Canada & the Olympics... | Golden Skate

Canada & the Olympics...

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
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....
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
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?
 

Medusa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
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....

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.

I didn't know the Olympics was only about winning medals.
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.

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.
 

fumie_fumie

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
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/imagedocs.nsf/updateframesetcall?openform&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.
 

Wrlmy

Medalist
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
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.

Including Georgia?;)
 

Medusa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
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.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
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.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
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....
 

dutchherder

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
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.
 

Winnipeg

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 30, 2007
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.
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
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...
 

fumie_fumie

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
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.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Gold in men's eight! Trampoline coming up!

The Wall Street Journal had a run-down today on, "Which countries have the most gold medals per million capita:"

Slovakia: .5507
Georgia: .4305
Mongolia: .3388
Australia: .2447
Czech Republic: .1955
Finland: .1909
Switzerland: .1324
Azerbaijan: .1231
South Korea: .1223
Italy: .1032
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Okay I am Feeling Better Now

Go Canada!! Everyone in Canada is breathing a sigh of relief as we have recovered from our medal drought. All I can say is Kudos to the athletes who "stepped up to the plate" and to those who gave it their all.

Thanks to all of our athletes!


:clap::clap:
 

Tigger

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
It never fails. Every Olympics the same old song gets sung about "Why are we funding these Elite Athletes when we've got so many obese kids out there that we need to help?". It is a proven fact that whenever the Olympics end, the sports that we do well in get a boost in kids joining or wanting to join the respective clubs. I forget how much enrollment went up after Atlanta at Rowing Clubs across the country for example.

You see...There's the little thing called Inspiration that comes into play here. Kids see these sports, see Canadians doing well in them and think, "Wow!! That looks really neat and if they can do that, maybe I can too." There's a trickle down effect from World Championships and Olympic Games that is a huge factor when it comes to Amateur Sports in this country. For instance, we're now in a time frame in Figure Skating w/the group of the Cream of the Crop of the Skaters competiting at Canadians who, when you ask them, will say they were inspired by that fantastic event that happened 20 years ago in Calgary.

Mind you, not all of those kids will end up being the next Carol Huhyn (I hope I spelled her name right) or Adam Van Koverdam. However, when you've got kids who want to give something like Rowing a shot, when all that kid normally does is sit in front of the TV/Computer after seeing it during the Coverage of the Olympics...Why not take that inspiration and run w/it.

The problem is though, are these fees to join the Clubs, then for the equipment and then coaching fees. We need to overhaul the Grassroots system and do something to allow these kids who are inspired to try some of these sports, but can't afford the fees. I was so impressed listening to Carol's first Coach being interviewed along w/her in the Studio. If a kid couldn't afford the fees, then he had them help him get in his wood for the winter or help him do something else. It doesn't matter to him if a kid can't afford the fees because he will not turn away one kid who wants to join his club and give Wrestling a try.

We need more Coaches like that, but at the same time, it's sad that the grass roots Coaches have to come up w/ideas like that to keep the kids w/the passion and drive in the sport. There's got to be a better way to fund Sport in this Country. It's a proven fact an active society is a healthy society and that a person who is active in childhood stays active through their lives.

I just don't know what the answer is to that problem is. :sad:

I also just want to tear my hair out during the first week of the Summer Games. That's another one that never fails!!! It's always gloom and doom until that first weekend and the Rowing Finals happen. We had people visiting us and asking me, "Well, you must be disappointed in our showing so far.." and then shocked when I said I wasn't. Since I follow Amateur Sport all the time instead of just two weeks every two years, I'm educated when it comes to what sports we're really great in.

As soon as I saw the Beijing Schedule, I *knew* what would happen during that first week of the Games and sure enough... For once, I wish the Media would do responisble reporting and explain to Canada that there is a reason why we weren't bringing in medals that first week over there. That just doesn't produce the big headlines though.

What's really sad though is that we're about to head into that time between Games when nobody gives a crap about the majority of our Athletes. My Brother in Law once asked me when I was celebrating a World Title in Alpine Skiing a few years ago why I cared about our Amateur Athletes. I shot back w/, "Why do you only care once every four years?" He couldn't answer me because he knew I had a point and a good one at that.

It's all well and good for everyone to be happy when our Athletes win in the Olympics, but it's the four years inbetween when those medals are won. I realize here in North America the Pro Sports get the majority of the headline coverage, but why can't Rowing, Kayaking, Skeleton/Luge, Bobsled...what have you, get equal coverage? I don't buy the "No one's interested in it outside of the Olympics" excuse. When we have company and I'm watching...For example, a major Rowing regatta on the CBC, they'll end up being glued to the TV and really getting into it.

