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