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l_--__--_l t1_jad0gv2 wrote

In 1976, Bill Koch won the US’ first xc Olympic medal, a silver in the men's 30 km race at the Innsbruck Olympics.

The result was so unexpected that US TV didn’t even cover the race.

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bare-spare t1_jad1y2c wrote

He was one of the pioneers of freestyle cross country skiing right?

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cho_bits t1_jad2tmq wrote

Yup, he created skate skiing (edit apparently popularized but didn’t create!) a much faster technique that totally revolutionized the sport, similar to what the Fosbury flop did for the high jump.

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niems3 t1_jad6gkb wrote

I’d say it’s more similar to the butterfly stroke in swimming. Some dude figured out that the motions of the butterfly were legal within the former rules of the breast stroke, so he did that and they ended up creating a new discipline within swimming. Skate and Classic are two different disciplines within Nordic skiing. The manufacturers loved it because it required everyone to have two sets of equipment 😂

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cho_bits t1_jadj5hy wrote

Ah yeah fair point! Skate didn’t replace classic. I’m Just glad more people are learning about the sport as a whole! I saw an interview with Kikkan Randall a few years ago and she talked about how she’s a huge celebrity in Europe and then she goes home and nobody recognizes her, even though at the time she was one of the best and most successful athletes representing the US.

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ActualWhiterabbit t1_jadrvv1 wrote

The real secret is just to just classic while double poling only so you only have to buy one pair of skis but still wear combi boots

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madscandi t1_jaej7y3 wrote

He didn't create it. Johan Grøttumsbråten used it all the way back in the 1930s, and it was used in ski marathons up until Koch built on it and popularized it in the 80s on the biggest stage.

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cho_bits t1_jaey8a8 wrote

Edited thanks! Typical American man taking the credit 😂

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Agitated-Airline6760 t1_jadcq2o wrote

>The result was so unexpected that US TV didn’t even cover the race.

US TV networks and specially NBC in recent years are terrible at covering Olympics and in particular non-mainstream sports.

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sublime1691 t1_jadn5ut wrote

Remember when the snowboarder Ludeska won Olympic gold in downhill skiing after they shut the coverage off? And had to bounce back on replay to show the greatest upset ever?

Edit- reminded it was Super G, point stands

Yup NBC Olympic coverage is awful if it's not figure skating.

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Agitated-Airline6760 t1_jadpkw2 wrote

Yup, countless example of showing events on tape delayed when it should've/could've been shown live and then not showing the full event but chop it up where they only show american(s) and perhaps medal winning portion if applicable. And also broadcast it where for something like SG event - btw Ledecká won the upset gold in SuperG event not downhill but hey close enough for government work - will be done with showing like 5-6 skiers on tape delay then go 4 minute commercial break then go back to figure skating for 40 minutes then come back and show 6 other SG runs.

The only good thing I can say is, at least with streaming which NBC was forced to do, I can watch the events live instead of only prime time chopped up "plausibly live" coverage.

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sublime1691 t1_jadrkyd wrote

Forgot it was Super g but still a premier event in which I got to watch them scramble to try to figure out how they missed in a Marquee event they missed it entirely. I get she started like 45th, and almost never happens, but even their make up replay coverage was so tone deaf. Like they cared more about explaining why they totally weren't wrong for not staying live.

I mean I might have cut it after the first 30. But just fix it with a good add on coverage. Don't cut back in to explain how right you were. Lol

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Agitated-Airline6760 t1_jadssd9 wrote

It was worse than you remember b/c Ledecká was bib# 26. I mean I get that only the top 20 is seeded and alpine racing is not figure skating. But come on NBC should've put it on live on one of the gazillion cable channels uninterrupted until the conclusion of the race/event.

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sublime1691 t1_jadtpqi wrote

Exactly. And if super g isn't a big enough sell for MSNBC 3 then what the hell is?

That being said, they have covered the Hahnenkamm well when they have had it. So I'll give them a little slack thanks to that fact.

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Agitated-Airline6760 t1_jadutps wrote

Well, I think it wasn't SG necessarily but the "women's" part was more germane part. Related to the Jessie Diggins, she is swimming upstream in multiple levels competing in women's nordic racing.

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sublime1691 t1_jadvu9x wrote

Jessie Diggens back on topic has actually changed the culture of cross country skiing in Minnesota. She has set up camps and has young Minnesotans thinking they can beat the Scandinavians at their own game. I'm pretty sure there are a few inspired by her that are getting ready to be next.

She's a pretty amazing person. Won't lie, got an autograph when she did a event in Duluth after her win in 18.

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sublime1691 t1_jadskno wrote

I agree. Streaming will save the shit show of their broadcasting so they can focus on 4 hours of ice dancing. It's basically dancing with the stars for them and I guess that's what viewers eat up.

I'm guessing Michaela shiffrin will win her 120th title on replay while the Estonian pair in ice dancing puts up an 11th place performance live. 😃

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alinroc t1_jadkc8b wrote

It’s not “recent years.” It’s been terrible since I can remember (1988) and every 2 years gets worse.

One glorious winter I had access to CBC and NBC for the Winter Games and CBC’s coverage was excellent.

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Buckscience t1_jadliq0 wrote

CBC Olympic coverage back in the early 2000's was the ONLY way to watch the Olympics. So much better than NBC was at the time. Streaming has changed everything.

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