VWO: Canadian Gold in Ice Hockey Men's final

Ah, I am spent. Exhausted! That was a great final. Congrats to the Canadian Men's Ice Hockey Team, who won in extra time 3-2 against old foe USA.

When a US hockey player levelled up the match with 24 seconds to go, there was a sense of inevitability. You Just Knew. I tweeted as much and watched the similar gasps of OMG and WOW roll on.

I'd like to pretend I know the names of the players, but alas, I don't. I'm here not as a Ice Hockey fiend, but as a lover of a good ruck. USA vs CAN is the definition of a good ruck!

Neither team disappointed, and I have to say, both goalies impressed.

Great way to end the Winter Olympics. I only hope England and Londoners can get as involved in London 2012 as Canadians and other crazy attendees have for Vancouver.

To Go, But Where to Go? That is the question...

When I first started blogging, the intention was 'Just write what you feel like. You're in between jobs, may as well amuse yourself somehow' which was quite true. I have a lot to say, and a lot I'm curious about, hence material is never short in supply! But after some difficult personal times, and a period in the job seeking wilderness, lifestyle blogs have given me genuine food for thought about the potential for where I can go next. 

Initially, I worked in film, tenaciously embroiling myself in London's independent  film scene as a short films producer. It was fun and interesting to network: some people are gems and pretty inspirational in terms of goals and what they had achieved; others were glory seeking tools who I would loathe running into at some ICA, Southbank or BFI event. It's hard work, and harder still to pursue full-time. I think I realised this come the end of 2008 when- honestly- I had enough. Enough of inputting my energies and seeing little progress, enough of being close but not close enough, enough of tactless directors, enough of not being happy. 

When something isn't working, you change it. 

In my heart of hearts, I knew the change needed wasn't just job industries. It was, and is, my life. I'm tired of London- how many people really say that? Wonderful though it is, this is my home and one thing I know from living outside the city and the country years ago, is London means more to me than being here does. If you're a Londoner, you take that with you like an ingrained thread running right through. 

The change was also the need to be challenged, to feel I am growing personally. In the past year or so, things have stagnated: dating, my writing, my health kick, even my friendships. My best friend lives in Leeds, my other amigos are a disparate collection scattered mostly in London, a few around Europe and Middle East. My family I'll always be tight with, no matter where we are. So what was keeping me here? 

Simple: it's me. Although I'm set on pursuing roles within Sports, currently targeting Communication roles, I also know I seriously want the adventures which come with being a foreigner abroad. I don't think you can truly know yourself until you're put to the test- one such test is the travails of living and working in another country. It's what my parents, uncle and cousins have done and countless friends and people I know relocating from here to there for work and opportunity. 

My initial go-to country was Spain, but actually, it could be anywhere. There's a lot to think about and choices to narrow down based on my motivations. The Winter Olympics has brought Canada to my attention- maybe Vancouver or Toronto? All of these snow sports and snow nations are also now making me think of the Nordic countries. Expensive as they are, quality of life is high and an outdoors lifestyle is encouraged. That is what is exciting by some of the Norwegian expat blogs like Return to Norway, Katie Meets Norway and My Little Norway. Maybe a cold climate isn't for me, but the point is to think outside the box and the staleness of existing thoughts. 

To go, but where to go? Practicalities must come first this year, and I have some key commitments. What I am doing, is preparing myself for opportunities.

1. Free the mind- let go of outdated or old plans which no longer work. Allow new goals to form

2. Languages- Spanish and French are the ones I'll focus on. Spoken widely in most sports, and most parts of the world. Classes start on Saturday.

3. Get Bridesmaid Fit- my mates CJ and D are getting married next March, and I'm one of the bridesmaid. This means photos for life, this means I must be up to par and in vintage condition!

4. Make the most of my time- even when working a budget and not hitting up bars, there's more I can get out of my time. I can make sure I do that.

