While you didn't ask, you probably won't be surprised to learn that over here, the WCs are considered about as important as the Izvestia tournament. That is to say, not very.
Ok, ok. This has been explained to me many times. I just have a hard time swallowing. You see, I have this wonderful conspiracy theory of how the NHL ... it explains everything! Real clearly!
Really the conspiracy runs that way? Hold the world championships every year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so most of the best Canadian players are busy and can't come, but the NHL has a conspiracy?
Well, in the old times the WCs were held in the winter/early spring, and all the other leagues, save the NHL, were suspended for the duration of the WCs. And it is hardly the Europeans fault, if the NHL wants to run winter sport play offs in May/June
. I have not heard of the NHL suggesting a different date for the WCs, but I may be wrong. FWIW I would welcome such a suggestion!
btw, sounds like you're a bridge player, too. Canada won in SLC iirc...
Congrats!
Had to dig for the results. Needless to add that Finland didn't qualify
I do find it interesting that you throw figure skating and synchronized swimming under the bus, but gymnastics is just as judged, and just as...questionable.
You have a point there. The things going for gymnastics are that 1) it's been around from the beginning, 2) it is one of the rare events, where size is a disadvantage, so it has a place. Not a solid argument by any stretch. It being a judged sport is a bit questionable. IMHO the most alarming thing that ever happend in gymnastics was the domination by 4ft8in, 65lb, 12-14 year old girls in the 80s and 90s. That body type is such a good fit for the sport, so they had to introduce an (admittedly artificial) lower age limit. I don't know, if that was a good thing. People whose physique fits that description are entitled compete in some event (and there's no question about the physical talent/training it requires). Nevertheless, the judging element makes gymnastics also a bit iffy.
Relays on the other hand? On the track the switchovers are a separate skill. That is were the Americans have often ruined their chances, in spite of overall dominating the event very clearly (historically speaking, Jamaican success is a recent thing) . In Xcountry skiing and swimming it is admittedly a bit more iffy. I guess the point is that it prevents one astounding athlete from dominating the sport, and gives a balanced set of quality also-runs a chance. In Xcountry the tactical aspects make relays very interesting. Normally the races are timed in a way that the contestants leave at 30 second intervals, so that they don't congest the trail. In relays (also the mass start events that are a new arrival, too) a weaker skier can just try and hang in there - effectively using the stronger skier as a pacemaker. I guess opinions differ, whether any of these points is a good thing or not
You are probably correct in that it is done somewhat to pad the medal count. And I agree that swimming is possibly where bloating the number of events started.
Finland - Russia 3-1. Hell, yeah!