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Canadian athletes made us proud |
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Written by Lethbridge Herald
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Monday, March 01 2010, 10:17 PM |
Canada didn’t quite “Own the Podium” at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, but our athletes certainly dominated the podium’s top step.
With a record-smashing 14 gold medals, there’s no reason to feel anything but pride about Canadian athletes’ performance at the just-completed Winter Games.
The silver and bronze medals are to be treasured, as well, perhaps none moreso than figure skater Joannie Rochette’s bronze while carrying the weight of grief after her mother’s sudden death just a couple of days before Rochette’s first performance in Vancouver. Rochette’s display of courage will be one of the enduring memories from the 2010 Winter Games.
But there were other courageous and inspiring Canadian performances, too. Mellisa Hollingsworth, for example. The gold-medal favourite in the women’s skeleton event, Hollingsworth, making an all-out bid for gold, made an error in her final run that cost her precious time and finished a disappointing fifth.
“I feel like I’ve let my entire country down,” a tearful Hollingsworth said after her race.
But Hollingsworth showed class in facing the media after her crushing setback. In this age of professional athletes who often avoid post-game questioning after a loss or a poor performance, Hollingsworth bravely faced questions afterward and put her heartbreak on display. She vowed to go for gold again at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
Another Albertan, Cheryl Bernard, put on a brave smile and congratulated her opponents moments after missing a shot that would have given her Canadian rink the gold medal in women’s curling. The Canadian skip had pulled out several down-to-the-wire wins earlier in the Olympic tournament, but the magic ran out in the final. Yes, a gold medal would have been nice, but an Olympic silver medal is nothing to be ashamed of.
Then there was ski cross competitor Chris Del Bosco, who fell just short of a bronze medal but whose real victory was in overcoming a past of drug and alcohol abuse to even compete on the Olympic stage. That kind of success in the arena called real life is worth even more than an Olympic medal.
Speaking of overcoming, the Canadian men’s hockey team had its own hurdles to clear in its quest for gold. Perhaps no athlete or group of athletes faced more pressure to claim gold at these Olympics. Following a 5-3 loss to the United States during preliminary play, Canada faced questions and an uphill battle in its bid to meet Canadians’ high expectations. The Canadian squad came through, however, rattling off four straight wins, including Sunday’s overtime thriller over the U.S.
While some Olympic officials may have felt Canada fell short of the “Own the Podium” goal, the Vancouver Olympics was a shining event for the country. It was our best Olympic showing ever and, despite some early criticisms and challenges posed by weather, Vancouver did an admirable job in hosting the world’s biggest event.
And our athletes — all of them — made us proud.
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