Congratulations Alexandre Bilodeau for winning the first gold medal on Canadian soil. Whew, what a relief. Now the nation can finally relax knowing that we have achieved this seemingly elusive and momentous goal...at least that's what every talking head on CTV, TSN, TSN2, Sportsnet and every other media outlet of the vast Globemedia empire has been telling us. Bow down to the Globe.
If you're like me, you get caught up in the excitement of Olympic competition, even if it comes from events that we might otherwise ignore in our local paper on our way to looking up the latest NHL standings. There is something about these games that capture the imagination and elevate sports competition to something more profound.
The Olympics also reveal something of an ugly side to international competition and competition in general: the obsession with winners and losers. Such an attitude has always been the trademark of our neighbors to the south, and Canadians in general have always found this mindset to be a bit presumptuous. Patriotism is a notion that makes us squirm on our chesterfields as we snack on Timbits whilst sipping a cold Canadian.
That seems to have changed with the Vancouver Olympics. The media rhetoric has shifted from "wish our athletes well" to "own the podium." For the past year or so, every story of every athlete in every competition has been about who will win the first gold on Canadian soil. As the games drew closer, the discussion reached a fever pitch, until finally on Day 1 of competition Darren Dutchyshen, a TSN anchor most notable for his ability to talk for 30 minutes straight without drawing a breath or blinking, proclaimed that a gold medal for Canada in Vancouver was 'inevitable'.
I guess what I find unsettling about all this Canadian smack talk is that, well, it's Canadian smack talk. Sure, I would love to see Canadian athletes achieve great things, but I can also appreciate that there are 30 million other Canadians who will not be donning spandex jumpsuits, careening down an ice track, soaring off a mountain ramp or flipping our partners through the air to the tune of Songbird. So yes, as trite as it may sound, just getting to the Olympics is a significant victory in and of itself.
Hey, I'm all for aiming high, but it really irks me when the media bobbleheads prattle on about how close Jennifer Heil came to gold. As if that was the only story angle worthy of discussion. Sure, I wanted it, and I'm fairly certain Jennifer wanted it, but it's Olympic freakin' silver, not 99th place. I didn't see any shame on her face.
For me the highlight of the Vancouver games thus far was Kristina Groves, the Canadian speedskater who won bronze in an event that was not even her strength. You could see pure joy in her face as well as immense pride. Anyone who watched her team-mate Clara Hughes win any medal in any event she'd ever competed in, would recognize that reaction. It's no surprise Clara was chosen as the flag bearer for Canada. Not only because of her bold competitive spirit, but that she has always accepted the results with a blushing grace and a jubilant smile.
I think it's important to support our nation's athletes, to cheer them on with passion, but also to celebrate their victories be they personal bests or any one of the three medals. As a nation we have to get over this notion that humility and grace somehow equals weakness and failure. Let the athletes do what they do best without the added pressure of some media contrived conception that winning a piece of metal within your own borders is the only worthy form of validation.
No matter the outcome, our athletes have done us proud simply by having the courage, determination and heart to take on the world's best. The reward for such an audacious act is far more valuable than a forged chunk of metal.
Go Canada.
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