The Russian Hockey Players: The Wall

Did you all see the artwork on those helmets during the US-Russia hockey game that just ended in a tie?

Yeah I checked it out when they showed the game today on the BBC.

It had Pink Floyd The Wall on one of the helmets (I think the Russian

The goalie for team Russia and the lightning is Nikolai Khabibulin and his nickname is the bulin wall. His helmet has artwork derived from the wall album and has bulin wall written on front in the same style of writing from the wall album, he has this for quite awhile now

So here abefidrmar is once more, in the playground of the broken hearts ...

Is it true that he had to give his (gold ?) medal to his coach Victor Tichonov (coaches don't get medals) ? One of the commentators here mentioned that. If so, what an asshole Tichonov is !

The Jester

You missed the speed-skating crash then, (i'm talking out of my ass here as i only saw 1 replay, so if i'm wrong, someone speak up) it was the medal round on 1 of the short-track courses (i am not sure of the distance) and coming around the last turn, someone started something, and all 4 people who were leading the race crashed, and the 1 guy who was in last place ended up skating by and winning the gold.

Sad that i found that one of the more entertaining moments thus far.

The Jester kirjoitti viestissä ...

He forgot to get his gold medal in '94 games in Lillehammer. (He was in stands and coach though that, hell, I'll pick it..)

That was the short course speed skating 1000 metres final. The guy at the back was an Australian who had scraped through into the final though disqualifications in earlier rounds.

The other competitors were from the USA, China, South Korea (I think) and somewhere else. On the last bend they all ended up taking each other out. The Aussie chap who was about a quarter curcuit back, completely out of it, skated gently over the line and raised in hands in victory and bemusement. Bizarre moment. An accidental hero for Australia.

Incidently China got their first gold medal ever in the winter olympics in another speed skating race.

So here Wanha is once more, in the playground of the broken hearts ...

Incredible story, and I don't know if I should believe it. A guy in an Olympic team that 'forgets' to pick up his gold medal ? Very hard to believe, isn't it ? That he had to give it to his coach is a weird story too, but not too unbelievable, given the fact that it happened in a communist team. I must add that I'm enjoying the Olympic hockey-tournament, just finished watching USA vs. Belarus.

The Jester

That guy was a great tactician if there ever was one. He deliberately stayed behind the other racers, knowing they would eventually take each other out.

Hang on - a Communist team in 1994? I thought you were talking about team Russia!

First, let's clear up the misconception the Russians won the gold medal at the 1994 Olympic Games for men's ice hockey in Lillehammer. The gold was won by Sweden, who defeated Canada in overtime I believe in the final. Second of all, it wasn't the Russian team that won the gold in Albertville, it was the CIS, or the Unified Team. Khabibullin was the third string goaltender in Albertville. Yes, he did have to give up his gold medal to Tikhonov, who is about as ornery an individual as you will likely meet. The reason is Khabibullin didn't get any actual ice time, because he was the third stringer in Albertville, and Tikhonov didn't want to give up a medal to a player on his team that didn't see any playing time. I thought the hockey thread in here about a potential Pink Floyd starting lineup on the ice would have made some in here less prone to mistakes.