Olympic notes

By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 23, 2002

At a glance

WHEN: Through Sunday.
WHERE: Salt Lake City and surrounding area.
WEATHER: Chance for rain, high of 48.

BEYOND THE VENUES

British also prove to be bandwagoners

A group of Scottish housewives armed with stones and brooms accomplished what a generation of taut, young British athletes couldn't. They won gold at the Winter Olympics. And now Britain is swept up in a new curling craze, in love with the sport that brought a Winter Games winner to the country for the first time since ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean in 1984. "Brits sweep to Olympics glory," blared a headline in the Daily Star. Even The Times, the staid icon of the British establishment, gave the victory front-page coverage. It followed it with an editorial, something normally reserved for only the most serious of matters. "In most quarters, curling one's eyelashes might be considered more exciting," the newspaper said before going on to say it was, actually, a very important achievement. The curling queens, as they have been dubbed, are unlikely to be forgotten soon. One of the nation's biggest supermarket chains said it would offer them a contract -- for what else? -- to promote floor cleaning products.

Can you imagine drug testing these folks?

George Shea says curling puts him to sleep. He's not a big fan of cross-country skiing, either. In his eyes, people who can stuff 50 hot dogs into their mouths in less than 12 minutes are true Olympians. Shea, head of the International Federation of Competitive Eaters, said gastronomic events like hot-dog eating would be a logical addition. "It's as fundamental as running, jumping and throwing, the original sports of the Olympics," Shea said. Shea, along with his brother, Richard, runs an organization that sanctions everything from jalapeno eating contests in Texas to matzo ball eating in New York. He has even sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee. "Eating is a natural Olympic sport," Shea said. "It really touches on some fundamental issues of the human spirit."

MEET A COUNTRY

Netherlands

LOCATION: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany.
POPULATION: 15.9-million.
CAPITAL: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government.
COMPARATIVE AREA: Slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey.
WINTER OLYMPIC STARS: Marianne Timmer (speed skating), Gianni Romme (speed skating), Ard Schenk (speed skating), Yvonne Van Gennip (speed skating).
GOLD MEDALS WON: Gerard van Velde (1,000-meter speed skating), Jochem Uytdehaage (5,000-meter speed skating).
RECOGNIZED BY IOC: 1912.