Beijing 2022 Day 9 Review
After a history making day yesterday we're back for another day where other stuff happened as we go over everything from day 9 of Beijing 2022! Is Australia still buzzing after winning a medal in skeleton? Is Canada still buzzing after nearly getting their bronze medal record they're so desperate for? Which sport do we call out for being lazy? Which sport do we call out for being the complete opposite of lazy and one that needs more love? Are we satisfied with how Ben the bobsled went today? Why are we finding our potential prom king and queen of the Olympics? And which country might be about to resort to giving other athletes heart attacks to help them win medals? It's all in this episode and more so get to listening and make sure you slide your way into entertainment!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Please note this is an automated transcript that may contain errors.
BEN WATERWORTH: It is Off The Podium, An Olympics Podcast coming to you for day 9 of Beijing 2022. We are well and truly past halfway point, if you can believe that. And a day that everything got cancelled basically, the snow cancelled everything, the snow cancelled Jarrod today. I'm choking on myself, the snow's cancelling my ability to speak, as you get stuck with the two COVID people today on the show. It's a day in which, well, there's a medal for Canada, and I guess technically sort of a medal for Australia, because we won it after we were on air last night, so we can talk about both. It's exciting, it's the Olympics, that's why we're here. I'm Ben, I've got COVID, and this is Colin, and he's got COVID. I mean, do you still have COVID? Do we classify, or are you officially over COVID?
COLIN HILDING: Well, I mean, I'm able to leave the house again, so I guess I am medically over it, but I still have a cough. I'm still missing, as we were talking about Off Air, a little bit of my taste.
BEN WATERWORTH: And- Do you have to go for the Leafs? So that's understandable, so.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, or the Women's 3000-Metre Relay Team. I mean, whatever, shoes work for the other.
BEN WATERWORTH: You go for Sheets, you have no taste, yes, yes.
COLIN HILDING: Exactly.
BEN WATERWORTH: Exactly, yes.
COLIN HILDING: So there's residual COVID still in my house.
BEN WATERWORTH: Residual COVID, the new podcast coming soon from Colin Hilding in 2026. Lots of podcasts at our shows are having some spinoffs. I'm really looking forward to it. But yeah, I mean, plenty to talk about, sort of. Let's talk about Canada first, because we'll ramble on about Skeleton. But I guess just quickly, just as we've come on air, Canada's won their only medal of the day. Stephen Dubois has won his second medal of these Olympics. He got bronze in the men's 500 metres in the short track speed skating. Looked pretty excited, Mr. Dubois, there. Is Canada excited for Mr. Dubois, his second medal of the Olympics?
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, I think this puts a little bit more excitement in for the speed skating fans. You know, we have had a couple of disappointments, things that should have been sure bets, where we didn't medal in. We had another one just this morning. But especially when somebody can win multiple medals, and it's not the person you expect. Like that's sort of what we mentioned with Isabel Weidman. I mean, that her being the two medal winner wasn't necessarily what we'd expected. And we thought it was going to be Charles Hamlin, who is going to clean up in the last event that Stephen won in. And now Stephen's a two-time medallist. I mean, we now have crowned Charles Hamlin's successor for male speed skaters in Canada.
BEN WATERWORTH: So we don't get him on the show then, basically, before.
COLIN HILDING: Let's hope not.
BEN WATERWORTH: We don't want him to choke. But, I mean, this again, literally just happened. I was thinking that there's going to be technically no medals today at all for Australia and Canada, because I guess when we talk about Jack, he's in a second, that was technically yesterday. But yeah, it was good to see. And just to confirm, you did not win a bronze in the 3,000 metres, just to confirm. I'm positive that was China who won the bronze in that one. Fourth, though, for Canada. So it seemed like an event which Canada were expected to win a medal in, and they look quite disappointed that they got the chocolate medal instead.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah. And even as I was watching, I'm like, oh, we definitely got a bronze here, which I shouldn't have said it.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's all my fault.
COLIN HILDING: I'm sorry, Kim, that I'm holding you back from breaking more records here. It's a bit of a letdown. But I mean, you know, fourth once upon a time was the Canadian gold. So I guess it's something.
BEN WATERWORTH: In the summers, that's a celebratory day for Canada in the winters. That's like a national inquiry, right? You know, it's kind of the opposite when it comes to Australia there. But there's still one more to go tonight. The women's 500 metres, which is this being talked up at all for Canada for a medal? Is Isabel in this one? Or is she more of a distance? Is she not a sprinter when it comes to this?
COLIN HILDING: I don't know if we have anybody in this one. Because it was all the-
BEN WATERWORTH: You've got three in it. But no, Isabel, sorry, I'm just gonna start this now. So you've got Masha Houdi, Heather McLean, and Brooklyn McDougal are in this one.
COLIN HILDING: Well, I sort of have heard Heather McLean's name mentioned. It's funny to even mention we have anybody in it, because all that CBC was talking about last night, you have like the coming up on Olympics overnight, and it would be the women's 3000 metre relay, the men's 500. It wasn't even mentioned. It doesn't take much to add a little bit more text and say there's one more event to come. So let's not cross our fingers for a medal, and then if we get one, we'll be surprised.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's making news here for the fact that A, I think channel seven is struggling for content right now that the women's aerials haven't happened tonight, and B, is it Britney Bow like she gave up a spot for somebody on this team or something on those lines? There's a story around here, maybe something with Britney Bow from the US around giving up a spot. I don't know if it's in this event.
COLIN HILDING: Isn't that how she ended up as the flag bearer?
BEN WATERWORTH: Possibly that. Maybe that's what it is talking about, swapping around or something along those lines. But that's the only reason why I think that's being paid attention to here slightly with that. But I mean, the one thing that's being paid attention to in Australia right now is Skeleton, because obviously we went off air last night just before the final round of the Skeleton, and Jackie Naracot held on, got the silver, first ever sliding medal for Australia. And this is amazing. It really is amazing. Somebody likened it today on our commentary to saying, it's like if a country won a swimming medal without having a swimming pool in their country, which, I mean, the closest track we have to Australia would probably either be in Beijing or Pyeongchang.
COLIN HILDING: We should say a fair comparison is for a country like Canada to have our all-time most decorated Olympian come in the Summer Olympics and swimming and not a Winter Olympics like Penny Alexiak.
BEN WATERWORTH: Absolutely, because when I went to Canada, you guys just have no swimming pools. And you'd never won any swimming medals ever in the history of the Olympics at all. It was just completely random. I see what you're doing there. I see what you're doing there, but no.
COLIN HILDING: I was really hoping, I was seriously really hoping that Michaela would have wiped out yesterday because I was prepared to put up Michaela just in protest of Ben. But I wanted on record that I actually brought up her name first for the Daily Daily yesterday.
BEN WATERWORTH: You did, well done, yes. And obviously she won that. But I mean, it's, it's, it's fat. Like if you had said to anyone two months ago that you were going to win a medal in skeleton, we like, it's not like Jackie was, you know, off coming off the back of three great World Cup seasons or anything, her name was only ever mentioned as a potential a month ago when she won her first World Cup in St. Moritz. And then all of a sudden, boom, she's winning a silver medal. She even, she said like, she realistically, she didn't think, you know, a top 10 was what she was aiming for. Her parents on TV were like, oh yeah, we didn't expect this. Like we would have been happy with the top 10. Absolutely thrilled. But my God, this came out of nowhere. It's just, it's crazy. And one thing I'll say is that Australia's getting a little bit crazy by using the, this is the cool running story of the Olympics. And I mean, we had it with Dean and Tali. And okay, I can understand it. We do not have a dedicated curling rink in Australia, but you can still curl in Australia. You can still go to an, I mean, I curled the other night. It's not the same. I get it. But you can still curl. It's like we're swimming, for example, you can still swim in a lake or the ocean. You know, if you don't have a pool, there's a ways around it. With obviously bobsled Bree, again, it's a very similar story, of course, but we've had, I guess, bobsledders for a lot longer than we've even remotely had someone in skeleton before.
COLIN HILDING: And push carts are big in Australia.
BEN WATERWORTH: Absolutely. I mean, that's how I get to work every single day. But like with skeleton, I mean, any sliding sport, if this had to have been Alex in the luge or Nick in the skeleton, you know, it would have been a big deal still. But I think this is a bigger deal and more of a cool running story than Dean and Tali without disrespect to Dean and Tali, because again, we do not remotely have anything that resembles a sliding track at all. I don't even think we've got to drive where the one even remotely close for a setup. Like Alex Falazzo literally jumps on a street luge and goes down highways in Townsville to practise. You know, like that's kind of how he's got to do it. So it's an amazing story. She's such a, just like a down to earth interview. Like you can tell she's somebody who doesn't get a lot of attention from the media, because I just love her interviews. It's kind of like, Jackie, you're so pumped. You must be so excited. She's like, yeah, yeah, I'm really happy. It's like, so, like, how are you feeling in the last run? Yeah, no, I thought I could do it. So, what... And even though we had...
COLIN HILDING: You know that we've had guests. Like, we basically have this thing where we'll explain to each other how interviews went. It's either like, oh, we got one of these people who's done a million of these interviews. So they almost seem bored with just being great in interviews. And then there's those people like, yeah, you could tell they don't do interviews much. This is one of those, they don't do interviews much.
BEN WATERWORTH: It reminds me a lot of Sally Pearson slash McLennan back when she got interviewed and say like Beijing, maybe not quite to the extent of how hilarious that was, but because I think Jackie's just unapologetically herself. She just like is there, she says it is. And it's not like a disrespect to her. I think it's great. It was entertaining. Even when they bring in a coach who he won a bronze for Britain back in Pyeongchang, even he's just kind of like, yeah, I'm bloody proud of her. And it's also like, you know, you too, what are you going to do to celebrate? Oh, probably go home tonight and look at the rec room. And it's just like, great! Like, pump it up, you won a silver medal. But also significantly as well, officially our most successful winter Olympics now in terms of total medals, why not? We've broken through, we've broken the barrier of three. We've now gotten the four, which is fantastic. I did happen to love a couple of the lovely little Twitter police today when I saw, I think it was channel seven shared the stat. They showed the medal tally, Australia's most successful winter Olympics ever. Somebody replies with, no, it's not. We've only won one gold medal. We won two gold medals in Vancouver and Salt Lake. They're all like, well, we've won four total medals. Well, the official IRC definition of medal tally is my gold medal, so technically this isn't, oh my God, mate, you must be fun at parties. I know we're shit. All right, I know we do things like that, but just take it, okay? I'm calling this now, Canada are only one bronze medal away from equalling your best ever hall of bronze medals in a Winter Olympics. So when you win that 10th bronze tomorrow and you get your 11th, celebrate it, Canada, your most successful ever third place Olympics ever. So take it. But anyway, Skeleton, we're happy for this, Colin, because I guess Canada won a skeleton medal before. I should check this.
COLIN HILDING: A little man named John Montgomery.
BEN WATERWORTH: Good on you, Ben.
COLIN HILDING: Maybe one of the most famous people he ever interviewed on this show.
BEN WATERWORTH: Ben the Researcher, Channel 7, absolutely worthy of my position.
COLIN HILDING: I mean, you can't see him right now, but pretty much any time we ever record, he's right over my shoulder, holding up the flag.
BEN WATERWORTH: Literally John, not a photo, actually. He just lives with Colin.
COLIN HILDING: Exactly.
BEN WATERWORTH: John Montgomery, where's Colin?
COLIN HILDING: We did have Melissa Hollingsworth in turn as well, who I mentioned, she went on to be on the Amazing Race Canada. So this is how we scout Talented Canada as our skeleton racers.
BEN WATERWORTH: And you can go one, two in Turin as well on the men. So, yeah, good job, Ben.