5. Plan a course of MA study in a travels-well trade (Wilkommen, PR/Marketing)

I still want this blog to be based around Sport, especially the events I attend and can brief about obtaining cheap tickets. The detour is just for me. It came into my head and I wanted to mark it whilst the clarity of thought burned bright.

...And in a VWO-related story, Canada's Womens Ice Hockey team took the gold today. Well done, ladies

Tennis: "World's Worst Tennis Pro"

Poor Robert Dee. Quien es? Who's that, you ask? He's a GB tennis player I only heard about in a Eurosport report today. Turns out, Mr Dee was roundly labelled 'World's Worst Tennis Pro' in pretty much all of the UK national papers sometime in 2008. Since then, his tennis might not be winning him money, but his litigation success suing every offending rags ass has!

What interested me about the story was the fact that only one of the 30 media groups, The Daily Telegraph, haven't apologised despite being taken to the High Courts. In doing so, they teased out the core argument Dee has about why it's 'technically' unfair to label him this way: in 2008, he had no ranking, so how can he be judged by comparison to the ranked fraternity?

Hmn. Fair enough, I can understand the grounds of slander. Some of the articles even went as far as to suggest his career was "doomed to failure". But if the technicalities of The Telegraph's story are true (54 consecutive losses, allegedly), I think they have every right to write their story.

In real terms, the piece is only interpretation of statistics- sometimes you can put a positive spin on it, sometimes you have cause to call a duck a duck. So is this a battle of the assertion or semantics?

This is purely my opinion, but professional sports is competitive and tough. Taking the lows with the highs is part of the journey. The persistence to force an apology from a resolute newspaper suggests there isn't much belief in the likelihood of achieving success in the sport as a player, so the concern is already onto prospective other roles in tennis and trying to limit damage to Dee's reputation. Well, if you couldn't 'bring it' as a player in a notable way, what reputation is there to protect? Isn't that a bigger concern for you as a future coach?

And if we're talking about summer camp or David Lloyd gym coaching, and not LTA and ITF-affiliation to develop top 100 juniors and seniors, is negative press from 2008 really even a factor?
.

Winter Olympics: La Championne Olympique, Amy Williams

WOO HOO she did it. Williams comes through in first place!!

Amy Williams' final run at the Skeleton event was actually her best- so much for nerves. GB's other Skeleton lady, Shelley Rudman- silver medallist at the Turin Winter Games '06, only started to get to grips with the course on the final run and she finished in 6th place.

GOLD baby;-) 

Hey, for us Brits, this result is huge. Snow isn't our thing, but maybe more people will view Winter Sports in a different frame now.

Results

1. Amy Williams GBR              3:35.64 (total time for 4 runs)

2. Kerstin Szymkowiak GER     3:36.20

3. Anja Huber GER                  3:36.36

Winter Olympics: GB Gold Medal Hope Amy Williams

Women's Skeleton: Can Briton's Amy Williams hold tight in first position and take the Olympic Gold? Today's final brings on two more runs, and it's no foregone conclusion.

I'll be rooting for you Amy- Go On Girl!!

LOVIN' the Winter Games!

I know, everything has gone wrong with this thing: a fatal accident, technical errors lighting the rings at the Opening Ceremony, bad ice (Speed Skating) and bad weather (everyone else up them hills).

Yet still...I'm loving these games. The win of Czech Martina Sabilkova in the Womens' 3000m Speed Skating, the gruel and precision fest that is Biathlon, getting into Luge and Moguls (I thought this was a rich entrepreneur, not a sport. Who knew?!).

Not even geography and messed up time zones can't diminish my love. I'm on a dedicated regime of staying up through the night like a GMT chump, last evidenced a few weeks back for the Australian Open. But that's Tennis- mi amor mejor!

