Five Ring Circus

“If we screw up we’re on the front page of every newspaper in Norway. We become idiots, overnight.” The NYT on the thankless job of being Norway’s ski wax chief.

+ WaPo: Who knew a Tongan cross-country skier could be so engaging with his shirt on? “If my ancestors could sail across the Pacific Ocean for a thousand years, not knowing where the next piece of land was going to be, not knowing where their next meal was going to be, going to war, then I can walk for 25 minutes through an opening ceremony without a shirt on [in the frigid cold] and represent a thousand years of heritage.” (My ancestors overcame horrific challenges so that I would never, ever have to disrobe in public…)

+ “Jamaican Women’s Bobsled Coach Sandra Kiriasis Quits, Owns Team’s Sled.”

+ FiveThirtyEight: What if men and women skied against each other in the Olympics?

+ How many calories do Olympians eat? (Chloe Kim had me at Churro…)

+ At the Winter Games, love is in the air for Valentine’s Day athletes.

+ NPR: Finland Takes Olympic Chill To The Next Level: Team Knitting.