COLIN HILDING: But no, it's been a little while, I guess. But like, I think that, I think that I would lean more towards Dean and Tali being a cool running story, just because, you know, skeleton, as we've seen in, well, skeleton, bobsled, luge, whatever, you get some of these unusual countries, like the Ivory Coast, who make their big Olympic debuts. This seems to now be the sport, maybe because cool runnings in Jamaica broke through, this seems to be those sports where it's possible to make a break in this. But whereas curling, I mean, you're having a very limited selection of countries that are allowed to compete, which I think is what makes that the bigger story. But not to take away from this at all. I mean, you know, this is phenomenal. I mean, you've apparently won more medals than Canada has in skeleton, so good job. But it was exciting to watch. And I think it was clear that you were going to win a medal the entire time going into that final run. But were there expectations, were there hopes that this could have been a gold? Was there any disappointment it wasn't a gold?
BEN WATERWORTH: I mean, the way it's promoted all day yesterday, yes, it was gold, gold, gold. But I mean, I think in all fairness, that's how any network is going to promote anything. I don't think, oh, we're in with a real shot of a bronze today, like come on Australia. Yeah, it was promoted that way. And even sort of going into that final run, it still talked up of like, oh, she's moments away from a gold. But I do love the way it's always a sneaky little transition into just a, oh, and aren't we proud that she won a silver? When I think T Denim's like, fuck, she could have won the gold. But no, I think it's just always a nice transition. And it's no different to anything. Like they talk up any, like the one I always remember the most is the late great Chumpy Pullen. You know, Jarrod and I talked a lot about it back in Sochi when Channel 10 had the Olympics about how that was just the Chumpy Olympics. Like every day it was Chumpy, Chumpy, Chumpy, Chumpy. Seriously, like no disrespect to the late great Chumpy Pullen. But I think anybody, if they heard the name Chumpy Pullen in February 2014 would have shot someone. But like, and of course, they pump his tyres up so much. This is a lock. This was a Colin Hilding-esque move. Like he's won the gold. He's won everything. This guy may as well sleep during the competition and he'll see when he got crashed out in like the quarters or whatever it was. And then, of course, it was that pivot. Oh, aren't we proud of Chumpy? He did his best. He's still a world champion in our eye. That is like, dude, like you have done nothing but promote the crap out of this guy for like the last two weeks. He hasn't won. And you're still like, oh, well, aren't we proud? Like, just come on here and just go, fuck, we didn't win. Which would have been funny, but no, in all seriousness, it's it's an amazing result. Australia has been just absolutely on top of this and so excited. So great to see so many of the other Winter Olympians get behind her as well. And I believe she's already flying back on Tuesday straight to Queensland. She hasn't been back to Australia in like three years or something ridiculous like that. So, yeah, I mean, look, I will say one thing about the curling. Can we like not to take away from Dean and Tali again? Because obviously we love them. They're, you know, our favourite. Fuck all our other guests. We like Dean and Tali. Screw everyone else. Um, well, yeah. Well, you know, she got a bronze. Good for her. So I don't ever come back on the show. But that's Canada's skeleton.
COLIN HILDING: I'm joking. How did we win in ski jumping? We don't even have ski jumps here.
BEN WATERWORTH: This is this is why Ben is alone, because people take his sarcasm as real. New Zealand, of course, had a team in curling back in 2006, which was obviously in the full teams competition. So good job for New Zealand. I don't want to give props to New Zealand, but anyway.
COLIN HILDING: Well, then Australia's New Zealand junior.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I mean, come on, we're the Austria to Germany, clearly. That way. But I should mention, so in that, oh, surprise, Germany won the skeleton, had an ice knees. She took the gold. And I love how we were talking like when we want to say wait, when I was calling that last night, when the Dutch lady came on Kimberly Boss, I'm like, oh, well, the Dutch suck in skeleton. We know they're not going to challenge Jackie, who gets the bronze, Kimberly Boss from the Netherlands, which I believe is their first ever skeleton medal as well. So no Great Britain. No, we're the first time they've never medalled in a skeleton, which I want to say a bit of a complaint.
COLIN HILDING: It wasn't CBC's coverage. It was the Olympic Channel coverage, right? As they're going into the final run, the first thing they say is Great Britain has never lost in this event. Well, they will not be medalling today. And this is before they ran. I'm like, OK, I understand it is extremely unrealistic. Ben, you can you say never? What if 22 of the other other racers all just, I don't know, had heart attacks right at the starting line or fell off their sleds and lost the limb as Ben would say, like, it is possible to just discount it right away. Like, I'm sure stranger things have happened in the Olympics than people dropping dead with heart attacks and losing their heads.
BEN WATERWORTH: I've got this image of like every single woman walking up and here's Jenny Smith from Cote d'Ivoire. Oh, she's grabbing a chest there, Sean. Something doesn't look right. Oh, well, and she has died of a heart attack. All right. Moving on to Jamie Hilding from New Zealand. And oh, she's also having a heart attack. Oh, what is going on here, Sean? Unprecedented, Paul. All right. Here's Stephanie from the Netherlands. Oh, no, she's also having a heart attack. Like, I think maybe by the third one, officials might be like, something's going on here.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, well, this would be like the famous Australian gymnastics story with the, there's something wrong with the bar, is it the wrong height or whatever. But we could have had the Ivory Coast. Oh, well, she's going down backwards, but they just don't know any better in the Ivory Coast.
BEN WATERWORTH: Did you think they'd buy like the tie they'd get to the next British competitor, and they realise that the Brits are the only ones not having a heart attack. So they might go checking the water bottles of each of the competitors and seeing what the British coaches have been putting in. What is this drug here? Heart attack inducer. Oh, that's not unusual. Off you pop. Gold, silver, bronze to Britain.
COLIN HILDING: Suspiciously see Jackie and the German just walk out with wads of cash under their arms.
BEN WATERWORTH: That is an exciting event. The controversy of the 22. Anything is possible is the point. Everyone had a heart attack except for Britain. Oh, you know, we talk about how great it was that we had your ski jumping team win the bronze. We're ignoring the fact that everybody basically got disqualified. But the skeleton, it wouldn't be fine as well. Like, how thoroughly deserved. 17 other women had a heart attack except for the Brits. That's how you guys might be able to win the curling now. There you go.
COLIN HILDING: Probably gonna be our only chance now.
BEN WATERWORTH: I should mention actually, not only is that Netherlands first ever skeleton medal, it's actually their first ever sliding medal as well. All their Winter Olympic medals have come in, surprise, surprise, it's speed skating. Short track speed skating, figure skating, and snowboarding. So the very first time they've had one at a sliding track. So good to see that we can be there with our Dutch friends and helping them get a medal. We're not helping them. We didn't even have a heart attack or anything.
COLIN HILDING: You're welcome.
BEN WATERWORTH: But actually it's interesting to know, because Germany would have definitely swept the Luge before, but now they've swept the Skeleton. Not looking good in the mono bob, so I don't think they're going to completely sweep the bob, even though I know in the least in the men and the two men and the four men, they're favourites to win that. So outside of the women's events, they could basically be sweeping everything in the sliding events, except for the mono bob and the two, because I think Canada are one of the favourites and the two women bob, aren't they? So, fascinating. Those Germans, they're good at sliding. We're good at the sliding track, yeah? We go down fast.
COLIN HILDING: Du hast.
BEN WATERWORTH: Last time we did this, I had no voice. Like, I'm not going.
COLIN HILDING: We already don't have voices, does it matter?
BEN WATERWORTH: Never go full German, remember? Like, never go full German. We'll get to the mono bob shortly, but I'll just go over the medal results from today. So everything's been decided, with the exception of the women's 500 metres in the speed skater, which is quite a late start. I don't actually think that's still, it's still another hour and a half away, basically. So I don't think it'll even start by the time we finish today. Alpine skiing, the men's giant slalom, Marco Odomat of Switzerland took the gold ahead of Zan Kranzek of Slovenia, and Matthew Favre of France. There's a lot of French names today, so apologies to our French listeners. Look at me apologising to France. Jesus, things have moved on a lot since we started this show six years ago. Took the bronze there. In the biathlon, Quentin Fillon-Manette of France took the gold ahead of Thier-Tage Beau, another medal for the Beaux, silver for Norway, and bronze for Edouard Lattapov of ROC. In the women's pursuit, Marte Olsbo Roseland of Norway, not Netherlands, Norway. She took the gold. Elvira Oberg of Sweden took the silver, and Tril Ekhoff of Norway, the bronze. In the cross-country, the men's four by 10 kilometre relay, ROC the gold, Norway the silver, France the bronze, and in the short track, Shang Liu of Hungary, gold. I think this is his first gold of these Olympics. I think he's got a medal or two, but that's I think his first gold. Konstantin Ivalev in the men's 500 metres, he got the silver in the 500 metres from ROC, and Stephen Dubois of Canada, the bronze, and the women's 3000 metre relay, the Dutch, gold, silver to South Korea, and bronze, not to Canada, it went to China. Just to clarify, to China. So just quickly, I might as well go over the medal tally now. I've got it in front of me. So with one more to go today, looks like Norway will end in the day, because I don't think Germany is going to win the women's 500 metre speed skating. They could, I don't know. Norway on top, nine gold, five silver, seven bronze, 21 in total. Germany second, eight gold, five silver, one bronze, 14 in total. Netherlands third, six gold, four silver, two bronze, 12 in total. USA, five gold, five silver, one bronze, 11 in total. And Sweden, five gold, three silver, three bronze. Canada, 14th place, one gold, four silver, nine bronze, 14 in total, but third via total medals. And Australia, one gold, two silver, one bronze, four in total, 16th place. We are ahead of Finland. Just saying. National holiday in Australia, we are ahead of Finland in the Winter Olympics on the medal tally. That's like Canada being ahead of Australia in the Summer Olympics medal tally. Again, a similar question, I've asked this every day. I'd like to know, as each day goes by, does Canada become more and more concerned about the one gold medal, no more than one? Or is it still a case of you're Canadian, you're like, eh, we've got 13 of these things in the bag, 14 of these in the bag now. Who cares if it's only one gold?
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, still hasn't even been mentioned, which I'm glad because the last couple Olympics, there's been a lot of like, ooh, concern for this, and ooh, blame goes here. And this just seems to be, you know, an Olympics where we're just accepting what we got. I mean, the worst is that, you know, on two of the days where we have not had a medal, it's like, oh, are we going to be able to, you know, even come close to our medal hall from the last games if we have more days where we don't win anything? That's pretty much the only negativity I've heard is, oh, we got to be concerned. We're starting to slow down here.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which I don't think you're gonna be replicating that medal tally, but hey, that's-
COLIN HILDING: No, it's not happening.
BEN WATERWORTH: Doesn't happen all the time. And this is again, I think, similar thing what I've always said about Sydney is that it's that flow on effect when you host an Olympics. You obviously have such a high of winning so many at home. And then that kind of does flow on for the next couple of cycles because you've still got that funding and the success of country, but it does eventually slow down. So you're now at your third Olympics after Vancouver. So of course it's gonna slow down. I mean, in our third Olympics after Sydney in London, everybody was like, oh my God, this is the worst Olympics ever. And it's like, guys, it's been 12 years in Sydney. Like this was gonna stop eventually. And it did. So, I mean, I think Canadians must be a lot more smarter and can realise that, whereas Australians are like, ah, you know, terrible, we've only won one gold in swimming, National Equality, like for fuck's sake, guys.
COLIN HILDING: This is the Australian panic dance that people can't see.
