548 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,679 Speaker 5: went to summer camp and you know, picked up archery 549 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 5: and you know, just fell in love with it. And 550 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 5: it just happened like the camp counselor like lived down 551 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 5: the street for me, and he shot archery year round, 552 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,480 Speaker 5: and so he invited me to, you know, start shooting 553 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 5: with him, and so like in I don't know, elementary school, 554 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 5: middle school, like I was kind of going around the 555 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 5: East Coast doing all these archery tournaments, and then like 556 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 5: I hit high school and like, archery is fun. I 557 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 5: learned a lot from it, but it was like a 558 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 5: little bit too mellow, and all my friends are doing 559 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 5: Nordic skiing and so I just picked it up and 560 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 5: then like learned about it and I'm like, wait, I 561 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 5: can combine these two things and this really obscure sport, 562 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 5: Like that sounds awesome and it's like the. 563 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 2: Most amazing ben diagram of things I'd never. 564 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 4: Put together totally. 565 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:43,639 Speaker 5: And so yeah, I just started racing in the the 566 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 5: archery archery Bathlon and like I just was at the 567 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,400 Speaker 5: right time, like it was starting to get bigger internationally 568 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 5: and had some opportunities to start traveling and racing, and yeah, 569 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 5: I did that from like nineteen ninety eight to like 570 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 5: two thousand and seven ish or so, and I raced 571 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 5: all over Europe in Russia, and yeah, it was a 572 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 5: good experience. 573 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,679 Speaker 2: That's amazing. So when you started, how many people were 574 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 2: you competing against in the US? 575 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 4: Like pretty small? 576 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 5: I mean, you know, Nordic skiing is a pretty small 577 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,640 Speaker 5: niche and then like if you add like biathlon, which 578 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 5: is the sort of the cousin sport, which just uses 579 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 5: you know, rightful instead of a bow and arrow that's 580 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 5: even smaller and then if you like take, it's like 581 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 5: even a smaller piece of that. 582 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 2: And chess boxing, which you know is that where they're 583 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 2: like rounds of chess and followed by boxing, Like it 584 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 2: has to be an okay chess player, but it helps 585 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 2: to be a really great boxer like Mike Dyson would 586 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 2: destroy Gary Kasparov. But do you have to be a 587 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 2: better skier archer and ski archery? 588 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a good question. I would probably say skier. 589 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 5: You have to be good at both for sure, but 590 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 5: fast gears tended to do better I think than just 591 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 5: straight archers. 592 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so I know when you traveled abroad to competitions, 593 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:01,919 Speaker 2: families would put you up. Could you tell us about 594 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 2: your Russian host family and how they welcomed you and 595 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 2: your computing there? 596 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:08,920 Speaker 5: Man, Yeah, this cracks me up because you know, there's 597 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 5: this one race I did in like a Siberian outpost 598 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 5: and there's like no hotel. So yeah, I was put 599 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,199 Speaker 5: up by host family, and uh, you know, I was 600 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 5: like in shape and like kind of living a monk lifestyle, 601 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 5: like eating pretty healthy and they were so tickled to 602 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 5: have like an American in their house. They wanted to 603 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,199 Speaker 5: give me like the best hospitality possible, and they, like 604 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 5: the night before the race, like insisted that I just 605 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 5: take like vodka shot after vodka shot, and like then 606 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 5: they're like heated up there like wood fired sauna, and 607 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 5: like you know, like would accept like no. 608 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 4: For an answer. 609 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 5: So I went out there and like kind of craziness 610 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 5: just ensued with like a local policeman coming and all 611 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 5: of a sudden, we were firing his gun at like 612 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 5: pepsi cans in the backyard. I was not in tip 613 00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 5: top race shape the next day, but I didn't know 614 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 5: if that was a yeah, part of like my competitors' 615 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,159 Speaker 5: plan or what. But you know, years later, like I 616 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:08,640 Speaker 5: don't think it mattered how we did in the race. 617 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 5: It was a pretty fun story and cool cultural experience 618 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 5: and yeah, I feel really lucky. 