Today's News: The Olympics!!!

Canadian curler Brett Gallant (photo Carmen Mandato Getty Images)

There was lots of actual news today -- bitcoin crashing, Trump making a fool of himself at a prayer breakfast, Poilievre desperately trying to change his stripes, the CBC At Issue panel grudgingly agreeing that maybe Carney's new EV strategy actually might work, also Canada and France opening consulates in Greenland. And, of course, the continuing Epstein fallout.

But the Olympics are getting underway so that's what I'm going to post about tonight -- politics will always be with us, but the Olympics are only around for a few weeks.

First, I did get a chuckle out of this

My mom watched some news story about new sports at this year’s Olympics and said “you can’t just make up sports!” Mom, all sports are made up!

— David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 (@whysharksmatter.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 7:44 AM

To follow the Olympics, I joined CBC Gem so I could watch their extra coverage -- provided, of course, I can ever get their sign-in page to work!!! 

I will also be following the Canadian Olympic page, The Globe and Mail Olympics, plus glancing at the Olympic Event Calendar, and Reddit Olympics.

CBC reporter Devin Heroux @devinheroux.bsky.social does a wonderful job at every event he covers:

TEAM CANADA 🇨🇦 TEAM EVENT Women’s short: Maddie Schizas Men’s short: Stephen Gogolev Pairs short: Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud Rhythm: Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier The team event begins Friday in Milan with the rhythm dance, pairs short and then women’s short.

[image or embed]

— Devin Heroux (@devinheroux.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 5:02 AM

CANADA 🇨🇦 FOR THE WIN An absolutely dominant performance by Canada’s Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant to defeat Italy 7-2 in just six ends. Hands this Italian team their first loss ever at the Games. Canada is undefeated at the Olympics. Perfect 3-0 start.

[image or embed]

— Devin Heroux (@devinheroux.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 1:19 PM

I will also check out Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social - his posts are knowledgeable and he also does Rodger Sherman's Winter Olympics Primer - very American-oriented but funny and interesting all the same.

Summer Olympics: running, swimming, cycling, throwing stuff far, jumping real high, several of your favorite sports Winter Olympics: skiing, skiing but different, fun skiing, gun skiing, 3 ways to slide down an icy tube, curling

[image or embed]

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger.bsky.social) February 3, 2026 at 9:54 AM

You left out fancy skating, fast skating, and fast skating with collisions (my favorite Winter Olympic sport).

— jmgee.bsky.social (@jmgee.bsky.social) February 3, 2026 at 10:30 AM

Here is Rodger Sherman's description of Ski-Mo:

The new sport is SKI MOUNTAINEERING, but the cool kids all call it “SkiMo,” and now you’re one of the cool kids.
Ski mountaineering is … skiing up mountains. Pretty self-explanatory. And once you get to the top you have to ski back down. Historically, the races last about two hours, but the Olympics will feature a sprint event that only lasts about three minutes. ...
SkiMo is the first new Winter Olympic sport since skeleton in 2002...

Fun Olympics fact: the international ski federation successfully got snowboarding to be considered a discipline of skiing rather than its own sport

[image or embed]

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger.bsky.social) February 3, 2026 at 10:06 AM

that's not right, because snowboarding is a discipline of surfing, as it's just surfing on frozen water

— Q. BEAR, HOC (@hockeybear.space) February 3, 2026 at 10:10 AM

Would you believe that last year the US skiing association argued they should be in charge of surfing

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger.bsky.social) February 3, 2026 at 10:13 AM

A solid majority of Olympic events are just variations on tumbling. Tumbling on a mat, tumbling on a beam, tumbling on skis, tumbling on skates, tumbling into the water, tumbling when you’re already in the water …

— Adam Vann (@adamvann.bsky.social) February 3, 2026 at 10:13 AM

I love the Olympics

[image or embed]

— Mistress Usili (Sage) 🏳️‍⚧️ (@usili.bsky.social) February 4, 2026 at 1:50 PM

A group of US college sports fans who call themselves the Sicko Committee @sickoscommittee.org track 4th place Olympic finishes (they call it the aluminium medal!)  Considering how so many fourth-place finishes are decided by just nanoseconds, I agree these should be recognized too.

For the Paris Olympiad, we kept track of all 4th place finishes, and I think we'll do that again.

[image or embed]

— Sickos Committee (@sickoscommittee.org) February 2, 2026 at 7:03 PM

I'm on the edge of my seat. You don't realize how much you miss the Olympics until they're back and you're huffing pure uncut curling on a Wednesday afternoon before the game have even started officially.

[image or embed]

— Sickos Committee (@sickoscommittee.org) February 4, 2026 at 1:48 PM

Pink News @pinknews.bsky.social focuses on LGBTQ+ athletes:

2026 Winter Olympics features record-breaking number of LGBTQ+ competitors https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/02/02/lgbtq-winter-olympics-record-breaking-number-of-athletes/?utm_content=1770038401&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

[image or embed]

— PinkNews (@pinknews.bsky.social) February 2, 2026 at 7:20 AM

Some other good posts:

Just been made aware of Haiti's winter Olympics get-up. That skirt looks warm, has good pockets, and has a massive horse on it. DING DING DING.

[image or embed]

— Katy Moon (@oog.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 2:44 AM

Fashion has also reached the status of an Olympic sport now -- Vogue magazine highlights The Best Olympic Uniforms, including the Canadian kit from Lululemon

View on Threads

View on Threads

In today's hilarious news, there is already a NSFW Olympic controversy:

Bet no one else had Penisgate on their Winter Olympics bingo card either.

[image or embed]

— Luke Foley (@lukefoley.me) February 5, 2026 at 2:46 PM

This wouldn't be happening if we did the Olympics the way they're supposed to be done: stark naked and glistening head to toe in olive oil.

[image or embed]

— Xavier (@xavierck.com) February 5, 2026 at 6:29 PM

And the Olympic organizers are pleading with fans not to boo US Vice-President Vance:

Very important not to boo JD Vance at Winter Olympics. I feel certain you will want to cooperate

[image or embed]

— Brynley Heaven (@brynleyheaven.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 3:11 AM