Winter sports and the Olympics

As I was watching the opening rites of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics where an Alpine Skier came from a mountaintop down to the venue, it makes me wonder how these athletes train and excel in their chosen sports on a cold weather. I'm amazed when the commentator mentioned the sports called luge, skeleton, bobsled, alpine skiing, snowboard and many other unfamiliar games. I only know hockey and figure skating. During the parade, I also noticed that the athletes of the winter olympics are mostly caucasians (all white and blondes, looking like Barbies and Kens). I've seen non-caucasians, notable are those from India, whose uniforms were lost and the community of India in Vancouver contributed to come up with better jerseys; from Jamaica, only 1 athlete, (I remember the movie Cool Runnings where a group of Jamaicans joined the bobsled games) and from Nepal, only 1 athlete - Sherpa, the man who guided the First Filipino in reaching the top of Mt. Everest. There was standing ovation when the delegation from Georgia arrived. One of their teammates died a few hours before the opening ceremonies, a 21-yr-old luger had a tragic accident while practicing in the tracks and this is his first winter olympics.

I particularly liked the number from the natives wearing their colorful costumes and of course the lightshow. I was touched (or maybe felt being patriotic) while the crowd sang O, Canada and I'm wondering if any of my sons would be joining this parade 15-20 yrs from now. I was thinking if I could request the song "Lupang Hinirang" when one of them receives a medal, hehehe (wishful thinking). I hope that with the Ice Skating rinks prominent in SM Malls, Philippines will have a representative in the future winter olympics maybe in Figure Skating or Hockey, why not?