BEN WATERWORTH: I come from a land down under, playing some InXS, basically, coming on, never tear us apart. Um, exactly. Yes. Um, just going through the events today for Australian and Canada's perspective, I guess we should start off with the monobob, because obviously, from an Off Podium perspective, uh, Brie, we had her on basically a year ago, as we sort of mentioned a few times, she was pretty much our first guest we had on in the lead up to these games to talk about it. So we're a bit partial to Brie, and we've been very partial to all the bobsledders that we've had on the show. Tenth in the first run for Brie, she had a bit of a bad run in that first one, did a bit of a nick, fooled into the wall a couple of times. But the second run she improved, she went a little bit faster, and she's sitting in seventh right now after two runs, which doesn't sound brilliant, but if you actually look from second down to eighths, there's basically a second covering second down to eighths. So Bree's actually only about seven tenths off a medal right now, which obviously we saw a lot of that changing in that second run. Meanwhile, Canadian traitor, Kaylee Humphreys is shitting it in at the front. She's a second ahead of real Canadian at Christine Nebrewan. So, are we allowed to say that? But it's entertaining. I saw some of the monobob in the World Cup. So it's actually quite entertaining to watch this sport. And yeah, I think Bree seemed pretty satisfied. She looked very nervous. I think she seemed very nervous. And even in her interview afterwards, she just, she seemed very nervous. So I don't know if there's some nerves that have gotten to her a little bit at the Olympics, but I think she'd be pretty, she seems pretty satisfied with sevenths considering how the first run went. So yeah, and I guess from your perspective, Colin, Christine, Canada, happy about this. We don't talk about who's leading, of course.
COLIN HILDING: She wasn't even our main, what do you call them? Driver pilot? Bob Sledder. Just wondering though, you keep calling her, is it Christine or is it Cynthia? I thought it was Cynthia.
BEN WATERWORTH: According to the official list from Beijing2022.cn, it's Christine.
COLIN HILDING: You know what, it's Cynthia. Cynthia Akthea is our other one. She's our main one. That's the confusion.
BEN WATERWORTH: She's a 10th place.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, so Cynthia was our big hope because she was pretty much right up there with Bree, considered a possibility to come in silver to Kayleigh Humphreys. But she also had a disastrous first run and has slightly come back. So, I mean, Christine De Bruyne, she sort of came out of nowhere, even though she's been doing well in the World Cup. I mean, she's very new to this. I think she only basically, for the first time, competed a year ago. And the only story you can really find her on online is how bad her first run went a year ago. And now one year later, she's doing well in the World Cup. She's in the silver-lemon medal position halfway through this. She's kind of our hope right now. And I was actually really shocked and excited. I think more than anything, I was just telling Jamie, I'm like, this is not the Canadian we expected to see potentially in the medal picture, even though I think her success lately has kind of warranted that. So it's pretty exciting. With Kayleigh, I did a little bit more reading yesterday. Again, nobody really wants to talk about the full story much. Apparently, it wasn't sexual assault or anything like that, but Kayleigh has had some accusations that there has been some, I guess, a situation was treated differently because she was a woman. It was mostly her coach, I guess, had been verbally, mentally abusive. She claimed, other people have claimed the same thing. And her reason for leaving is the fact that the Canadian Bob Sending Federation or whatever didn't act on this the way that she thought they should have. It should be mentioned that she decided to keep her America. The guy she's accusing of being abusive was an American who was a coach of hers. So I think that's part of what the, because even the commentators last night were talking about how, you know, it's still controversial. Hello, Casper, do you have opinions on Kayleigh Humphreys?
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, Casper, what do you think about this traitorous Canadian? Is Casper coming to defect to the US as well while he's sounding?
COLIN HILDING: Yes. Going into the meadow, I don't know why you're going to a meadow. Why don't you go draw a picture of it?
BEN WATERWORTH: Say meadow or meadow?
COLIN HILDING: Is mummy awake? I'm starting to wonder if mummy even knows when you wake up in the morning.
BEN WATERWORTH: She's had a heart attack. We've gone over this before.
COLIN HILDING: Go check on mummy. Call 911 if there's an issue. Santa Claus. OK, I don't know why you're saying that.
BEN WATERWORTH: Oh, Santa, happy Christmas.
COLIN HILDING: Let's take a pause for a minute while I go find his mother.
BEN WATERWORTH: OK, let's do that.
COLIN HILDING: And this just breaking news. Jamie is alive and well.
BEN WATERWORTH: Breaking news at Colin's house.
COLIN HILDING: She's out of metal contention in the skeleton, but she does she does have her eyes on Casper now. Anyways, the Kaylee Humphreys thing. I think that's part of the controversy still is that, you know, OK, was she upset that there was this abuse of American coach that she had or that the Canadian Federation didn't handle this the way? None of the investigations have ever been made public. She's been very, I would say very well handled in the Canadian media. It's funny, because she was getting all the interviews last night. It wasn't Cynthia or Christine. So Canada still, Kayleigh Humphreys is the story. And I thought she was very good in the interviews, you know, talking about how, you know, as much as she's proud to be competing for America now, you know, she's married to an American, that the greatest competition of her life, she will still say, being able to compete for Canada, but just she's unable to compete for them now for her own reasons. So, I mean, I'll give it to her. I said yesterday, I'll stand by Kaylee in her decision to leave. I'm still rooting for her to win, although it would be fantastic if Canada somehow unseats Kaylee Humphreys.
BEN WATERWORTH: If she wins a medal, she will actually be the first ever female Winter Olympian to win a medal for two different countries, which, and when we say two different countries, we're obviously not saying Soviet Union and Russia, or Germany and East Germany, we're obviously meaning distinctly separate. We never had the great alliance of USA Canada back in Alva Ville 1992 or something like that. So, Victor Ahn is the only one who's ever done it in the winters before. So, pretty interesting that that would be the case.
COLIN HILDING: And it would be her fourth Olympics medalling as well.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, her fourth in a row as well, right? Because she's Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeongchang. So, is she in the two-woman as well?
COLIN HILDING: She is, yeah. I believe, well, you know what, that's it, that's it. Because she technically only, I mean, that is her specialty, obviously. But she technically only qualified to be in the Olympics a month ago, because there was a huge thing with her citizenship being held up. Basically, they had to call every favour they could in the book to make sure she actually got US citizenship in time to qualify for the Olympics. And it was literally one month before they left. So I don't know how they put a team together. I'll have to look that up. I would assume she is, though.
BEN WATERWORTH: Just on very quickly, obviously, we know that while not official, we know the sled is called Ben. And Ben's can be difficult. Ben's can be a little bit annoying and a little bit out of the box sometimes. So just a special message to Ben, get the fuck away from the walls and go on a straight line. Listen to Brie for once in your life, Ben. Listen to what a woman has to say and then you will do well. So that's my pep talk for Ben tomorrow. All right. Listen to Brie. Let her control you all the way down the chute and just just slide your way through to a strong performance tomorrow. OK, it's all down to you, Ben. Ben, stick together. Let Brie just control you all the way to the finish line.
COLIN HILDING: Why do I feel this should have been an off air pep talk?
BEN WATERWORTH: You can take whatever you want. It's not meant to be interpreted in any other way. I'm actually I'm trying to I'm trying to help Brie to a good result tomorrow. Make a college joke. But all I'm saying is, is Ben, listen to Brie. Hashtag Ben, listen to Brie.
COLIN HILDING: Ben, just let Brie drive you already. Let her do the drive in.
BEN WATERWORTH: I didn't say that. I didn't say that. All right. OK, we if that's if that's how you want to interpret it, that is that is down to to however you want to interpret. All right. We know we know Brie's in a loving relationship with an actual Ben. So therefore that can be interpreted in this artificial Ben.
COLIN HILDING: That's hosting the podcast today.
BEN WATERWORTH: This guy here who just, you know, we don't even get started on that situation, but just just Ben. Listen to Brie. Go for it. All right. OK, you you you look at Kaylee Sled and you go, traitor.
COLIN HILDING: All right.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's like it's like The Force Awakens. It's like traitor.
COLIN HILDING: Right.
BEN WATERWORTH: Like that. Be like Finn, Ben and get angry and see Trader. Go down that chute.
COLIN HILDING: Feel your teeth.
BEN WATERWORTH: Feel your teeth. Run down that course. Ray!
COLIN HILDING: That's all you need to do is just, Brie! Brie!
BEN WATERWORTH: Start off interesting and exciting that the audience will want to know more about you. And by the end, just get forgotten about and have weird little side plots that make no sense and have a relationship, we think, with Lando Calrissian's daughter, which is kind of there. Whatever. And then all of a sudden, you've got force powers, which are never fully explained, but sure. You do you, Disney.
COLIN HILDING: Are we still talking about the sled? I feel like we're really stepping away from the sled.
BEN WATERWORTH: We're over the Star Wars trilogy. We're not shitty about those still, but we don't want to be shitty about Ben listening to Brie tomorrow.
COLIN HILDING: Do your job, Ben.
BEN WATERWORTH: Do your job, Ben. Hashtag do your job, Ben. Why have I heard that before? It was actually really interesting tomorrow, the fact that I thought it was similar to the skeleton, that they would have these final runs at night, but sexist IOC, let's put the men's two men at nighttime in prime time. We'll just put the women's monobob still. You know?
COLIN HILDING: Is it, or is this a situation where this is the bigger deal, so they're looking at the US prime time?
BEN WATERWORTH: Oh, it's always about North America, isn't it? Who cares about the rest of the world?
COLIN HILDING: I've wondered about that, because that's always been a big deal in the last couple of Olympics, is we want to make sure that we have the US prime time slot for some of these events, so we're getting them shuffled. There really doesn't seem to be anything that's that important to America, where they forced them to reshuffling. Well, yeah, figure skating, I guess.
BEN WATERWORTH: It always seems to me to be the biggest skaters during the day.
COLIN HILDING: But then we also had the last figure skating competition was the first thing in the morning for us here. So they're not even 100% giving it to figure skating. It's just, when we can, we'll give you a prime time slot.
BEN WATERWORTH: Colin, let's be honest. If we know that any country in the world is going to stand up to NBC and say, no, it's going to be China. I don't think China are going to go, absolutely, NBC, you have your pick of the schedule. I think China are going to be like, we're going to do how we want to do. NBC, go fuck yourselves. I think that's probably where there's a line there going with that. But we should actually mention, I mean, I feel like the obvious one we also should be talking about is women's aerials, of course, as an Australian. But that has been postponed until tomorrow. And I think it's just come through that the qualifying will go ahead at about six o'clock Australian Eastern time tomorrow in the evening. And then the finals will go ahead as per usual scheduled time.
COLIN HILDING: So prime time, so you got nothing to complain about?
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, for us, yes, or whatever. But I think we'll be basically on air tomorrow night while the finals are on. So that'll that'll be interesting. So off the podium, like this isn't trying to disrespect Brie, because I mean, she can still win the medal, but I don't think she's going to win gold. She's two seconds off the gold now. But off the podium is probably last real shot at a gold medal tomorrow. Charles Hamlin, possibly in the five thousand. But this is it, Colin. I think this it's I don't know how Clarney Crane is going to do in the women's singles in the figure skating. Don't think she's going to do enough to get a gold. And Casey, maybe in the team sprinting across country, could spring a surprise. But this is it for Laura and Daniel tomorrow night.
COLIN HILDING: Can we talk about the fact, though, that Kayleigh Humphreys has a over a second lead on everybody else like in bobsled? That is a huge lead out. I basically told Jamie, I'm like, nobody's catching this unless Kayleigh has a heart attack.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I mean, in all fairness, you know, Laura Nolte, the German in third. I mean, you know, are there any Brits in this race? There isn't. So no harding. But yeah, I mean, look, we can talk about the trader as much as you want. But yeah, a second ahead. I mean, that's a pretty significant lead. Although, having said that, wouldn't it be sweet if she choked and didn't win gold? If there's anybody you want to see choke and not win the gold after being a second up, it's Kaylee Humphreys. So just, you know, we can talk about Michaela Schittfren all we like. But I mean, that we'd like to see a pull on Michaela Schittfren basically on that. So good luck to you tomorrow, Kaylee. Bring home the stars and stripes, because you've been a passionate American for a month.
