BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN WINTER OLYMPICS

On Monday night, I flipped back and forth between the Westminster Dog Show and the Winter Olympics. I am so happy that I was watching the Olympics during what will undoubtedly stand out as a highlight of the whole event.

This couple, the first Chinese couple ever to win a gold in pairs figure skating, has been together for 18 years. They sacrificed everything to become Olympic skaters, leaving their families to take on the training necessary to achieve this level of achievement. They came out of retirement to participate in the 2010 Olympics, and I'm glad they did! It was so great to see them leap up over the rink's edge to hug their coach and other main supporters right after their performance.

Here is more of the scoop from beliefnet:

The figure skating couple, Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue, set a new Olympic record when they became the first Chinese couple in history to win the gold medal.

At 36 (Zhao) and 31 (Shen), the couple are considered to be on the older side of pairs ice skating. Zhao is the second oldest male to win an Olympic gold since 1920 while Shen is the tenth oldest female to win a medal. Still, age didn't stop either of them from giving a near-flawless short ice skating program on Valentine's Day and a beautiful freestyle long program on Monday night, complete with big jumps and smooth spins.

For 40 years, the Russians have dominated the podium for pairs figure skating, but after the long program on Monday night, the Chinese claimed the gold and the silver medal and the Germans claimed the bronze.

Also husband and wife, Zhao and Shen have won three bronze medals in the past Winter Olympics, but retired after marrying each other in 2007. "When I hold her in my arms, I don't have to pretend I love her. I do," Zhao said before arriving in Vancouver (WSJ.com).

Still, despite world recognition from appearing on Chinese Sports Illustrated and multiple medals from other competitions such as the World Championships, the couple decided to come out of retirement and pursue the one medal that eluded them. "So many years have been devoted to this dream," Zhao said (NPR.com).

Despite the small mistakes they made in the long program, the couple showed how determination, diligence, and devotion can pay off, beating younger couples in technical and artistic scores. As for the silver medalists, Tong Jian and Pang Qing, they were in fourth place after the short program but skated into second after giving a near-perfect long program.

So what's next for Zhao and Shen? Zhao revealed, "I think it is hard to continue skating, so maybe it is time to have a baby." (WSJ.com).

For the two sets of Chinese figure skating partners, the consecutive win was a great way to start off the Chinese New Year.

WINTER OLYMPICS 2010: OPENING CEREMONY ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!

It has been years since I watched The Winter Olympics, but I plan to do so this year. Let's show some love for our Canadian neighbors by watching the Opening Ceremony next Friday at 7:30 pm.

For all the news on the Winter Olympics, go to:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/ OR http://www.vancouver2010.com/

This bit of info is taken straight from Only Kent: World-Breaking News:

Everything in Vancouver, Canada is buzzing for the imminent start of the Winter Olympic Games, with the opening ceremony due next Friday. Unfortunately President Obama is expected to be unable to attend, although the USA will be represented by the Vice President, Joe Biden.

The Telegraph reports that many other celebrities will be attending the games, including George Clooney and even the legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin, along with dignitaries from across the globe.

The 25,000 volunteers are raring to go, the podiums are ready for the moving medal ceremonies and athletes from all around the world have started to arrive. What then could possibly go wrong? Snow, or to be precise, the lack of it. Somewhat important for a Winter Olympics. Due to unusually warm temperatures for the time of year, and copious amounts of rain, the organizers have been forced to relocate snow from miles away, with hundreds of trucks full of the white stuff arriving at the venue.

This has led to some protests from a population already concerned about the rising costs involved with hosting such a large-scale event. We can only hope that by the time the games actually begin, the weather has been kind to Vancouver and the spectacle of the Winter Olympics is everything it should be.