I think this dedication has been fostered by a few key ingredients:

a) Canadians Go Grrrr...the unbridled ambitions of Canada and Canadians for someone, anyone, native to be the first to win at an Olympics held on home soil for ever. Forever ever? Forever. So when the breakthrough came unexpectedly, but gloriously, in the Mens Moguls, the sense of relief and crazy maple flag waving celebration was intense. When Alexandre Bilodeau came bobbing across the finish line, I was with them fans, waving my imaginary cowbell. Buoyed by a new sense of possibility, fans in Vancouver and Whistler are cheering down the roof whenever a Canadian athlete steps up to perform. What's not to love about this patriotism?

b) Something New, Something Pretty...well, not 'new' but all these winter sports are new to me! As I've said before, I'm not a snow bunny. But all of these ice and snow sports has brought on new found appreciation. Figure and Speed skating, I already loved. Curling and Hockey, I knew existed. Biathlon, Cross Country, Ski Jumping, I never thought about. In fairness, as a Brit the last jumper I remember was the hapless Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards. Most famous accomplishment? Placing last in the 70m and 90m ski jump events at the '88 Olympics. Sure, he had pluck and spirit to fight his way into eligibility, but watching the world fawn over a glorified loser just doesn't endear this girl to a sport. Vancouver 2010 sets that mistaken record straight.

Not to mention, Whistler mountain is simply gorgeous.

Gah. I want to go to there...

c) Twitt-Informed...checking out the Olympian and fan tweets keep me updated in a nice, random way. For informative articles and interviews, there's ESPN's Bonnie D Ford, and for a behind the scenes perspective, Twitter comes through with Olympic athlete tweets.

d) Big Ass Medals...it says something about an event when the baubles look like they weigh enough to do ligament damage. They wreak of high self esteem, pomp and ceremony. In other words, major Olympic Bling.

Look at the curves, the matte finish, the ring detailing. Doesn't it look smooth and substantial?

I want to go to there...



d) Hot Boys...last but not least, because you should NEVER underestimate the power of lust. And there's plenty to go around here. It's like an Benneton sponsored smorgasbord of hotties. Just when Tennis was starting to get a bit samey, and Football a little smutty, along comes Something New. A mix bunch of grrrr men, aint no weeds to be found!


My Hottie Podium took time to whittle down, and it goes a little something like this:

BRONZE: Simon Fourcade (CAN), Biathlon

I had to include one of these iron men, if only for the sexiness of their sport. Biathletes cross the line spent, wiped out, exhausted- ALL of them, standard. This mental and physical extreme fortitude is sexy. Couple that with their all-in-ones, make shift rifles and fleet footedness in snow. Fourcade cuts a dashing figure eyeing up a target.  (photo: www.homorazzi.com)                                                    

SILVER: Shani Davis (USA), Speed Skating

The steely focused 1000m defending Olympic Gold medallist has the nut cracker thighs to rock those teeny tight suits. Also a fan of using huge headphones when listening to tunes during recovery phases, a la Beijing Hottie Michael Phelps. I don't know why this adds to his hotness; but it does.

Nb: Normal sized man-thigh mortals should not attempt to recreate this look.

                                                                    (Photo:Jasper Juinen/Getty)  

GOLD: Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR), Alipne Skiing

So good looking, this one broke my focus from the exciting run of Defago: "Pan back, camera man! Pan BACK!!"

Norway seems to be disproportionately blessed with top talent, of both sexes. Winter or Summer Games, they never disappoint.

Despite the baggy clothes and dude-ish appearance, Aksel has emerged as my number one WOC (Winter Olympics Crush).
I think the evidence speaks for itself.

(photo: Christian  Jansky)

No matter what the naysayers say, it's a case of so far so good at the Winter Olympics.
Vancouver is rolling with the punches, and still standing with a week to go- a little bruised, sure, but not K.O.

Winter Olympics: Wishing Vancouver's OC Well

After the tragic death of Georgian Luge competitor, Nodar Kumaritashvili, it's natural to feel underwhelmed by the prospect of an entire fortnight of sport at the Winter Olympics. It's hardly all fun and games now, is it? Only 21-years old and finishing up his final practice. The timing of death can be so cruel.