COLIN HILDING: He's lived there for years, though.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I mean, I lived in Canada and New Zealand basically for the last Olympia, but I'm still going to the Olympics. I'm wearing fucking the green and gold. I'm not putting on bloody a silver fern or a maple leaf. I get fucked.
COLIN HILDING: If you were living here now and it was Canada, you know, with a record amount of bronze medals, you might change your tune.
BEN WATERWORTH: This is the Australian survivor argument when people like Shane Gould's Tasmanian because she lives in Tasmania. She's not Tasmanian. All right. Like she won all her Olympic medals for New South Wales and Queensland just because she lives here. Doesn't make a one. Jesus Christ.
COLIN HILDING: Everything you just said means nothing to me. I have no clue what you're talking about.
BEN WATERWORTH: Download Australian Survivor Archives. New episodes coming later in 2022. So other results today from the Australian and Canadian because we did have not only the aerials were postponed today, the freestyle skiing slope style was postponed. There was a few things postponed today. We did have the giant slide. I enjoy watching the giant slide. I love watching it. I love it when it's like melting down with snow. Like it's awesome. Even in the bottom, Bob, when you saw the snow falling on the track, that was really cool.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, like the giant slide made me wish that we had seen slopes out. Like I understand that there's certain competitions or maybe it's a... I would think so giant slalom that is a bigger risk. You're going at a much faster speed than slope style. I mean, sure, maybe you could slide a little bit on the rails, but come on, you're only going about half a kilometre an hour and slopes out.
BEN WATERWORTH: To me, it just shows me that freestyle ski is a wimp. Whereas Alpine skiers, they're the brave ones of the Olympics. It doesn't matter. Blizzard, fucking let's go. Cross-country skiers, fucking who gives... Biathlon, they've got to fucking see to shoot a thing. They were shooting in the bloody blizzard today. But no, the freestyle, oh, no, I can't do a triple X. Doggy, seaman, serpent in the snow. I break a nail. Like, god damn it. Jesus Christ. Like the Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, that's where it is. I didn't see the ice hockey players today complaining. They just went out there and scored goals. They put the biscuit in the basket, didn't they? The speed skaters, they just skated fast, didn't they? The curlers, they rain-hanged so.
COLIN HILDING: I mean, the curlers, waiting till we get to some of the curlers, they would have opened the doors and the windows up just so that they could prove they were better than the freestyle skiers. We want a blizzard in here.
BEN WATERWORTH: Those freestyle skiers are wimps. Oh, look at me. I'm going to do a triple quad on the aerial ramp. Oh, but it's snowing. I can't do it.
COLIN HILDING: I love freestyle skiing, but I am 100% agreeing with you on this. Of course, they are a bunch of wimps. And we're done with you.
BEN WATERWORTH: Until tomorrow night when Daddy O Scott and Laura Peele will win Off The Podium gold and dual.
COLIN HILDING: I've rarely seen moguls. I'm just going to say this. I've rarely seen moguls cancelled for the weather. I've attended moguls events where there's a blizzard.
BEN WATERWORTH: That's them real freestyle skiers calling they're the real athletes of freestyle skiing.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, like the blizzard. I mean, I was in one with freezing rain and they didn't hold up the course for more than 10 minutes. I was like, come on, get out there, you slopestyle wimps.
BEN WATERWORTH: I mean, half of them probably would kick our ass because, you know, they've got all their cool friends.
COLIN HILDING: Well, we know they would, but you'd have to find us first, okay? You want us? Come and take us. We got COVID. That's our weapon, that's our arsenal.
BEN WATERWORTH: I'll grab each single one of you and kiss you on the lips. Look at you, oh, I'm going to do a corky. Well, come here and make out with me then, huh? Yeah, who's the wimp now?
COLIN HILDING: I will lick the face of every freestyle skier there is, just to prove my point.
BEN WATERWORTH: I know a guy, he's got kids who come downstairs and there's no locks on the doors. They've got COVID as well, they're worse. Kids with COVID. The new podcast coming soon.
COLIN HILDING: I will unleash my children on you.
BEN WATERWORTH: Bloody wimps. Suck it up, princess. Just go out there and ski. Be like Marco Otamat, gold medallist from Switzerland in the men's giant slalom, all right?
COLIN HILDING: That's a man right there.
BEN WATERWORTH: Bet you could have got to Eileen Gou. Oh, I'm Eileen Gou. No, you're not, you're shit.
COLIN HILDING: You can't ski in the blizzard.
BEN WATERWORTH: Pick your game up, Eileen Gou.
COLIN HILDING: I'm a winter Olympian, I'm afraid of snow.
BEN WATERWORTH: Look at me on the cover of Vogue. Oh, am I American or Chinese? I don't know, who cares? Eileen Gou, what's wrong with you? Anyway, there goes our Eileen Gou interview on Off The Podium. Anyway, to the real- To the real sport of alpine skiing, with a men-a-men, Canada's Eric Reid was 13th. Trevor Philp was, like Philp, I think you've lost an eye on your name there, Philp. Shouldn't it be Trevor Philp? You got a bit lazy there with your name, did you? I'm too cool for an extra eye, so I'm just going to call myself Trevor Philp. He was 24th, Mr. Philp. And any other Canadians? No, we had some- This is one of the alpine skiing events where we had a Filipino skier in it, Asa Miller, a Ghanaian, Carlos Maidaya, great pin, Madagascar. Great, great event, this one.
COLIN HILDING: Has the Philippines ever had a skier before?
BEN WATERWORTH: Maybe not, but good job there. We had an Australian in this one, Lewis Mullen Schulte. He was 23rd, so beat Canada's Trevor, can't have an extra I in his name, Philp.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, Lewis didn't forget the I in Lewis.
BEN WATERWORTH: Exactly, he's not just lose.
COLIN HILDING: We're just taking on everybody, Dave. We're just in a mood.
BEN WATERWORTH: Can't do my aerials, I'm getting angry. Actually, I'm gonna backtrack, right? Freestyle skis are real, like Laura, Danielle, Gabby, they all wanted to ski, but the IC stopped it.
COLIN HILDING: No, Ben, this is how we counter the curse. We get angry at them. We don't put expectations and put hopes of the nation.
BEN WATERWORTH: Great nation of OTP, you're letting us down.
COLIN HILDING: We verbally abuse them on our podcast, and that's how they win.
BEN WATERWORTH: And then suck up to them when they come back on. We love you guys, you're great. It's been a six year drought without a gold medal. We're a nation of OTP. We're struggling, okay? In the speaking of OTP in the biathlon, Scott was 20th in the 12 and a half K pursuit. He was the highest placed Canadian. Jules Benoit was 28th, Adam Ranaus was 30th, Christian Gouw was 35th, and all the Australians, they stayed home. They just didn't want to compete today. They stayed back in 2014 when we last had a biathlete. You had one Canadian female biathlete, Emma Lunder. She was 54th. So good job there for Emma. In the, we went over the bobsled in the cross country in the four by 10 kilometre relay. Canada finished 11th, which was second last. So good for Canada. In the curling, it was a mixed day. The men, the men thrashed the gold medallist from Pyeongchang, 10-5 over the US. So suck on that, Kayleigh Humphreys. That's a real country right there, winning 10-5 in curling. But then you go to the women and 8-5. Is that basically it now for the women? Is that kind of done and dusted now?
COLIN HILDING: Like they still technically have a shot, but I mean, they're going to have to win everything to really make it. This is the surprise. This is kind of the Christine Cynthia surprise here. I think we had hopes for both Jennifer Jones and for Brad Gushu, but I mean, it's been a lot longer since Brad was in the Olympics. And considering Jennifer Jones had the undefeated Olympics, she was considered our sure thing, and it has not gone well at all. And I don't really know the reason why. I mean, the one where they played against Japan, they actually admitted we played really poorly, but they're not necessarily playing poorly. It's just they're getting outplayed, and maybe it's just curling's become a lot more competitive across the world in the last eight years. It's incredibly disappointing, though. But I mean, good job, Brad. I wanted to say, I was compelled to watch a lot of the Canada-US one, because I mean, John Schuster, the Americans, the reigning gold medallists from the last Olympics, they've definitely gone through a makeover. I don't know if you've noticed. Is that what you call it? They're embracing their duck dynasty.
BEN WATERWORTH: I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
COLIN HILDING: They have their mullets and the ponytails coming out the back of the trucker hat. They got the moustaches. I mean, it's like watching Duck Dynasty on ice. This is what we always wanted, Duck Dynasty on ice, didn't we? And they certainly did not look like this in Pyeongchang. So I don't know what, they are embracing their American-ness. I don't know that there's no make America great. I mean, they seem like genuinely nice guys. I'm not knocking them, but like, good for you for making a stamp on the fashion choices.
BEN WATERWORTH: If there was going to be a sport at the Winter Olympics that you think would be Duck Dynasty, I'd probably go for freestyle skiing, not curling. But the thing that I liked, and you won't get this reference, and nobody who doesn't like Formula One won't get this reference, but I think it might be John Schuster. They've done a bit of a doppelganger with a Formula One driver by the name of Valtteri Bottas. And they, I think it was CBC tweeted it out. And then Valtteri Bottas even replied something like, like he was offended by it or something like that. So kind of funny. I'm seeing the standings here in the curling. So Australia, yeah, we've entered. John's joined up with Tarly and Dean and just flown it back out there. Rachel's there. Team mixed out there. And the women's Canada is second last. So, and currently in fourth, Sweden are three and two, Canada one and three. So you're gonna need a few things going your way there. But in the men, the men, you're fourth. So, yeah, you know, still there. Gotta hang out hope for Brad and the gang, right? Sweden leading them in and yeah.
COLIN HILDING: Oh, oh. I was gonna say, by the way, I tuned in to Sweden last night, waiting to see Jamie's reaction.
BEN WATERWORTH: The entire country, did you?
COLIN HILDING: Yes, I did.
BEN WATERWORTH: Good day Stockholm, how you going? This is Colin, can I tune in to you tonight?
COLIN HILDING: We cancelled our cable subscription, subscribe to Swedish Cable.
BEN WATERWORTH: 24-7, welcome.
COLIN HILDING: But yeah, I was waiting to see Jamie's reaction, because she's had a couple of favourites so far, mostly Mr. John Morris in The Curling. I'm like, oh, she's gonna love Oscar. So I tuned in to it, and I don't even say anything. And he comes up to me and goes, this guy looks ridiculously well-groomed, like almost with disdain. She wants a sloppier man than Oscar.
BEN WATERWORTH: What is wrong with Jamie? Married to you too long, she doesn't know what attractiveness is.
COLIN HILDING: Well, then when I told her, I'm like, oh, this Swedish guy, this is the one that all the women are going crazy, all the women and the men are going crazy for. And she's like, what, this guy? She pointed to the blonde guy, the other, I guess, semi-handsome guy in the team. This guy? She preferred the blonde guy to Oscar.
BEN WATERWORTH: I mean, in all fairness, they're Swedish, so every single person's attractive. There's never been an unattractive Swede.
COLIN HILDING: Thank you, I'm Swedish, so thank you.
BEN WATERWORTH: So am I, so we're probably related.
COLIN HILDING: We are the evidence.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, Sweden are winning the men's, and Switzerland are leading the women's. So good for you. You go, Sweden. Keep going out there. Do shit.
COLIN HILDING: You know, I just want to say with the Canadian TV coverage, I said I watched a lot of curling yesterday. I could not sleep last night. I had a terrible night sleeping, which meant I got to watch everything that was covered, which was mostly reruns of the ice dancing and every curling.
BEN WATERWORTH: Did you say Harley Quinn and the Joker?
COLIN HILDING: No, they haven't heard that. I got to go back and watch the full feed to see that because as soon as we got off air, I scanned through my entire recording of it on CBC, just waiting to see it and they didn't show. But Mike Harris definitely had a moment where he's like, wow, we got nothing to cover here on CBC. And he's like, so the only match left is China. So we're going to cover this for the next little bit. Mike was tired and they're like, we got nothing else, Mike. We're not showing the third rerun of Ice Dancing. You're talking China now.
BEN WATERWORTH: And you know, Channel 7 had a struggle night too in the air as it got cancer. Cause they're like, and we're going to go to the biathlon. I absolutely love watching Hamish and Amy going, oh, the biathlon, what an event. Let's go to it now. Everyone's shuffling into Channel 7, what the fuck's biathlon?
COLIN HILDING: They're like, oh, this is an LGBTQ thing?
BEN WATERWORTH: What is this? It's a representation of the Olympics right now. What's the biathlon? Where's that Ben Waterworth research guy? He's got COVID, he knows all about biathlon. Why have they got a gun? Is that one that's been banned in Paris because of animal cruelty? What's going on? In the ice hockey, Canada play, well, the game would have started by now. Are they losing yet? We'll find out against China. Now, breaking news in the ice hockey, Canada are leading two nothing by the way. So there you go. Canada cannot qualify directly now for the quarterfinals based on the results that happened today. So there are three groups, of course, of four. The top team in each goes through, and then the next best place team goes through. Now, Canada could have still been that way if they had belted China, and then hoped the other results went the way. But the big game today, Finland versus Sweden, went overtime. So therefore, both Sweden and Finland will go through based on that. But don't know if you saw this game, Colin, this was epic. Sweden, three nothing up, going into the third. Finland scored three late goals, and then won it in overtime. So in your face, my heritage Sweden, because I don't know why I'm going for Finland, because I love the Finnish ice hockey team. So great result for them. But yeah.
COLIN HILDING: I mean, you have a favourite Finnish player of all time?
BEN WATERWORTH: Timu Solani.
COLIN HILDING: Of course, there you go. That's why we're here for Finland.
BEN WATERWORTH: As a Ducks fan, of course, I'm going to go for Timu. He's a great, great Timu. Why wouldn't you go for him?
COLIN HILDING: I mean, I would have gone Winnipeg Jets, but yes, yes, the Ducks as well.
BEN WATERWORTH: And Kipisoff as well. Got to love, got to love, got to love some goalies. Oh yeah. So a couple of great Finns. I do, I do love the Finns, but. So yeah, basically how that's working in that. So Sweden in group C, Finland go on top, Sweden second. So they'll both go through the quarterfinals. In group A, it will be the US unless Germany beat the US and Canada can pull up a more than an eight goal win over China. And a bit of a bit of a boil over in the in group B, Rock, the favourites actually lost to the Czech Republic in overtime. So, but Rock will still go through based on the superior goal difference. The Czech Republic, so they actually lost to Denmark, but then they go and beat Rock. So try and figure out Czech Republic right now, how they're doing, because that's a bit of a all over the shop job there. And then also beat Switzerland in a shootout. So yeah, Czech Republic, harder to read than a freestyle skiers weather predictions maybe, I don't know. But I mean, every country does get a shot at going into the quarterfinals with the way that the playoffs work. It's a bit odd, the men's ice hockey, but yeah, Canada, of course, we'll see where they fit into that. But of course the women tomorrow, the women, semi-final night, tomorrow night on Valentine's Day. I mean, does Canada even bother showing it? Cause they know that they're going to go through the cold. You're only playing, you know, a team that you beat 12-1 in the semi-finals in Switzerland. So does Canada give a shit right now about that? Or does it bring on the gold medal match?
COLIN HILDING: I mean, we definitely have lost in the semi-finals before in Olympics.
BEN WATERWORTH: No, you haven't, you haven't.
COLIN HILDING: Never, it's never happened, right?
BEN WATERWORTH: Never, America did once. You've never lost in the semi-finals in the Olympics.
COLIN HILDING: But the men's, we're still remembering the last Olympics here.
BEN WATERWORTH: Sexist, who cares about the men and the women can do it?
COLIN HILDING: Those women, those are men. Those are real men, women.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, careful how you say that. I'd probably say, that's a woman. That's a woman.
COLIN HILDING: I was just saying, you just gave me my Valentine's. Happy Valentine's Day, Jamie. Semi-finals.
BEN WATERWORTH: I mean, at least somebody's gonna have a Valentine's Day tomorrow, I'm still in a hotel. So, not that I was getting lucky if I wasn't. Otherwise, I would be Mr. Losario on the streets of Melbourne on Valentine's Day. Look out, women and men.
COLIN HILDING: You're Swedish, of course you would.
BEN WATERWORTH: Dress up as Oscar Ericsson. I walk around the hall. Take my undies. Take my undies and new podcasts from Ben Mortowen. Coming in 2026. We went through the short track before, and the women's 500 metre speed skating is happening. The men's actually the team pursuit quarterfinals. I'm seeing on right now. And I can tell you that Canada are sitting in fifth in the-
COLIN HILDING: What events is this?
BEN WATERWORTH: I coughed one minute. This is the long track speed skating team pursuit. Canada are through, no, they're not through to the semi-finals. So they are through to final C. So they have missed out on the semi-finals. The semi-finals will be between Norway, USA, Rock and the Netherlands. So there you go. What did you watch today? You kind of went over basically a lot of what you watched, Colin, but anything else that we've missed out on there?
COLIN HILDING: I feel like I watched everything because I'm starting to wonder if I fell asleep for more than 20 minutes last night. A lot of curling, the whole thing of the monobob, which Jamie watched with me. That was fun. I always, I always let Jamie know, I'm like, Jamie, you could rudely critique people's appearances, which is basically what she loves to do in the Olympics, is just pick apart everybody's flaws and occasionally pick apart their strengths. But she enjoyed it. So we watched that, lots of curling. And it was, what's the, I don't know what the distance is. The four by 100, or the four by 100 relay. In cross country skiing, it is still going.
BEN WATERWORTH: The four by 10.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, four by 10. Yeah, the four by 10 relay.
BEN WATERWORTH: Kilometres, not metres. That's a very short of eight.
COLIN HILDING: You know, I'm finding myself more interested in cross country than I have been since probably Torino. But it is an odd sport to watch because you're not necessarily like, oh, and here comes the finish line. It's sort of like, oh, and there's the finish line. And let's just wait and see if anybody does better. You know, it's not like a stay on a high. It's kind of, you got to be right in the middle ground of excitement and, oh, that's interesting. And I like to watch the countdown clocks and everything, but it is an odd sport to try to get into.
BEN WATERWORTH: The thing I love about cross country and biathlon about many things is that you want to talk about athletes. These are amazing athletes. Like people often complain about the Winter Olympics. It's like, oh, you know, these multi-medallists, you know, it's not fair because there's only like, what, two or three sports in which you can win multiple medals, not like Summer Olympics. But like, I would almost go out in a limb and say these multi, you know, the Bjorn Jalys and the Ollie, the other guy from Norway in the 90s. One of them was a cross-country skier. One of them was a bi-athlete. Like I'd almost go out in a limb and say they're better athletes than a Michael Phelps. And because you look at what they've got to do, like no disrespect to Michael Phelps, he's an amazing athlete. Of course he is. He's the most decorated Olympian summer winter of all time. Probably something that will never be matched. But like he's swimming 50 metres, 100 metres, you know, like he's swimming a shortage amount of distance. And okay, swimming, skiing, different, but like you look at these like athletes in cross-country biathlon, the minimum, the smallest, the shortest distance they're doing is like 7.5 Ks. You know, that's kilometres. Like I want to see Michael Phelps doing the, you know, the 10 kilometre swim in the butterfly, and then come back to me and see if he's going. But like they're backing this up. So if you're winning five gold medals in cross-country skiing, you've done at least 50, 60 kilometres in a single Olympics, even more so because of course like you got the 50 Ks, like the marathon of this. So it's impressive. I'm so impressed with cross-country skiers and biathletes at the Olympics. And as an Australian, I don't know how much attention it gets in North America. I don't think it would get as much. Obviously it would in like Norway and Finland and all that sort of stuff. But like, I'm sad that we don't get the attention of this sport because they're impressive athletes. They are amazing and I love watching them. I'm so happy whenever I get to see cross-country skiing or biathlon at the Olympics.
COLIN HILDING: You know, I almost, it's the only sport where I really feel pain for the people too. Yeah. And I mean, I run marathons, but that's running. And I can tell you that of all sports I've ever competed in my life, cross-country skiing, we had to do cross-country skiing as part of school. That was part of your winter gym class. And it is the worst thing in the world. Like I hate cross-country skiing. I remember we went to a winter camp and we had to do like a cross-country. It was probably only like one or two kilometres or something like that. But we had to do a cross-country trail or whatever. And literally halfway through, I took my skis off and I walked back. Like I was just done with it. So I feel their pain doing cross-country skiing. But it is just, it's unusual to, I don't even know how to say it. It's just, it's tricky to actually get into it the way you would get into other races. But yet it's fascinating because it is different. You also gave me the visual there of, imagine if we had Michael Phelps swimming a 200 metre butterfly and then he has to climb out of the pool and shoot a gun. Then maybe he would be the best athlete ever, but he doesn't have to shoot a gun.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, he's American. He does that anyway.
COLIN HILDING: He probably does, yeah. That's the practice it is.
BEN WATERWORTH: 8 a.m. gotta go to Walmart. Pop, pop, all right, back in the pool, Michael. Yeah, you're right. The only experience I ever had of remotely seeing anything cross-country skiing is when I went snowshoeing, and that was at the Nordic course. Oh, you're very tough, like incredibly. I'm gonna be an Olympian in snowshoeing. But I saw, that's the only time I've ever seen it in person. And that was literally the skiing that I saw. And I'm like, okay, I wanna do that. So when I did my five minutes on skis and whipped out, well, five minutes, Ben, be generous, 30 seconds on skis and I whipped out, that was our pine. So I'm like, no, this isn't the skiing I wanna do. I wanna do fricking cross-country. That's the one to me that looks easier. But easier is a relative term.
COLIN HILDING: It's definitely not.
BEN WATERWORTH: Considering when you see these people crossing the line vomiting, and this is the thing, you went on the episode the other day with Joe, where we're talking about the excrement that is coming out of these athletes' mouths. Like, with the triathlon we had in Tokyo, like the Norwegian guy, a bit of vom on this thing, fine. These guys are vomiting, and it's freezing coming out of their mouths. And they've got frozen vomit hanging off their beards. There was the rock guy today when he was crossing the line. He literally looked like fricking, what's his face in Cool Runnings when he was stuck in the freezer thing with his dreadlocks breaking off. Like he had a beard where he had like stalactites coming off his beard celebrating with the rock flag. Like get this guy in the fricking oven. He's about to like break. It's like Boris from Goldeneye. I'm invincible, like he's frozen.
COLIN HILDING: That's an athlete, that's a winter athlete.
BEN WATERWORTH: Seriously, just like, just go back and listen to our Casey Wright interview when she sort of talked about just the different levels that they've got to go through. Many reasons I'd love to go to Europe, but I would love to go to Europe and go to like a World Cup cross-country, like be in a place, like go to Norway, go to Russia, go to, you know, France, Sweden, these places where this is their prime time sport. This is what they're watching, you know, and just see it. But yeah, and I should say, of course, Oli Bjørn Djalin was the biathlete from Norway, and Bjørn Dali was the cross-country skier from Norway. But the greatest of all time, of course, is Marit Bjørgen, the female cross-country skier who won 15 medals in total. She's the goat, if we're using that terminology in it. But yeah, I'm calling this now, we've cracked the sliding in Australia, where Kraken, where Seattle, the cross-country slash biathlon by the 2038 Winter Olympics. So we've got 16 years to crack the medal in cross-country slash biathlon for Australia. So where's 2038? Let's say that's going to be in Amity in Kazakhstan, they finally get their Olympics. It's going to happen. That one too.
COLIN HILDING: Amity, Amityville, the Amity horror.
BEN WATERWORTH: The Amityville horror. Sister cities in Kazakhstan, often confused, right near each other. Which, do we talk about the fact that they were going to have ski jumping downtown?
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, that was in one of the interviews.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, like that, like it was, like how awesome would that have been? Like we talk about fricking nuclear reactors in the, you know, the freestyle skiing, like come on.
COLIN HILDING: I mean, if you've watched any World Cup for winter sports, you've seen Al-Mahdi a million times. And I got to say, those are the best facilities that have never been in the Olympics. So let's give Al-Mahdi the Olympics.
BEN WATERWORTH: They are the Istanbul of the Winter Olympics. They beat every single year, it is never get, eventually they're going to get there. They're going to bravery it through, essentially. But, do you know, the Bird's Nest actually had a World Cup aerial skiing event one time. So, I never saw it, but I read it in Dave Morris' book, which, and he officially is a coach for Australia, by the way, he was being interviewed on TV tonight, saying that he is a coach of Australia. Good on you, Dave.
COLIN HILDING: In aerials, right? We're not going to see him pop up in monobob.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, he didn't coach Dean and Tali. He was coaching.
COLIN HILDING: I still want to see him just pop up in random sports.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, watch him, like tomorrow. Well, he's actually in the ice hockey. He was coaching the Chinese women's team. Didn't go out too well for him. I watched the monobob, of course. I'm watching the monobob right now. It's on TV. Cross-country, biathlon, bit of ice hockey, speed skating. Yeah, kind of covered all the bases today, really, with that. Fails, anything from CBC today that whet your appetite?
COLIN HILDING: You know, I didn't watch a lot of the CBC coverage, and what I did watch was, you know, curling where they're not the most talkative, which is kind of the point of curling, other than Mike Harris is like, all right, and the only thing left is the Chinese match here. But I did catch, because it was on replays multiple times today, the ice dancing, and kind of a funny moment. First of all, I just want to say, Tessa and Scott, I thought, especially after interviewing Tessa Virtue and really seeing that she's not very involved in the sport or anything, that I thought, okay, well, this is just, this is obviously a ratings grab, you know, there's no other reason you would need Tessa and Scott are not going to be commentators for life. They are so good on commentary, like legitimately some of the best commentators and for the first time they've ever done it, I mean, even better. And I think part of it is just being able to hear them play off of each other, because typically you'll have one expert on a commentary panel, but now you have two where they can be like, oh yeah, you're right about that. And then how about this? It's like listening to a conversation was fantastic, but they were just doing, it was one of the Canadian pairs that they were critiquing. And I also liked that they're very politely, very Canadian, harsh. They're definitely not sugarcoating things, it's not all of them. And that was incredible. And I think if you were to ask them honestly, they would say they were disappointed in that. So I love the way they did it. But they had where they were critiquing one of the Canadian pairs, and it was going on and on and on for probably the hour and a half that it took for the scores to be revealed. And it was just a lot of, yeah, and you know that this twirl here, that wasn't up to par. And then the main commentator, Brenda Irving, who's been commentating Figure Skating Forever, she goes, and this is why we have you guys on here, because I was just going to say it was fabulous. That was it. After about 10 minutes of testing, Scott Banter.
BEN WATERWORTH: I kind of want to see this. Do you still can also get the NBC coverage, right? You've got that unique thing where you can kind of watch both. So do you ever watch the NBC coverage or not really?
COLIN HILDING: Or it depends. Like sometimes if I'm just seeing something that, okay, I've seen this a million times, I'll switch. I was watching the giant slalom, sorry, last night on the NBC coverage because they weren't showing it on CBC for some reason. So yeah, it's fun. You have to pick your sports because if you know who their expert is going to be, then it could be a little bit tough. I mean, I would often listen to the moguls, the NBC coverage just because I hated Johnny Mosley, who is a gold medallist, so much. But the NBC coverage has actually been fairly fair, I guess, not slanted in comparison to the past years I've seen. I don't know who they have for the figure skating, though, because of course, they have Brian Boitano, don't they?
BEN WATERWORTH: I think because I've seen Brian Boitano on his Twitter feed saying that.
COLIN HILDING: Oh, what would Brian Boitano do? That's the question.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which kind of say the greatest thing that he has on his Twitter page is the fact that his profile picture is a picture of him from South Park. So that makes me happy.
COLIN HILDING: I also want to say with Tessa and Scott, one more thing. You know, you have Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue when, instead of just letting them commentate, you make sure that their picture is in the bottom corner of the screen as they commentate, which they don't do for anybody else. But if you look like Tessa and Scott, you got to have their picture on camera.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which, let's be honest with all of Australia's experts. Again, nobody in Australia really knows who they are anyway, except for Bradbury. So it's kind of, and no disrespect to our great expert commentators that they've got on Channel 7, but literally...
COLIN HILDING: Lydia?
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, Lydia is not... She's in Beijing kind of as a... Like she's actually hosting. So her, Mel and Richo are kind of the three people who are sort of hosting from Beijing. And Lydia has been like, seriously, nobody can stop talking about how... Lydia should get her own TV show after this. She's hilarious. Like literally was it last night, her and Richo are talking, going to the speed, the ski jumping. So literally they get there and Lydia's like, okay, Richo, I'm going to explain to you how ski jumping works. I've seen them in the gym. So you see them working out and the coach sits here and goes... And she like kind of gets down on her knees and then she goes, and they lift her up and they go, whoosh! And then back on their feet again, whoosh! And she's like, it's that simple. She just goes out of her way to explain it in such a way where you're like, that made no sense, but I completely get ski jumping right now.
COLIN HILDING: I really want to see your TV coverage.
BEN WATERWORTH: Lydia has been a revelation. She is absolutely amazing. And can I just spoil this right now? Because we're going to get to our day of celebrations in a moment. Tomorrow is going to be a good day if you're a Lydia Lassler fan. So she is just absolutely amazing. She just seems like genuinely the nicest person. And there was one of the rehearsal days when I was in studio and they were kind of doing practice cuts between them and just watching them off air is even a thousand times better than watching them on air. So like you told us the story. Yeah, Lydia is just just such an incredible person. We've obviously had her on the show and yeah, just. And she has not aged a day. She looks absolutely incredible. So there's a woman that that's a woman right there. Yeah, I obviously Channel 7 were just outstanding today. Absolutely. So amazing. Just could not get over how perfectly brilliant they were. But I actually have so fuck news.com today. You said last night now chat. So after Jackie had won the medal, I'm like, OK, what's news.com today? You got to be having for this. Their headline was hurtling to history, record breaking Ozzy, a red hot metal chance. So couldn't even spell check their headline. Eventually disappeared there. But I mean, look, I just want to go over again, some great news.com.au things because again, Olympics going on today, but some of their headlines today were about Courtney loves daughter and Tony Hawk's son dating. Congratulations to them. Good for them. Also the fact that there's a bit of a trend going on in Hollywood right now, Colin, the onscreen peon, all the penises have been shown in all the movies right now. So this was a headline, like the trend taking Hollywood there. And literally they use the words on screen peon. Ladies journalism in Australia.
COLIN HILDING: Jamie, Jamie just tuned into the show for the first time ever. He said, what?
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, that, that, that movie that Benedict Cumberbatch is like apparently get to see his doodle in his new movie. We got an Oscar in. Colin's on board.
COLIN HILDING: That's a man. Jesse Clemens didn't show it though.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, he doesn't need to. He's already a man. But I guess I got to like two weird things, which they're not really fails as such, but two things I want to just comment on. Why are we so openly going on about male athletes at the Winter Olympics being old? Like literally when I think I was watching the cross country, well, there was a cross country of the biathlon. They're literally going on, he's 36 and he's an old man. Like it just seems to be the thing where you can openly talk about a male athlete of a certain age and call them old. But you never say that about a female athlete. So I don't know why is there a line there? I don't know if I've ever heard them saying, oh, she's like, they may say she's a veteran, but they're never going to turn around and go, oh, Jesus Christ. And Jack of Bellas, well, she's an old woman, isn't she? Like they never say that, but Baumgartner, now he's fucking ancient, put him in a nursing home. Like, I mean, where's the line there?
COLIN HILDING: It is kind of weird. Like, I definitely don't hear they're old here. You'll get like, oh, they have been in this many Olympics. But it is funny you mentioned that because I never heard anyone talking about Irene. What is Irene? Irene Wust. What's her name? Yeah, Wust. Yeah, with her, it was, you know, oh, she's competed in this many Olympics. And you forget how young she is. Meanwhile, she's like 35, 36, you know? So, yeah, I can at least see that, that they're not, and it's the same thing with Kayleigh Humphreys. I mean, Kayleigh Humphreys is what, like 35, 36 years old now. And there's been no mention of her age, but yet I can't, I don't think anybody's calling male athletes old, but they do mention, it's like, oh, and they are 41 years of age, or 39 years of age.
BEN WATERWORTH: They definitely use the word, oh, I've heard the word old used plenty of times in our cover. That's not even the Channel 7. This is a lot of the OBS stuff. But, and the other thing too, which I think is like, bit weird, again, put on the other shoe, doesn't play the same way. Speaking of Richo, Jason Richardson, one of our, you know, on the ground reporters, hilarious guy, absolutely brilliant. Cause he's been wearing so many layers, people have been commenting that he looks a bit pudgy, a bit fat. So a lot of people are like fat shaming Richo, and they keep coming on air, and Lydia's saying like, oh, you're looking a bit off there, you know. Like, oh, stop fat shaming me, Lydia. Like, it's just, ah! Now, okay, it's hilarious. It's funny, I like it. Richo's playing up to the joke, but put this on the other shoe. All of a sudden, we're coming on, go, Lydia, you're looking a bit fat there. Mel McLaughlin, oh, you're a bit chubby. Like, I mean, no one's gonna buy that. That's gonna be front page of news.com.au with their metal chances. So, just saying.
COLIN HILDING: You know, when you go back to work next week, and you just fit in a day where you put in the research there that one of the female athletes is fat or old. And she's very old and fat compared to how she was in POJ.
BEN WATERWORTH: Probably a freestyle skier, let's be honest.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, of course. Pick up your game freestyle skier.
BEN WATERWORTH: The other thing too, this isn't a new thing. This has been around for years. Why do we refer to the Winter Olympics as the Olympic Winter Games? Why are they just not referred to as the Winter? We don't call them the Olympic Summer Games. So like, it's always been weird to me that people refer to them as the Olympic Winter Games. They're not just the Winter Olympics. They're the Winter Olympics, because you still every now and then hear them called the Summer Olympics, or generally the Olympics. But I don't know, it's something that these Olympics have really started to stand out to me and been bothering me. The Olympic Winter Games, okay?
COLIN HILDING: I never noticed that until you said it, but then I picture in my head hearing that, and it is, you never hear it for the summer. But it also would sound weird for the summer. I wonder though if it would sound weird for the summer because I've never heard it, or because it's just, it's not a string of words that fits together that way.
BEN WATERWORTH: But it's just like, does it make it sound more magical, more majestic, or the Olympic Winter Games? Like, I mean, Winter Olympics sounds fine to me. I mean, they are the Winter Olympics, and they are the Summer Olympics. So, yeah, just random little thing that I wanted to point out. One thing also that I've said I've been watching a lot, Bing Duan Duan, come on. Like, we haven't had a Bing Duan Duan update. Like, we really should be talking more about being, selling out, left, right and centre. You cannot buy a Bing Duan Duan if you went anywhere on planet Earth right now. But like, every single time they're sharing a video of the Bing Duan Duan, like, I don't remember what event it was the other day, but the crowd was going off. You got a little chubby, fat Bing Duan Duan. Here I am, fat, shabby Bing Duan Duan. Old, too.
