(February 25, 2010) — Whenever the word Olympics comes up, I think of the world uniting, coming together to share an interest. For me, hearing the word Olympics always seems to bring back memories of athletes sweating it out in the summer heat. It might be because I’m from California, where the sun seems to never take a vacation, but the Winter Olympics have never been memorable. But this year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada may fill that void in my mind. First and foremost, Vancouver is a city I have traveled to numerous times to, visiting relatives. I have also been to nearby Whistler Mountain, where most of the sled and skiing events took place. The Winter Olympics is a hotbed for the sports that you and your friends have never tried; and wacky names like curling, skeleton, nordic combined, biathlon. Judging by some of the names of the sports, it might seem as if these events are a walk in the park. But to be honest, a lot of the Winter Olympic sports have a high risk of injury and fatality. So far these Olympics have been like an avalanche, memorable, but a disaster. Even before the opening ceremony, one country’s team had already suffered a loss. We all have heard the story about Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. It is such a shame that someone’s life can be taken away in a matter of seconds. There are too many factors to blame for his death, which was the first in almost 40 years. Compared to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, there was basically no hype for this year’s Winter Olympics. Not once did I hear anyone talking about it on television or on the radio. It was supposed to be Vancouver’s one moment to shine, with the whole world watching. Four pillars were supposed to rise from the floor, lighting the glorious Olympic torch; instead one of the pillars malfunctioned causing audiences to hold there ooooos and aaawww. There is no doubt that the Summer Olympics will always outshine the Winter games. Canadian curler Kristi Moore is the first Olympian to compete while pregnant. I don’t understand why the Canadian Olympics Committee would even let her compete, especially since their plan is to have Canada at the top of the medal standings. Every medal for “Own the Podium” counts, and with Moore at a disadvantage, Canada loses one potential medal. One of the biggest sports that the Winter Olympics has to offer is ice hockey. It is something that American sports fans can connect to because many of the players are from the NHL. But why do we have to watch woman’s hockey? It has turned into an ugly match. The United States and Canada have been blowing out other countries. Just take a look at the scores. In their first four games, the U.S. has won by scores of 12-1, 13-0, 6-0, and 9-1; while Canada has skated past their opponents 10-1, 8-0, 13-1, 5-0. The two teams have combined to outscore their opponents 86-4. Over the weekend, I was looking forward to watching the U.S. versus Canada men’s hockey match. I was shocked to learn that NBC wasn’t showing the game. Instead they were showing ice dancing. Ice dancing?!?! What is the point of it? It is like the Winter Olympic’s version of synchronized swimming. Even worse, I later found out that the U.S. beat Canada. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the U.S. will hold on to the gold medal and total medals lead over the Germans. For the U.S., having the Winter Olympics just up north in Vancouver is like a home game without the pressure.