619 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 2: That's pretty awesome. So we want to put you to 620 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 2: a quiz because we always put our favorite guests to 621 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 2: a quiz. So this is called real discontinued Olympic event 622 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 2: or something we made up. I love it, Okay, So 623 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,639 Speaker 2: the first one is tug of War. Is this a 624 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 2: real discontinued event or something we made up. 625 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:37,719 Speaker 5: Oh, I I'm gonna go real event. I bet, I 626 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 5: bet in the old like you know. Really, I could 627 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 5: see this in early nineteen hundred, so I can see 628 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 5: I can see Tug of war. 629 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely right. They had eight men team and England 630 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 2: was particularly good at it. And it was from nineteen 631 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 2: hundred to nineteen twenty. All right, one for one solo 632 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 2: synchronized swimming. 633 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 4: I'm gonna have to go made up. 634 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 2: I don't know if we so I thought it was 635 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,479 Speaker 2: it was fake too, but it's a real event. This 636 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 2: is from nineteen eighty four to nineteen ninety two, and 637 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 2: despite the name, apparently the synchronized is actually with the 638 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 2: music and not with other people. 639 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 4: Oh that is so good. 640 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 2: Isn't that crazy? 641 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 5: We missed ot calling that gosh. 642 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 2: H tandem horse dancing. 643 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 6: Oh god, I want to say false, but after that 644 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 6: last one threw me for a loop tandem horse dancing, 645 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 6: it's I have to say false. 646 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's false, but I want it to be a 647 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 2: real event. For two men's snowman construction. 648 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 4: Two men, I'm gonna go false. I hope this is false. 649 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's also false and number five swimming obstacle. 650 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:04,880 Speaker 4: Course, well, we've only had one true one so far. 651 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 4: I don't know if that two hm true? 652 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. So according to the Guardian, the discipline 653 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 2: required swimmers to clamber over a pole hovering just above 654 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 2: the surface of the water, scramble over a row of 655 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 2: parked boats, and then swim under another row of little ships. 656 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 2: And apparently people who grew up in harbors would tend 657 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 2: to win this competition. 658 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 4: That's amazing. 659 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, So Dave one astounding four for five, which entitles 660 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 2: him to our top prize. A hand written note to 661 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 2: his wife or boss, singing his praises Dave Virgart, thanks 662 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 2: for being on Part Time Genius. 663 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 4: That's awesome, Thanks so much. 664 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Part Time Genius. So one thing I 665 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 2: noticed while prepping for this episode is just how many 666 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 2: breakthrough innovations happened to coincide with the nineteen sixty Winter Olympics. 667 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 2: And it's not an exaggeration to say that the Games 668 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 2: would never be the same again after that year. 669 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 3: Oh it's a big statement, right, So what kind of 670 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 3: stuff were you thinking about? 671 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 2: Well, for starters, nineteen sixty was the year of the Zamboni. 672 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 1: The Zamboni So like the thing on the hockey rinks 673 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: and stuff. 674 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:21,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, so Frank Zamboni invented in nineteen forty nine and 675 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 2: he used it at his family owned rink, and then 676 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 2: it started to catch on with the public in the fifties, 677 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 2: especially after Sonya Henny bought one to take along on 678 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 2: her travels. And you remember Sonia Henny as the Norwegian 679 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 2: young kid. 680 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 3: I do remember her. And it was his name, really, 681 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 3: Frank Zamboni. That's awesome, Yeah, it was. 682 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,959 Speaker 2: And when it came time for the nineteen sixty Games, 683 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 2: Zamboni's were finally ready to make their Olympic debut, so 684 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 2: they used Frank's padded method. The machine actually shaves the 685 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 2: surface of the ice and then sweeps away the shavings 686 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 2: and then it washes the ice though it's nice and 687 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 2: slick for skaters, and all these years later, Zamboni's are 688 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 2: still the gold standard. 689 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's an interesting fact. 690 00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 3: I'm still not one hundred percent convinced you didn't sneak 691 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 3: that in just so you can say Zamboni. But anyway, 692 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 3: what else was big for the nineteen sixty Games. 