COLIN HILDING: And he's old.
BEN WATERWORTH: Hypocrite Ben, here it goes again. Jumping up and down, little Bing Duan Duan. There was the one the other day of him doing like a dance off with one of the volunteers, and I think like the snowboarding. But the one today at the figure skating, which I shared, and like, I'm not laughing. Little Bing Duan Duan doing his little like, yeah, dude, dude, dude, dude, I'm Bing Duan Duan, just a little dance, trying to do a little figure skating routine and faceplant into the wall. And then you've got like 10 volunteers, like, oh my God, Bing Duan Duan's down. Like, okay, I love Shuey Ron Ron, but I haven't seen Shuey Ron Ron in action. Bing Duan Duan might be my favourite mascot ever. I fucking love Bing Duan Duan.
COLIN HILDING: This is a turnaround.
BEN WATERWORTH: Come on.
COLIN HILDING: We were not high on Bing Duan Duan when we did our reaction a couple of months ago.
BEN WATERWORTH: Are you on board with the Bing Duan Duan love? Like, it's hilarious watching just the things this mascot gets up to.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, it's giving it a bit of personality. And I think we've kind of missed this in the other Olympics. The mascots haven't been as much of a thing as they've just been logos and plush figures, you know? This is kind of like the Canada Games one that when you looked at the drawing, you're like, wow, that is just some weird creature. And then you saw the mascot, which was all over the place here in the Canada Games. We're like, wow, that is so creepy and so wonderful. At the same time, I love it. I think we need more of the mascots. Like, let's start seeing the Olympic mascots be mascots again and not just be drawings on a logo.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's like during the Commonwealth Games with Borobi, of course, you know, it's sort of like Borobi took on its own personality. And every time I showed up to work and fucking Borobi, I was like, Borobi's here! And like, you know, like, you got like, sturdy photos of Borobi, but you didn't care. You're like, fuck Borobi! And it didn't help one of my bosses. I was absolutely obsessed with Borobi, of course. But yeah, no, more Bing Duen Duens, all right? This is brilliant. I just come on Brisbane 2032.
COLIN HILDING: If we run out of ideas, can we give the Daily Dale the Bing Duen Duen?
BEN WATERWORTH: Can we give the Athlete of the Games the Bing Duen Duen? This might be the star of the Olympics to me. I absolutely love this panda. I really do. I want like, if you ever want to get me a present for editing in life, I want a Bing Duen Duen. That's it. All I want right now is when they're on sale, by the time like 2047 comes around, and you can finally get your 25th anniversary Bing Duen Duen. So the celebration, Day of Celebration. Colin, we haven't shared one on online yet today. So who is Canada's Day of Celebration today?
COLIN HILDING: Well, let's give everybody a little bit of Ariel's action since Ariel's is cancelled. It's Philippe Laroche, a very French name from a very French Canadian. So history for Canada, we actually at one point were decent in Ariel's. So decent that the... I know the team event now, but individual medals counts.
BEN WATERWORTH: Silver and bronze. We had Deidre Dionne on the show, of course. That was 20 years ago.
COLIN HILDING: Still? My point is, it's been a while. Although I was going to mention in this, our last medallist, Deidre Dionne, I haven't even got a chance to tell you. That was a pretty good interview and a good land that you got her on the show. So decent interview. So good job, Ben.
BEN WATERWORTH: We did very well on Off The Podium by getting medallists behind our gold medallists in Salt Lake with Apollo Ono and our Deidre Dionne behind Alyssa and Steven. So hopefully we get Alyssa and Steven on Monday soon.
COLIN HILDING: But Philippe Laroche was the original winner when it was not a proper medal contest because he won gold or first place, whatever you want to call it, in the demonstration sport in Albertville and then followed it up with the silver medal in Lillehammer two years later and retired from the sport not long afterwards. But a bit of history from Canada in a sport that we've had a smattering of success in.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's interesting you say about that, because I remember growing up when aerials was obviously, it's always been a big sport in Australia, our main winter sport, but Canada was always that country that used to talk up back in the day as the ones to look out for. It was always like, oh, behind Australia, Canada are the ones that you should always, yeah, they're our biggest rivals, them and Belarus basically.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah, I mean, we would win multiple aerial medals at games. Like you mentioned, even in Lillehammer, behind Philippe, there was another bronze medal. And of course, the year the Deidre won wasn't even our only medal. But I swear, I just took a glimpse at the Monobob replay and I thought I saw the German going down backwards, but I'm wrong. I really caught me off guard for a second. But it's one of these things where-
BEN WATERWORTH: The IHRSEG have said to Germany, stop winning the sliding medals. You have gone down backwards for now.
COLIN HILDING: This is your penalty. And still they win. But this is a sport I want to see come back in Canada. And we're seeing in these games kind of a resurgence of a lot of sports we've not had a lot of success in before. So maybe it's time for aerials. We'll know if they ever have the guts to go out there in the snow.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, yeah, bloody wimps. I will say, as I said, tomorrow might be a good day for one of our- We'll have two Aerial Day celebrations this week, having that we're trying to do all of our Olympic gold medals from Australia. There's not many. So we will be covering at least two more. Our day, our celebratory day for Australia, Steven Lee, now three-time Olympian in alpine skiing, competed in 84, 88, 92. Had our best ever results in several of alpine events, including a 19th in downhill in 1984, and a 19th in the combined in 1992. And I think a lot of people grew up, I know I grew up more so on Steven Lee as a commentator. He was always the expert commentator on Channel 7 for the alpine skiing. I remember he, if you listen at our very beginning of this episode and you hear the Zali Stegel call, he's the one shouting at he, she's done it, she's done it. Like that's him and always was the face of that. Also, I will say, worked as a stunt double in several movies, has been a stunt double for both Roger Moore and Jackie Chan in some movies.
COLIN HILDING: Two men who look very similar.
BEN WATERWORTH: I know, right? So there you go. And I've always been a bit of a face of the media here, but sadly for Stephen, had a stroke a couple of years ago now, and it's going through a bit of a battle. So there's actually a big campaign to help raise money for him to sort of live, he's sort of gonna be living with some disabilities now for the rest of his life. But they've had some pretty big names get behind sort of supporting this. I know, living in John, for example, Lindsey Vonn, they've sent out video messages of support for Stephen Lee.
COLIN HILDING: Probably Scotty James as well. Probably, yes.
BEN WATERWORTH: I believe he's coming through now, supporting it. But a legend of winter sport in Australia. And obviously, we hope that Stephen is doing okay right now with the challenges that he's going through. Breaking news in the ice hockey. We should really give an update on this. Canada, three, China, nothing. USA, one, Germany, one. Germany can do it. Drama, come on, Germany. The Germans are coming. When I turn around and say that Canada can't directly make the quarterfinals, well, that's obviously, again, not being disrespectful to our German ice hockey players who could upset the Americans and help the Canadians out here. So, there is definitely that. So, excuse me, that should have edited that out, but I'm a freestyle skier, I'm lazy. Tomorrow, we... Hello to all our freestyle skiers listening. I really do appreciate all of you who have appeared on the show, and will in the future. It's a busy day tomorrow now that a lot of events have obviously been postponed and are sort of a re-happening tomorrow. So, we've got a bunch of extra snowboard and freestyle skiing things happening tomorrow. But in terms of the actual medals, I still think only four are being decided tomorrow. So, the women's mono bob, the ice dance. God, I'm dying all of a sudden. I don't know what's happening. The COVID's coming back, Colin. Excuse me. The women's aerials and the men's large hill in the team.
COLIN HILDING: Let's be honest, there's gonna be three handed out tomorrow. Aerials will not happen.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, and the ski jumpers can still jump in the snow. Why can't the aerials? But yeah, what are we looking forward to tomorrow? I mean, it's Valentine's Day. It's a big day. Obviously, we've pencilled this in as a big day for Monte Bob and aerials, but it's all about the aerials from an Australian perspective, where this is legitimately, I predicted a goal was coming from this with Laura, our flag bearer off the podium. This could be off the podium today tomorrow. We could be on air when this is happening tomorrow, because we've got two, because Danny, he's in a really good shot as well. But how are you feeling tomorrow about what else is happening with everything?
COLIN HILDING: I mean, there's no invested interest in aerials for Canada. Although I will say it's a sport I always love watching because it's great to watch. But outside of the hockey that we already mentioned, I mean, I'm all on board for Monte Bob. I think there's something about having less athletes in certain sports that somehow makes it more exciting because I'm much higher on mixed doubles curling than I am now on the team curling. And I think part of it is that you get to know the personalities of the athletes. In Monte Bob, we only got one athlete. I mean, it's just a lot easier to follow the athletes and get to know them. Plus, it's been fun to watch the mistakes because this is a new sport. And they were even saying in the commentary, I mean, it's probably going to be another one or two Olympics before you really even see people get to be pros in Monte Bob because it's new and everybody's still trying to figure out how to make it work. And that sort of made it a little bit more exciting. So I'm really looking forward to finishing up the Monte Bob now.
BEN WATERWORTH: I agree. Although you've got traders in it as well.
COLIN HILDING: But as I said, I still support Kayleigh, and she's going to win. And now by me saying that, she's not going to win, and that means Canada is going to win. So I'm okay either way.
BEN WATERWORTH: Excuse me while I die a little bit more. It's great when it just wants to make an appearance when you don't want it to. I was like, COVID's great. Couldn't recommend it more. Five stars.
COLIN HILDING: Let's give it our disease of the day.
BEN WATERWORTH: Let's say we haven't heard Daily Dale yet. COVID-19, thoroughly deserves. It's, yeah, look, I am hopeful that Brie can sneak in a sneaky medal. A top five, I think, would be fantastic though for Brie still. She's obviously top seven right now. So go in there, but like, yeah, just, I tell you what, I'm feeling confident about the aerials. I am. And I think like, it's just like Laura, she's just, she's an interesting person, Laura Peele, because like she's so good at what she does. And, you know, she's not gonna stand out when it comes to say like, you know, you look at Alyssa Camp, and you look at Lydia Lassler, they're a bit of a, you know, outgoing personalities. You know, they're very open in the media, very, you know, bright, everything. So I'm not saying Laura Peele's not bright. I'm just saying that Laura's a lot more calm.
COLIN HILDING: She's just old and fat.
BEN WATERWORTH: She's a freestyle skater. She's lazy. She's just, she's a lot more, I guess, just casual and calm. She's very laid back. She's very, she's almost like a Jackie Naricott. Like she's just kind of, I loved the interview that I did with Laura. I thought she gave some great responses. But again, she's obviously just like somebody who's just, she just goes about a business and doesn't really care too much about the interviews and the fame and kind of the extra stuff that comes with it. So, and I really appreciate that about her. And I think it's great. So I think it's going to be fantastic to see her go out there tomorrow night to obviously a third Olympics. I do believe if she wins gold, she would be Canberra's first ever Winter Olympic gold medallist, which is a pretty big deal for them. So good, less of a population than Hobart. So we'll see how that plays out. Our nation's capital. But also all the best of luck to Danielle as well, because it's also her third Olympics. And people obviously sort of overlook her because Laura Pills is the world champion. But Danielle's been on plenty of podiums in the last World Cup cycle, even one one from memory. And there's every chance we could double podium tomorrow, which obviously we've never done in a Winter Olympics is double podium in an event. So I'm choking up over the prospect of double there. And obviously Gabby Ash in the third spot there. I'm really just dying here apparently with it. So very much looking forward to that. But also tomorrow, the Slope style, those lazy Slope style freestyle skiers will be out there on the course tomorrow as well for the women and in the snowboard as well. It's all happening around about the same time. We've got the big air for the men and the women. So Tess Cody, actually, our bronze medallist. I thought she'd gone home, but no, she's back. She's in the big air. She's tripping. She's, whoo, come on, Tess, you. She's going out there, guns blazing, going for the chocky medal, all that kind of fun stuff. And the men's big air, which is a big one for Canada, isn't it? So you guys are looking forward to that one.
