Simplified Speech #236 – Previewing the Winter Olympics

Dec 20, 2025

The hosts dive into the excitement of the upcoming Winter Olympics and discuss the significance of hockey in Canada, especially with NHL players returning. They touch on rink controversies in Italy, favorite winter sports like short-track and snowboarding, and even ponder the quirks of bizarre Olympic events. Listeners will enjoy playful trivia about past host cities and predictions for Canada's medal count. The conversation flows naturally, showcasing useful vocabulary and phrases that make the discussion lively and engaging.

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INSIGHT

Why Hockey Sparks Canadian Chatter

Canada treats Olympic ice hockey as a national obsession because pro players returning makes it 'best-on-best' competition.
The NHL's previous ban on Olympic participation deprived fans of top-level international hockey for years.

INSIGHT

Venue Issues Fuel Olympic Controversy

Organisational mistakes at Olympic venues can create major controversy and stress close to the Games.
Andrew highlights an Italian rink being built too short and barely finished before competition.

ANECDOTE

Short-Track Thrills And Near Chaos

Luke recalls short-track speed skating as thrilling with countries like Canada, Korea, China and the Netherlands fighting fiercely.
He mentions lots of passing and falls make the races exciting to watch.

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In this Culips episode, Andrew and his friend Luke talk about the Winter Olympics and why they are such a big deal in Canada. They chat about Olympic ice hockey, the return of pro NHL players, and the excitement and controversy around the next Games in Italy. You also hear them share their favorite winter sports, talk about strange Olympic events, and play a fun memory game where they try to name past Winter Olympic host cities.

What you’ll learn with this episode:

How to understand and use common conversation words like “chatter,” “lineup,” “controversy,” and “rivalry”
How to follow a natural back-and-forth discussion about sports, history, and culture
How English speakers react in the moment with expressions like “holy moly” and “it’s escaping me”
How to give opinions and make predictions in English

This episode is perfect for you if:

You want listening practice with real, casual English conversation
You want to build your speaking skills for everyday topics like sports, travel, and culture
You want to learn useful vocabulary that helps you sound more natural and confident in English conversations

The Best Way to Learn with This Episode:

Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member.
Become a Culips member now: Click here.
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Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join.

Fact check:

Ice Dancing vs. Figure Skating Jumps

The Claim: Luke mentions knowing the names of maneuvers like the “triple Lutz” and “triple Salchow” because his mom watched Ice Dancing.

The Fact: Those are Figure Skating jumps. In competitive Ice Dancing, athletes are actually forbidden from performing these types of multi-rotation jumps. It is a common mix-up, but the two are separate disciplines!

Surfing as a “One-Off” Showcase

The Claim: Andrew thought Surfing was a one-time showcase sport for the Summer Olympics, similar to breakdancing.

The Fact: Unlike breakdancing (which was only for Paris 2024), Surfing is a permanent Olympic sport. It debuted in Tokyo 2020, appeared in Paris 2024, and is already confirmed for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The History of Ski Jumping

The Claim: Luke suggested that ski jumping started at the Calgary 1988 Olympics with Eddie the Eagle.

The Fact: Ski jumping is actually one of the original Winter Olympic sports. It has been in every Winter Games since the very first one in 1924 (Chamonix, France)—64 years before the Calgary Games.

When the Games “Staggered” (The 2-Year Gap)

The Claim: Andrew and Luke discussed the Games being “staggered” (Summer and Winter in different years) starting after 1988.

The Fact: The change actually happened after 1992. Both the Summer and Winter Games were held in 1992 (Albertville and Barcelona). The first time the Winter Olympics were held in their own separate year was Lillehammer 1994.

Canada’s 2010 Gold Medal Record

The Claim: Luke estimated that Canada won about 10 gold medals in Vancouver 2010.

The Fact: Canada actually won 14 gold medals in 2010. At the time, this set a world record for the most gold medals ever won by a single country at any Winter Olympics.