693 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 2: Well, Zamboni's and Bonie's Ambonie well, the biggest game changer 694 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 2: that year was that the Olympics were televised for the 695 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 2: first time. And it's kind of hard to imagine today 696 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 2: when you can watch round the clock live coverage of 697 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 2: every single event, But until the nineteen sixties and the 698 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 2: nineteen sixty Games in particular, the only people who could 699 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,720 Speaker 2: watch the Olympics were those who attended them. And that 700 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 2: changed when CBS paid this tiny, paltry sum of fifty 701 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 2: thousand dollars for exclusive broadcasting. Oh wow, yeah, I mean, 702 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,240 Speaker 2: it's so little money, right, but it totally paid off 703 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 2: for the network and they saw record setting ratings that year, 704 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 2: but the athletes and organizers actually benefited from it as. 705 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: Well, So all right, so how's that? 706 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, there was some confusion during the men's 707 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 2: slalom skiing event that year, and officials were unsure whether 708 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 2: one of the skiers had actually missed a gate during 709 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 2: his run. But thanks to this new deal with the 710 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 2: TV network, the officials actually had this chance to resolve 711 00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 2: the matter, and they asked members of the CBS team 712 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 2: if they could review the tape to confirm what had happened. 713 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,959 Speaker 2: CBS obliged, and in doing so, they actually came up 714 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 2: with something that became indispensable in all sports, the instant replay. 715 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 2: So that all started from the Winter Olympics. 716 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 3: Oh, that's pretty cool. I guess you're accurate. So nineteen 717 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 3: sixty was a pretty big year for the Winter Games. 718 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 3: But you know, actually one of my favorite innovations didn't 719 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 3: come along until almost thirty years later. It was in 720 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 3: the eighty eight Games in Calgary, and that was the 721 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 3: year when the National Research Council of Canada devised a 722 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 3: special all weather Olympic torch. This was to be used 723 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 3: in the traditional relay before the Games, and unlike previous torches, 724 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 3: this one was designed to be especially lightweight and it 725 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 3: was powered by this special fuel that allowed the flame 726 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 3: to stay lit during its eighty eight day, eleven thousand 727 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 3: mile trip across the Canadian tundra. 728 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 2: That's amazing across the tundra. And actually it reminds me 729 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 2: of something I read about this year's Olympic Torch relay, 730 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 2: which is going on right now. But apparently in December 731 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 2: there was one leg where the torch was carried by 732 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,320 Speaker 2: the South Korean robot named Hubo. 733 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: Wait is that allowed I think it all had to 734 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: be people. 735 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,960 Speaker 2: No, it can apparently, And the best part was that 736 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 2: Hubo used a power drill to cut a hole in 737 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 2: a wall and then he passed the torch over to 738 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 2: the inventor who created him. 739 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,759 Speaker 3: That is a little bit ridiculous, but I mean also 740 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 3: a good reminder that the Olympics can be, you know, 741 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 3: pretty entertaining. 742 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 2: Sometimes, especially when you add robots to the mix, which 743 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 2: is something South Korea is going all in on this year. 744 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, I was reading about how their Ministry 745 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 3: of Science is working with these local companies and so 746 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,359 Speaker 3: they're rolling out new technologies all through the games. Like 747 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 3: apparently they've been testing these multilingual and autonomous robots at 748 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 3: the airports so they can guide visitors to correct gates 749 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 3: or provide information about flight times, and then when they 750 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:43,439 Speaker 3: aren't busy with guests, they just roam around and clean 751 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 3: things up. 752 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: That's awesome. 753 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 3: And so the hope is that the bots can be 754 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,880 Speaker 3: put to work in pyeong Chang as a way to 755 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 3: get visitors around this language barrier there. 756 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 2: That's pretty neat And from everything I read, this year's 757 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 2: games are going to be like this true Techi paradise. 758 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:58,839 Speaker 2: So aside from the full on robots. Hyundai has these 759 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 2: self driving buses that risk visitors around the host city, 760 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 2: and they've got a fleet of aerial drones they'll be 761 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 2: watching over the proceedings. And that's not just to help 762 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 2: broadcast events, but also for security purposes and maybe also 763 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 2: part of the entertainment offerings. 764 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: I don't know, we'll find out. 765 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 2: But the thing that'll catch most nerds attention is that 766 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 2: the Winter Olympics will be the test site for the 767 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,400 Speaker 2: new five G mobile network, and so most of us 768 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 2: won't be able to connect to this new platform until 769 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 2: twenty twenty, but for those in attendance, the network will 770 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,600 Speaker 2: actually provide data speeds up to a thousand times faster 771 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 2: than the current networks. 