ESPN's Bonnie D Ford posted a twit pic from Vancouver (left), with the simple by line: "seats are filling in now..." and it reminded me of the magical  anticipation at a major sports gathering. 


As if fanning the flames of excitement for competition and feats to come, it is the Opening Ceremony that sets this process in motion more than anything else. Long as it often is; it sets the tone.

This is why I'm wishing for an awe-inspiring Opening Ceremony to uplift competitors, officials and spectators. To remind us all that, though Sport might not feel like the most important thing in life right now, the Games is enriching and revelatory simply because the occasion demands it. There's an athlete out there who is going to defy us with speed, precision, guts and balls. Another for whom this fortnight can't pass soon enough, for the disappointment.

We should remember that while the Winter Games begins under a tragic and senseless cloud, a young athlete came here with the will and spirit to compete HARD. He relished the chance to be here. If anything can help inspire his Georgian team mates and international peers, I hope it's to make the best of the opportunity he's been denied.

 The best of Opening Ceremonies-this one due to begin at 2am GMT- have a way of emoting a sense of the impossible made possible. And on this night, the occasion demands it.

Photo: Vancouver Opening Ceremony, Bonnie Ford 2010

Player to Watch: Petra Martic (CRO)

19-year old Petra Martic came onto centre court at the WTA 18th Paris Open against Yanina Wickmayer, a virtual nobody. But damn it, she stepped off it with the scalp of a top 20 player, the vocal support of a hard-to-please Paris crowd and my ear marking as ONE TO WATCH!

More importantly, she's got the WTA media reps taking note and scrambling for interviews like the one below- all good stuff.




What makes Martic so impressive? She's cool and composed, even under pressure; she's got a full arsenal of weapons in the vein of a Henin; excellent court craft like a Hingis, and the makings of a rocket-reliable serve. Quite simply, the girl's got game and is engaging to watch. Never mind her self-possessed interviews and grace on court that sees her switch gears with no muss, fuss or fanfare.

Though Thursdays match against Agnes Szavay brought on a disappointing 6-2, 6-4 defeat, thanks to a lethargic first set appearance, Martic still demonstrated her skills and future weight to come back from 3-0 down to 3-4 in the 2nd set.

With everyone's head focused on Come Back Kids, I'm bucking the trend and looking to new players coming through the ranks. Petra says her goal in 2010 is to break the top 50. I'm not betting against her.

How to Get...French Open Tennis tickets NOW

Ooh la la, allez allez, it's Roland Garros ticket time again!!

Once upon a time, the purchase of French Open tickets was like playing on the lotto- you put in your bid, and wait to hear if you've been chosen. That random, that French. I loved it. But things changed in 2009, moving to a far more democratic and capitalist first come first serve system that works pretty well.

The French Open tournament runs for two weeks from 18 May-6 June 2010. It's held at the Stade de Roland Garros (hence the name), and despite rumours about a move, for now the tournament is staying put. This is good news. Despite the chaos rain can cause with both the premier courts, Suzanne Lenglen and Philippe Chatrier, being sans roof, getting to the grounds in the 16th arrondissement (district) is easy peasy- just follow the crowd. Once inside the grounds, a spectator is well catered for with a central food and drinks courtyard and an easy to navigate village layout.

With cheap Eurostar tickets from London, cheap TGV rail options from around Europe and cheap flights all other the continent to Paris, getting there won't be a problem. Accommodation for long or super short stays won't be a problem either (more to follow on these).

Getting inside, might. That's why I'm giving you the scoop on buying tickets NOW and leave the remaining logistics to later.