COLIN HILDING: Are we? I don't know anything about it.
BEN WATERWORTH: See, my research is actually paying off for once. I think.
COLIN HILDING: Well, we haven't even talked about the controversy yet with them.
BEN WATERWORTH: All of them, of course, think he should have won. Yeah, I saw that.
COLIN HILDING: Yeah. Mark McMorris comes out and says, you know, there's something wrong. I had the best run of the day and the scores were my favour. And basically saying he should have won. And then a lot of people got upset by a saying, OK, well, that's you're kind of a poor sport. You're a three time bronze medallist. Don't take it personally. And also, hey, you lost to another Canadian. Apparently, not only has he come out and actually issued an apology, which it's pretty rare that a Canadian says something where they have to issue an apology.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, they can just apologise anyway. They don't have to issue an apology. It's just Canadian.
COLIN HILDING: That's why it's not a big deal, because Mark's used to apologising when he doesn't have to. But he not only issued an apology publicly, but apparently Max Burrow even said that Mark actually came and knocked on his door and issued the apology in person to him first before he said anything in the media. So you gotta love these Canadians. I mean, they're polite even when they're rude.
BEN WATERWORTH: Except when they defect. But we should also mention in the women's that Zoe is back tomorrow. So get on board the Zoe train. That's the event she actually won a bronze in Pyeongchang. So see how that goes with that one. So Daily Dale, how are we? Have we forgotten this? My goodness me. This is going great for me. Internet's dying, choking everything. Brilliant. This is why we're nominated for sports podcast towards people. I've got three potential. Me too, actually. But both come to come from one sport to come from another sport. So I'll give me your takes first.
COLIN HILDING: I mean, really, this is the day where we have this should be our famous double R7 episode. There's literally nothing to talk about. And I think we're going to set a record for longest episode here. But we're going to struggle with the Daily Dale because not a lot happened. The ones I have, I'm going to admit, are kind of silly. First up, I want to give a shout out in the monobob to Giada and Drudi. As they get ready to go, they always have the name come up there, and then they have the you look like you just farted or something. I saw the hips shift a little bit there. But Giada and Drudi, she was the only one who did not have a picture come up. And Jamie and I were really curious after the first run. How ugly was she? Well, Jamie was wondering, is she ashamed of how she looks or something? But you know how, and I think this is weird how in the heats they make them stand there. You would usually have that for the leaderboard at the end, right? Okay, you're currently in the gold position. They're making them stand there after the first heat. So she was in lead for quite a while after the second heat. I mean, there's a woman right there. Let's be superficial as we are with Oscar in the curling. This woman is the Oscar of Monobob. And yet the only one who doesn't have a picture. So I just want to name again, Giada and Judy.
BEN WATERWORTH: So where is she from? Cote d'Ivoire?
COLIN HILDING: Italy, Italy or Italia. However you want to say it.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yes.
COLIN HILDING: So I mean, we can be superficial. We can be superficial about Oscar. I think we should be superficial about her. And let's get that face out there because Monobob apparently didn't want to show her picture for some reason. They didn't want to make everybody else look bad, I guess. My other superficial one is John Schuster and his team. For having the best fashion sense in this tree of curling. You got to love the guts to pull off that look. And my final silly one, I said the guts to pull off that look. What does that have to do with being fat? Guts is fat?
BEN WATERWORTH: That joke would have gotten a 2 from Jarrod. That's why Jarrod's not here tonight.
COLIN HILDING: It would have gotten a 0, which is why Jarrod's not here. You told him your jokes in advance. But my other one will be, again, pure silliness, the bronze medallists in the 3000-metre women's relay for speed skating. Well, actually, China, because my whole reasoning being that apparently there's some countries out there, Australia, who refuse to give credit to China for a big win as the bronze medallist in that event. So Canada or China, however you want to say, the bronze medallist, whichever one it was that won.
BEN WATERWORTH: Okay, often confused, really. I really need to pay more attention to Italian monobobbers now. I gotta say, back to my point when I said, why is it okay to call men fat and old, but we can't call that to women? Why is it okay that we can perv on men, but we still can't perv on women? So screw it, here on the podium. Yeah, she's hot, right? She's Oscar hot. So whatever, I just actually want to point out-
COLIN HILDING: Oh man, who are in Oscar having children would be great.
BEN WATERWORTH: Oh God, I'd watch their only fans. The- Oh God, Jesus Christ. We're getting cancelled after this one. The Slovakian sled, did you see? I'm all for cool sled designs, and most of the sled designs are kind of boring. Even Ben, looking all right in the green with the Aussie, you know, I could make- I look better than that sled, let's be honest. But the Slovakian one, that was a cool-looking sled. And then they were focusing on her boots. I love that camera angle where they showed the boots of the monobobbers. And she had like a reindeer, I think, on her-
COLIN HILDING: The reindeer socks, yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: So like, you know, props to Slovakia there. That was my favourite sled. I see your short trackers, your curlers, and your sexy Italian monobobber, and I raise you either two biathletes or two ice hockey players. So in the biathlon, I'm putting up either the silver or the gold medallist. So Tai-Tai Jiabao, one of the Bao brothers, with his silver medal, he completed the set. He's now got a gold, silver, and a bronze in Beijing. So congratulations to them. Of course, he's- He's the first time there's ever two brothers on the podium of biathlon yesterday, when he was on the brother- on the brother with his podium yesterday. Does that make sense? And Quentin Fillon-Mallet of France, his fourth medal of these Olympics. He's now gotten two gold and two silver. Now, given that back in Pyeongchang, the highest place he finished was 29th. He got 29th, 44th, and 48th. And now he's gone gold, gold, silver, silver. So a bit of improvement there from Quentin in the last four years. And he was pumped up. He's happy to be French. If anybody knows how to, like, ski in an opposite direction with a gun, it's the French. And that's why he's doing very well. So their potentials. But the ones that I'm really putting up, as I said, in the ice hockey, in the Finland match, an epic match, the fact that Finland were 3-0 down, and then they ended up winning that one 4-3 in OT. And in the last period alone, apologies in advance to all our Finnish listeners, because you know I'm not going to get anywhere remotely close to saying these correctly. But Iro Parkanen got two late goals to send it into OT. So he's my big nominee, and then our little nominee, big and little nominee, Harry Pessonen got the OT winner for Finland. But my props are going there to Iro Parkanen for putting them up there and getting them in there. And we haven't had an ice hockey player. My Chinese guy got shot down yesterday, so yeah, I don't know.
COLIN HILDING: I think your ice hockey player is going to get shot down again, because I kind of like your gold, gold, silver, silver French Frenchman.
BEN WATERWORTH: The Frenchy French? Mr. Frenchy French?
COLIN HILDING: Frenchy Frenchman.
BEN WATERWORTH: Malay, Quentin Fillon Malay. We haven't had a biathlete up yet, so all right. Done, Mr. France. There we go.
COLIN HILDING: An honorable mention to Giada.
BEN WATERWORTH: Giada, exactly. Can we honorably mention her?
COLIN HILDING: Can we just create like a king and queen? You know how they have a prom king and a prom queen? Can we just create a Beijing king and queen, and we just put up Oscar and Giada?
BEN WATERWORTH: Absolutely. Italy and Sweden, the prom king and queen of the Olympics. Absolutely. Followed by Ben, the bobsled. Doing well. Now, before we go, Colin, just quickly, one more thing I'll get for you. Who's you pick in the Super Bowl? Cincinnati or Los Angeles?
COLIN HILDING: I just love the fact that Cincinnati is competing for the biggest sporting crown in the United States. Cincinnati. And they're Bengals. I mean, who doesn't love a Bengal tiger?
BEN WATERWORTH: I've been to Cincinnati. It's a nice city. Yeah, look, I don't really give two shits because neither are my team. And usually I would go for the, you know, I like this whole record of a host city had never won in their own city until last year when Tampa Bay won. Obviously Los Angeles can do it back to back. I've got a friend who's a big Rams fan, but kind of want Cincinnati. That's kind of the fairytale story, right? Like, you know, and let's be honest, if Buffalo hadn't have choked against Kansas, we probably could have been there. So go the Bengals.
COLIN HILDING: But let's be honest, we're both going to be skipping the Super Bowl to watch Kaylee Humphreys win a gold medal.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I think I can watch, when I say watch the first hour of the Super Bowl before it starts, we can watch like the first two plays before they go to commercials. And who's your pick for the half time? Do you think who will be causing the controversy? It will be Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, or Dr. Dre, who will be the talking point after tomorrow's half time show. I'm going with Mary J. Blige.
COLIN HILDING: I'm going to say it will be Snoop Dogg, but somehow Janet Jackson will still get the blame.
BEN WATERWORTH: I think bring back Janet. That should be the big return tomorrow. Can you imagine? Was it a left boob they got to show last time? Just as for a right boob. Just as a good looking boob is the other way around, whichever it is. Just as for Janet's nipple, you know? That's all I can say. It's weird. I always thought the Super Bowl was held like the week before. It's very weird that it's on the same time as the Olympics are on. I always thought they kind of did it in a way that it was never clashing. But what do the Americans care? What's one big event bigger than the Olympics? The Super Bowl. We'll just put it on anyway.
COLIN HILDING: In the Oscars, they're afraid of the Olympics, but the Super Bowl ain't afraid.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, the Super Bowl shouldn't be afraid. You know, Orlando Jones doesn't care about that sort of stuff. The first time was a food. Bring on the aerials. We'll probably try and record tomorrow night so you can hear joys of Off The Podium breaking our drought or cries of the curse continue. This could be it. The last night we go to sleep with the curse in the purse. This could be it. We're not talking this up enough. Come on, daddy. Come on, Laura.
COLIN HILDING: At this point, this is Ben's created curse because I stand by the fact that the curse ended when Kylie won a silver, but Ben just adds new things on there so he can be the hero. It's all about Ben.
BEN WATERWORTH: We've broken the curse for the medals. We just haven't won the gold.
COLIN HILDING: You're just going to come up with something else to be the new curse. You're a masochist when it comes to podcasting.
BEN WATERWORTH: I do too many of them. I've got no life. I've got to try and create some drama in it. Yes, you're right, but again, I'm calling it the curse for the gold. The gold curse.
COLIN HILDING: Let's just say this curse only exists for Ben. You're not just going to gold either? Well, no, I'm talking about you creating this gold curse because the curse, oh, no athlete has ever won from Off The Podium except Charles Hamlin technically won a medal in Pyeongchang when we started this whole curse thing. Nobody ever won an individual medal was the thing. Well, then Kylie Mass won, but Ben wasn't on those interviews. So Ben has to create a curse until he becomes the hero. I'm not going to let it happen, Ben. You're not the hero.
BEN WATERWORTH: Doesn't bother me. You create your own rules, buddy. I'll create mine. Also, Australia has never won a medal from an athlete that's been on this show. Colin, thank you for your time. As always, pleasure. We'll be back tomorrow for day 10. Valentine's Day, Super Sunday, Monday, Monday, Super Bowl, whatever you want to call it. Who cares? Golden Day Frustrated. Tomorrow I'm calling it. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, do all that. Vote for a sports podcast awards.com. We're still on top. The curse is in the purse for that, maybe. I don't know. Possibly. Stay tuned and we'll be back tomorrow. Special shout out to Jason Momoa as always, and until we next week again, remember, go left.
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