772 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 5: Wow. 773 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 2: I mean that's fast enough to download almost a gig 774 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,240 Speaker 2: of data in a single second. 775 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: That's pretty well all right. 776 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,440 Speaker 3: Well, we've talked about some of these very you know, 777 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 3: tech heavy innovations that we should be seen, but there 778 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:45,320 Speaker 3: are also some non tech based first that we should 779 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 3: look forward to as well. There was one of I 780 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 3: was reading about, you know. For example, Adam Rippon will 781 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:52,439 Speaker 3: compete in figure skating as the first openly gay male 782 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 3: athlete to represent the US and the Winter Olympics, which 783 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:57,800 Speaker 3: is kind of hard to believe that it's not until 784 00:35:57,840 --> 00:35:59,799 Speaker 3: this year that that's happening. But you know, all the 785 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 3: next activity aimed at homosexual athletes during the twenty fourteen Games, 786 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,840 Speaker 3: and so Chi Adam's performance hopefully will be an uplifting 787 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:08,720 Speaker 3: moment for many people at this year's event. 788 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, and one of the first I'm most looking forward 789 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,480 Speaker 2: to this year is Nigeria's debut at the Winter Olympics. 790 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 1: Huh. 791 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 2: The African nation will become the latest warm weather country 792 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 2: to buck the cold climate trend and that's all thanks 793 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 2: to its women's bobsled team. 794 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: Oh wow, So it's kind of like cool Runnings all 795 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: over again. 796 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, And just like with the famous Jamaican bob 797 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 2: sled team, Nigeria's team is a total labor of love. 798 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 2: So they actually crowdsourced the seventy five thousand dollars they 799 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:36,920 Speaker 2: needed on GoFundMe for like sleds and equipment and fees. 800 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:41,440 Speaker 2: And according to the sled driver, her name is Seon 801 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 2: Attigan and anyway, this is her quote. I was inspired 802 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,840 Speaker 2: to start the Nigerian women's bobsled team in hopes of 803 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 2: being the first ever African representative men or women to 804 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 2: qualify for the Winter Olympic Games in the sport of 805 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:54,200 Speaker 2: bob sled. 806 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,840 Speaker 3: Well, mission accomplished on that one. That's pretty neat and 807 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 3: I can't wait to see how they do. You know, 808 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:00,879 Speaker 3: this year more than others, I'm really. 809 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 1: Looking forward to the Games. 810 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,359 Speaker 3: You know, things feel pretty divided these days, so it 811 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 3: does seem extra important to have this event where people 812 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 3: from all different regions and all different cultures they can 813 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 3: come together and you kind of celebrate what humanity is 814 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,800 Speaker 3: capable of, and to do so in this friendly spirit 815 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:19,680 Speaker 3: of competition that the Olympics. 816 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: Is really all about. 817 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,279 Speaker 2: I know, and in South Korea, Yeah, no kidding, but 818 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:25,359 Speaker 2: will I know the opening ceremonies are still a few 819 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 2: weeks away, but would you say we kick things off 820 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 2: early with the men's freestyle fact off event? 821 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:32,799 Speaker 1: You know what, Mango, I say, let the Games begin. 822 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:43,480 Speaker 3: So did you know that only one person has won 823 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 3: gold at both the Winter and Summer Olympics, and that 824 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:49,799 Speaker 3: honor goes to American Eddie Egan. He won the light 825 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 3: heavyweight boxing event in the nineteen twenty Olympics, and over 826 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 3: a decade later he was part of the four man 827 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:58,279 Speaker 3: Bob's led team that took gold at Lake Placid. There 828 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 3: are three other athletes that have won in winter and summer, 829 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 3: but Egan is the only one to take gold at both. 830 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:06,320 Speaker 2: So I know, we were just talking about the Jamaican 831 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 2: bobsled team that got so much attention for the Calgary 832 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 2: Olympics and cooled runnings, and you know, the team was 833 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 2: kind of a punchline for a while, but they eventually 834 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,719 Speaker 2: won their fans over because of their hard work and determination. 835 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 2: But what I didn't remember, and what most people probably 836 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 2: don't remember, is that the team still competes and they've 837 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:25,759 Speaker 2: actually gotten much better. In fact, only six years after 838 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:28,959 Speaker 2: those nineteen eighty eight games, the Jamaican team actually beat 839 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:30,439 Speaker 2: both US teams in the event. 