I realize Amateur Sport has to contend w/the Pros here in NA, but if they were properly promoted and covered the way they should be and deserve to be, then maybe more people would get interested outside of those once every two weeks every two/four years. Once again...I have no idea how to make this reality.

And now...I'll step off of my soapbox and thanks to those who have actually made it all the way down that epic to here and the end!! :)
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
It never fails. Every Olympics the same old song gets sung about "Why are we funding these Elite Athletes when we've got so many obese kids out there that we need to help?". It is a proven fact that whenever the Olympics end, the sports that we do well in get a boost in kids joining or wanting to join the respective clubs. I forget how much enrollment went up after Atlanta at Rowing Clubs across the country for example.

You see...There's the little thing called Inspiration that comes into play here. Kids see these sports, see Canadians doing well in them and think, "Wow!! That looks really neat and if they can do that, maybe I can too." There's a trickle down effect from World Championships and Olympic Games that is a huge factor when it comes to Amateur Sports in this country. For instance, we're now in a time frame in Figure Skating w/the group of the Cream of the Crop of the Skaters competiting at Canadians who, when you ask them, will say they were inspired by that fantastic event that happened 20 years ago in Calgary.

Mind you, not all of those kids will end up being the next Carol Huhyn (I hope I spelled her name right) or Adam Van Koverdam. However, when you've got kids who want to give something like Rowing a shot, when all that kid normally does is sit in front of the TV/Computer after seeing it during the Coverage of the Olympics...Why not take that inspiration and run w/it.

The problem is though, are these fees to join the Clubs, then for the equipment and then coaching fees. We need to overhaul the Grassroots system and do something to allow these kids who are inspired to try some of these sports, but can't afford the fees. I was so impressed listening to Carol's first Coach being interviewed along w/her in the Studio. If a kid couldn't afford the fees, then he had them help him get in his wood for the winter or help him do something else. It doesn't matter to him if a kid can't afford the fees because he will not turn away one kid who wants to join his club and give Wrestling a try.

We need more Coaches like that, but at the same time, it's sad that the grass roots Coaches have to come up w/ideas like that to keep the kids w/the passion and drive in the sport. There's got to be a better way to fund Sport in this Country. It's a proven fact an active society is a healthy society and that a person who is active in childhood stays active through their lives.

I just don't know what the answer is to that problem is. :sad:

I also just want to tear my hair out during the first week of the Summer Games. That's another one that never fails!!! It's always gloom and doom until that first weekend and the Rowing Finals happen. We had people visiting us and asking me, "Well, you must be disappointed in our showing so far.." and then shocked when I said I wasn't. Since I follow Amateur Sport all the time instead of just two weeks every two years, I'm educated when it comes to what sports we're really great in.

As soon as I saw the Beijing Schedule, I *knew* what would happen during that first week of the Games and sure enough... For once, I wish the Media would do responisble reporting and explain to Canada that there is a reason why we weren't bringing in medals that first week over there. That just doesn't produce the big headlines though.

What's really sad though is that we're about to head into that time between Games when nobody gives a crap about the majority of our Athletes. My Brother in Law once asked me when I was celebrating a World Title in Alpine Skiing a few years ago why I cared about our Amateur Athletes. I shot back w/, "Why do you only care once every four years?" He couldn't answer me because he knew I had a point and a good one at that.

It's all well and good for everyone to be happy when our Athletes win in the Olympics, but it's the four years inbetween when those medals are won. I realize here in North America the Pro Sports get the majority of the headline coverage, but why can't Rowing, Kayaking, Skeleton/Luge, Bobsled...what have you, get equal coverage? I don't buy the "No one's interested in it outside of the Olympics" excuse. When we have company and I'm watching...For example, a major Rowing regatta on the CBC, they'll end up being glued to the TV and really getting into it.

I realize Amateur Sport has to contend w/the Pros here in NA, but if they were properly promoted and covered the way they should be and deserve to be, then maybe more people would get interested outside of those once every two weeks every two/four years. Once again...I have no idea how to make this reality.

And now...I'll step off of my soapbox and thanks to those who have actually made it all the way down that epic to here and the end!! :)

Well said. I might just add that as a nation though geographically Canada is large, but small in population compared to the Super powers we did okay at the summer games. We are not by nature a "flag waving" nation, so whether or not we win medals at the Olympics becomes relative. We are proud of our athletes no matter where they place. More attention is paid to winter sports here than summer sports so our summer Olympic athletes often don't get alot of support. Most of them have to pay for their training and other costs.

Congratulations to all who did their best at the Summer games.
 
Top