Well here we go again - another slow start to the medal count for Canada. I think we should forget about the summer Olympics and just concentrate on the winter games. We are better at winter sports anyway. It would save us tax payers a lot of change!! Canada should just hold some kind of national summer games like the Canada Games and forget the summer Olympics.
All the best to our athletes, anyway....
Just because our athletes arn't winning medals dosn't mean they're not competative or doing well. We've had quite a few swimmers make it to the finals of various races. And our strongest events havn't handed out medals, alot of the inital medal count has to do with the schedual of the events. We're not being blown out or embarassed so I see no problem with sending as many athletes as we can. Why deny the summer sports athletes in the country a chance to compete at the Olys just because they probably won't get a medal, but have a chance of finishing top 10?
I didn't know the Olympics was only about winning medals.
It's the same with Germany, yesterday morning I was like "Jeez, this is embarrassing - we were at the top of the medal standings in Torino, didn't matter if you counted the medals like the US or like the Europeans." At that point we had collected a measly Bronze and Silver, both in diving. We improved on that in the last 24 hours, collecting 6 Golds and another Bronze - but compared to Winter-Germany's performances it's still a bit, well, average.Originally Posted by Ladskater
Of course it's not. I don't think people mean it that seriously (can't speak for ladskater though). You should read the French newspapers, there are lots of articles about their enormous affinity to silver these days, they worry a bit, but they also make fun of it.I didn't know the Olympics was only about winning medals.
One of the French newspapers suggested that we should start as one country and count all the medals of the European Union together. 20 Golds, 23 Silver, 21 Bronzes so far, not too bad, isn't it? And it wouldn't be that unfair, there are only half a billion people in the European Union - that's way less than the Chinese have.
Have faith, Canada. Kayaking is coming up!
OMG!
Canadians cyclists have been phenomenal.
Ryder HESJEDAL posted best ever showing as a Canadian in Tour de France since Steve Bauer in 1970's. He finished the TdF time trial (called the race of Truth) with 13th best time check. This came a few days after he helped his team captain Chris Vande Valde get through the Alp d'Huez, the most grueling mountain stage in tour de france, when Chris came unglued and lost valuable minutes to other TdF contenders.
Ryder's home page.
http://www.ryderhesjedal.ca/
Ryder at his absolute best in TdF time trial
http://www.grahamwatson.com/gw/image...form&08tdfSt20
Other notable Canadians
Mike Barry finished 8th in road cycling in Beijing his is also a pro with CSC team
Svein Tuft finished 7th in time trial in Beijing.
Other Canadian achievements
Pro team CSC of Denmark won yellow, white jersey and team classification riding Canadian bike Cervelo at this year's TOUR.
Olympics is a major sporting event, but there are other significant events where Canadians are doing just fine.
Including Georgia?
Nope, that's not European Union (I guess it will stop being Georgia at some time in the near future too). I was only counting the medals of the 27 member states. That means that Switzerland or Norway aren't included either.Including Georgia?
Don't get me wrong folks, I know the Olympics is supposed to be about the journey and just the thrill of being there. I just found out tonight that our poor athletes had their funding cut by our illustrious leaders a couple of years ago - I was not aware of this. They have to train and get to the Olympics pretty much on their own dime. Our Government now just started funding them again - likely because of the 2010 Games being held in here in Vancouver. It's a pretty tall order to expect these athletes to bring home medals when they hardly get any support from the home front. The US and probably China get corporate funding for their athletes to train and compete.
My point is our tax dollars could be spent in other more needed areas, such as health care (nursing and dr. shortage here), transportation and road improvement and a miriad of other problems (homeless, etc.) rather than sending athletes to compete in the Olympics. It just seems like a waste of tax payers money to me.
Winning medals is not that important to me - seeing people have enough to eat and a roof over their heads and get proper health care far out weighs any Olympic gold medal and a few minutes of glory.
--that's my point.
American athletes get to the top on their own dime as well. There are many documented cases of athletes who were forced to quit because of cost for their families in the US. Only the very best typically get sponsored. Of course, someone like Michael Phelps gets sponsored or Gay or Marion Jones before she got caught doping....
Yikes, I don't know, Ladskater. The Olympics is a part of culture. Culture is very important. It doesn't keep us alive like food and shelter do, but it certainly makes us feel as though we are living.
I work in a very financially strapped public school district, where many have said that we should eliminate all our extracurriculars in order to use the money for "more important things". The thing is-- the extras are what give the school its identity, its pride. We may be a school in fiscal emergency, but we have a nationally recognized theatre troupe, and those students have gone on to do some great things. We have a nationally recognized chamber chorus as well whose members have gone on to do big things-- one of them is named Johnny Stephens, but you might know him better as John Legend. So-- should we get rid of the entire program because we have produced one John Legend and not 20? I don't think so.
Don't get me wrong-- essentials are, well, essential-- but we need things like the Olympics to brighten the corners of our lives. The Olympic spirit is not about medal counts; it's about doing your very best and making your life count.
I guess society needs to decide what is the best way to spend tax dollars because they are finite and limited.
I support athletics programs for all kids because I think exercise is great for mental and physical well being,as well as self-confidence and/or team work. However, once it gets to the level of elite athletes, it is the athlete who has the potential to gain a lot from winning at the Olympics - sponsorships, scholarships, money money etc. so why should they not be required to pay for most of their training?
Tax dollars could be used to build infrastructure for training sites - then concentrate national camps in those locations to maximize efficency. As well, the other citizens also could have access to facilities to exercise and maintain health.
and rowing........................and diving, trampoline, triathlon
I don't mind tax dollers funding high level athletes. It does tie into culture and I like to watch Canadians compete, wether they win or not. The non-medal spots have to be filled by someone. Now if some of the sports funding could be diverted from hockey into the soccer program...
I agree with Winnipeg and Silver.blades basically.
And besides, the government do waste tonnes of tax money!!!! The government has spent a heck of lot of money on useless things, i.e. designer dresses for Governer General or on her state visits to Russia to promote Canadian Literature, duh. The Government must be on crack or something to think anyone from Russia really gives a damm about Canadian literature. What a bunch of pathethics to come up with such a lame execuse to justify their free overseas trips!!
So, all in all, I don't mind a fraction of governor general's wardrobe budgets going to the athletes.
When you look at the overall standings in all disciplines, Canada is not doing too badly. We made a lot of top 10. Being always "so-close" seems to be running in the vein of Canadians, oh well.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks