Canada on Day 8

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Meet the Neighbours...

Team USA delegation at the Winter Universiade.

Another solid speed skating session

Canada's women wrapped up the individual events at the Heilongjiang Speed Skating Gym with the 1000-meter event.

View official results here - http://app.harbin2009.org/wu24info/pdf/sh/0413992E.PDF

Ste-Foy, Quebec's Justine L'Heureux posted another impressive finish at the games, skating the 2 1/2 lap circuit in a time of 1:19.59 - good enough for 9th place.

Despite dealing with a sore shoulder all week, Calgary's Kirsti Lay toughed out another good skate, finishing in a 16th place time of 1:21.38, one spot ahead of teammate Anastacia Bucsis and her clocking of 1:21.53.

Now skating out of Quebec City, Calgary's Shannon Sibold also turned in a solid performance, hitting the line in 1:23.68 - good for 24th spot.

With the individual events of the long track speed skating complete, all that remains is the women's team pursuit competition which will be held Thursday.

Canada's playoff partners determined

Canada's women's curling team will face Great Britain one of two Thursday semifinals. Great Britain defeated the Czech Republic in a Wednesday tiebreaker to advance to the medal round.

China and Russia will meet in the other semifinal.

Canada's Mens hockey team now knows who their semifinal opponent will be. Japan's surprising 6-3 win over the United States pushes the Slovaks into second spot in Pool B.

Canada will play Slovakia in one semifinal, while the Russians will meet Kazakhstan in the other.

See Team Canada March in Opening Ceremonies on YouTube

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Canada at the Opening Ceremonies

You can find YouTube video of Canada marching into the spectacular opening ceremonies of the games at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usabBuwoSUE&feature=related

Posted by Hodges at 6:52 PM 0 comments

Bartering with the Mongolian Speed Skaters

The Mongolians are on the floor. Get out your change gear. A Mongolian speed skaters have their wolf fur hats on hand want to trade for a Canadian jacket. I don't really want to trade my jackey but at -21 for the last week here in Harbin the Hat looks like a solution to my frozen ears! I try to open my bid with my Canadian tuque but he says no in five different languages except image. He insists on the jacket. I convince Allison in the Mission staff office to sell me a smaller size jacket because mine was is xtra Large and the poor Mongolian would swim in it. For $80 bucks Canadian I buy the Jacket, hand it over to my new found friend from Mongolia and he gives me the Fur Hat. We shake hands and he says "Canada Friend" I say "Mongolia Friend" and the transaction in secured. I now have warm ears and I now match our Chief Athletic Therapist Christian Seguin who earlier secured a Wolf fur hat also! Economics 101- Barter!

Taking in the Culture of Harbin

Emperor From Laurier from Team Canada Peter Baxter on the Throne of the Golden Hawk and riding a camel at the Harbin Ice and Snow festival.

Dr. David Mai of the University of Ottawa

Besides the competition the best part of the Universiade is to see the student-athletes and Mission staff engaging in the Chinese culture. In the village we have had the opportunity to witness performances of the Peking Opera including some of the staff and athletes having the opportunity to get the opera make up artist paint up some of the team members. The Chef de Mission also took advantage of a camel ride at the snow and ice festival. The village has a Chinese

cultural and language centre to learn Mandarin and they also have a volunteer that spells your name in Chinese Characters. We also went out to a restaurant close to the village for an authentic meal. The village also has a Chinese Tea room with Volunteers that make you your tea flavour of choice. Tonight the Women's hockey team tonight went to the international skit night that was held in the Athlete Village entertainment Centre. Lots of friends made between nations and fun had by all.

Short Track Speed Skating

Monday, February 23, 2009

Short Track Speed Skating