The French Federation, the governing body for French Tennis and the Slam, sells tickets to the general public via their website. This year, the 'betting'/buying will commence on Tuesday, 2nd February at 1pm. I'm not sure if this is GMT or CET. For all those one hour behind GMTers like me, I recommend checking in from 12pm...just in case. Trust me, for the best dibs on all tickets, you need to get in fast. But even with a delay of a few days, there will likely be tickets available. But forget finals, and for some reason Week One sells out very quickly. Before this date, there will be a holding page notifying you of the re-opening of the site. Members of the FFT get first dibs on tickets from January, and they tend to raid the Finals. Last year, El Salmone and I booked a few days after the firesale, and we still got tickets for the Ladies Day Semi's.

Step by step, ooh baby:


Create an Account
You will need to create an account on the website, providing a username (Nom d'utilisateur), password (Mot de passe) and a nominated email address for correspondence. This should be in the top right hand corner. The FFT will send confirmation of your new account from this address billetterie.rg2010@fft.fr.

Select a Day, Select your Ticket

The premier and biggest court is Philippe Chatrier (left), where Finals and Semi's are held. Throughout the earlier rounds, PC is used for the marque matches and where you'll likely see Roger Federer as world no.1 and Rafa Nadal as world no.2 (currently). The other big court is Suzanne Lenglen (pic below), slightly smaller. Size is an advantage on Lenglen if you're booking late because even the top tier seats provide good views and you're not as high in the eaves as an equivalent ticket on the grander, imperious Chatrier. The third option is Court No. 1 (€21-44). All ticket options give access to the smaller courts, which is in heavy use for the Singles and Doubles events in Week One. The fourth and cheapest option is to buy for the annex courts alone (€15-21)- anyone interested in seeing the stars of tomorrow, lots of Juniors tennis will be played here.


You need to select a day, seat location and quantity of tickets. The closer to the court, the more it costs (Cat 1). The further on in the tournament it is, the more expensive. Prices on PC and SL vary hugely depending on category (1-3). Wk 1 from €41- 67, a Quarters match €47-83, and €80-105 for Finals on PC. Check the price guide, Grille Tarifaire.

NB: From 3rd June 2010, Suzanne Lenglen becomes an annex court. From 30 May, Court 1 becomes an annex court. This means ticket holders from those dates can watch other matches (Doubles, Juniors, Wheelchair etc.) on these two courts.

Ticket Delivery Options

You can choose the e-ticket option, where a barcoded label is emailed to you to print out and take with you to the grounds. The advantage of this is flexibility. The queues tend to be shorter and you can change and choose who to allocate tickets to (in case you, as purchaser, cannot attend).

The other option is receiving a paper copy by post. This takes longer, and honestly, nothing beats the thrill of holding a ticket in your hand. However, there is no flexibility to change the name on the tickets of who will be attending. e.g if I input the attendees as Tessa Howard and Shaun Jones, these will be the names printed on the tickets. Come the day of entry, if the ticket supervisors ask to see some ID and the names on the ticket don't match up, entry will be denied. 

I suspect this is an attempt to dissuade unofficial ticket hawkers making purchase and re-selling at a ridiculously inflated price. So long as it's an official ticket seller though, viva same inflated prices. Being legit is a helluva drug.

Again, I chose hardcopy tickets last year sent by recorded mail. As there are less people around by the Semi's (less tennis left, remember), the queue was non-existant. Don't expect the same in Week One.

First things first: if you want to go, go buy your tickets now!

Quick Vocab

Days of Week

Dimanche- Sunday
Lunedi- Monday
Mardi- Tuesday
Mecredi- Wednesday
Jeudi- Thursday
Vendredi- Friday
Samedi- Saturday

Key Words
Nom d'utilisateur- username
Mot de passe - password
A partir de- From...(as in 'from this date on,...')
Devenir/devient- to become/becomes (Verb/3rd person conj, as in 'court no. 1 becomes an annex')
Grille Tarifaire- Ticket Prices
CATÉGORIE - ticket category/price band
Grand Public- that's us, the general public!