840 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:30,919 Speaker 1: Wow. 841 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 3: I didn't know that either, all right, So, which country 842 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:36,800 Speaker 3: is most dominant in a single sport? I was looking 843 00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 3: ato this and you may remember that four years ago 844 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 3: in Sochy, the long track speed skaters from the Netherlands 845 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 3: took home something like seventy percent of the medals in 846 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:45,839 Speaker 3: that sport. 847 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:47,919 Speaker 1: I mean, just completely dominant, right. 848 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 3: But the Atlantic was looking back at metals over the 849 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,040 Speaker 3: past eleven Olympics and they found that the most dominant 850 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,600 Speaker 3: country in a single sport, those would be Germany's losures, 851 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 3: and they took home something like thirty seven percent of 852 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,239 Speaker 3: medals over that period of time. Now, I should note 853 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 3: this would include East and West Germany as well as 854 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 3: the unified Germany, so they did get to have more 855 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:09,279 Speaker 3: competitors over that period of time. 856 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:10,640 Speaker 1: But that's still pretty remarkable. 857 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:13,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's amazing. So the only winter sport where an 858 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 2: American athlete has never meddled is the biathlon. But you know, 859 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 2: I have a feeling that they're gonna pull it off 860 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:23,000 Speaker 2: this year. Yeah, But I mean, the truth is, I'm 861 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:24,640 Speaker 2: saying that, like I know anyone who competes it. 862 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:27,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't even know exactly who does that, but 863 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:29,680 Speaker 3: I hope that we win one there. So all right, Well, 864 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:32,840 Speaker 3: earlier we mentioned Norway being a powerhouse in the Winter Olympics, 865 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:34,759 Speaker 3: and it's even more impressive if you look at their 866 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 3: performance per capita. But approximately five million citizens, they're roughly 867 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,640 Speaker 3: the same size as my home state of Alabama, and 868 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:45,480 Speaker 3: they've won approximately one Winter Olympic medal for every seventeen 869 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 3: thousand residents. Now, I don't know if that sounds like 870 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:50,279 Speaker 3: much or not. But compare that to the US, where 871 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:52,880 Speaker 3: it's one for every one point two million. 872 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 2: So I like the fact, but I can actually top it. 873 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,360 Speaker 2: And that's because everyone forgets about Liechtenstein. 874 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:01,480 Speaker 1: I forgot about lickeden Stein. 875 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:04,960 Speaker 2: So they've won a total of nine medals all in 876 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 2: alpine skiing, and that's actually close to one for every 877 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:09,520 Speaker 2: forty two hundred people there. 878 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:12,800 Speaker 3: That is pretty crazy that one out of every forty 879 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 3: two hundred people that. 880 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: Live there has won a medal. 881 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,320 Speaker 2: That is, it's on all the recruiting materials. 882 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 1: Well, Mango, I have to admit it. 883 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:19,960 Speaker 2: You have won it. 884 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,640 Speaker 1: You win this week's fact Off Trophy. 885 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. 886 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: Well, thank you guys for listening. That's it for today. 887 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:27,960 Speaker 3: If we've forgot any great facts about the Winter Olympics 888 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 3: or just the Olympics in general, we'd love to hear 889 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:33,000 Speaker 3: from you. It's part time genius at HowStuffWorks dot com. 890 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:34,480 Speaker 3: You can always call us on our twenty four to 891 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:37,360 Speaker 3: seven fact Hotline. It is still twenty four to seven mango. 892 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:38,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's awesome. 893 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:42,440 Speaker 3: One eight four four pt genius. You can also hit 894 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:45,280 Speaker 3: us up on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks so much for listening. 895 00:40:51,000 --> 00:41:00,600 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. Part time. 896 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:02,840 Speaker 3: Genius is a production of how stuff works, and wouldn't 897 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 3: be possible without several brilliant people who do the important 898 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:07,560 Speaker 3: things we couldn't even begin to understand. 899 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,440 Speaker 2: Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. 900 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 3: Noel Brown made the theme song and does the mixy 901 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 3: mixy sound thing. 902 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,120 Speaker 2: Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. 903 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:18,160 Speaker 3: Gabelozier is our lead researcher, with support from the research 904 00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:21,520 Speaker 3: Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eves. 905 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:24,000 Speaker 2: Jeff Gook gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 906 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:26,040 Speaker 3: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 907 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:27,919 Speaker 3: And if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 908 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 3: you could leave a. 909 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:36,600 Speaker 1: Good review for us. Could we forget Jams Jason who