I’ve been watching and enjoying the Olympic competitions.  I enjoy both summer and winter, but I think I like the winter Olympics a bit better.  I love the downhill racing, the speed skating and the men’s figure skating, and this is going to be a very exciting final tonight.

But that got me thinking about how much things have changed in fifty plus years.  Apparently it was a big damn deal when Dick Button executed the first double axel jump in competition.  Now the men are attempting quadruple jumps.

Did the training get better?  Do modern skaters take more risks?  Are present day athletes just stronger and fitter than their fathers and grandfathers?  Is it technology — better skates?

And should a quad determine the winner?  If the other skater is more artistic, has better footwork, uses the ice better shouldn’t he win even if he doesn’t have the quad?

And now having talked about physical activity I think I’ll type another line or two in the third EDGE book, and head off to the health club.