There’s a popular argument that all Olympic sports should have one non-athlete compete, so viewers at home have a reference point for how difficult it is. A case in point - Elizabeth Swaney, who qualified for the olympics, completely underwhelmed and made no apology.
This paradigm suits Sport Review’s skillset to a tee, and so, here are all the ways I would likely fail at being a Winter Olympian:
Badly misjudge the rules around excess luggage allowances, initiate and draw out sharp exchange of views at oversize baggage desk, miss flight
Lose team issue N95 masks in the Auckland Koru Lounge, miss flight
Pack leftover brisket sandwich with team issue luggage and apparel, bags sent back to Auckland
Ride extremely cautiously down hill to big air ramp, collapse over edge, record a 0.3 metre jump, spend 3-4 agonising minutes trying to regain footing while commentators fill awkwardly due to non-existent Wikipedia page
I just look rubbish in beanies, tbh
Achieve a reverse Bradbury in the speed skating by unforced fall after other competitors lap me for the sixth time
Spark international bio integrity brouhaha involving late night nordic skiing mission to non-bubble kebab outlet
Formal complaint from Canadian Snowboard team for one too many ‘got any pot bro?’ jokes
Thanks for reading - Richard
This week's best NZ sport content
“That’s where I’m so grateful for having Melie as my sister. She inspired me to go on that trip, watch her play and see a World Cup being played,” Kerr says. “That’s when I decided to take my cricket more seriously.
“I just hope with this World Cup, there’s hopefully a young girl or boy out there who might watch a game and think the exact same thing and find a love for the sport, too.”
Suzanne McFadden meets White Ferns sisters Jess and Melie Kerr [Locker Room]
Isaac Luke calls out lazy Te Reo pronunciation in TV commentary across the ditch [RNZ]
Kristy Havill on Women’s Cricket Word Cup origins and progress towards March’s event, while Aiden McLaughlin talks to White Ferns pacer Hayley Jensen as the team builds to CWC 22 [Locker Room, Sportsfreak]
If you are confused by the latest Super Rugby format, you may be more enlightened or remain just as confused after reading this [Rugby Pass]
Video nasty
The greatest gun fight.
Long read
PJ O’Rourke, the great man who we lost this week, on Enron, his dog and Washington DC [The Atlantic]
Recommendation
If nine-odd hours of Get Back wasn’t enough for you, now there’s a podcast episode about each individual day. Then go back and listen to all the old episodes, they are brilliant [I Am The Egg Pod]
Bring back the gif
Every freedom loving Facebook edge lord in New Zealand right now.
Sport Review is the week’s best NZ sport writing and loads more in your inbox every Friday morning. Tell your friends!