This was to be the year of ‘No Excuses’ for the Canadian Olympic team. Prior to this year’s winter Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Committee actually went out on a limb and predicted 25 medals for Canadian athletes at Turino. For those of you unaware of Canadian athletics, Canadian athletes have always complained about the lack of government funding and used the lack of funding as their excuse for doing so poorly at the Olympics (both summer and winter). Well the issue of funding was dealt with, especially for the winter sports, and the Canadian Olympic Committee promised Canadians that this was the year of ‘No More Excuses’ and that our medal total would reach 25 in Turino. They even called the program OWN THE PODIUM. I almost believed the lie - almost!Why won’t we live up to the medal expectations? Because we are Canadians damnit and our athletes don’t really want to put it all on the line to win - it is far easier to bitch and complain - in fact this is our national past time - too bad their wasn’t an Olympic event for whining.
I just finished watching the speed skating team-pursuit event in which two teams, of three people each, race around the track and the first team across the line wins. Canada was in the finals in both the women's and men's events. We were guaranteed at least a silver in each and since the Canadian men's team held the current world record there was a fair chance for gold with an outside chance for two gold medals. What did we walk away with - the minimum possible outcome - two silvers. 
In both the women's and men's events the opposing teams (Italians in men's and Germans in women's) left nothing on the ice. At the end of the race the opposing teams were exhausted - to the point of almost puking. For a long time the winning teams were more interested in getting air into their lungs then they were over the fact that they had captured the gold. The Canadians - well they were fine thank you. It looked like they saved a wee bit so that they could be the first to proudly raise the Canadian flag, all the while skating around the rink smiling at the CBC cameras. The Canadians weren’t exhausted - no they were laughing and happy. After all - they captured second place! Why didn’t the Canadians put it all on the line to win gold?
To answer that question you have to understand the Canadian mentality. In any competition we are happy just ‘to do our personal best’. We don’t need to win to feel good about ourselves - in fact winning is something we don’t do - unless we fluke out. In almost every Olympic event where a Canadian current world record holder was a participant, the Canadian didn’t take gold as you might expect. In fact, most didn’t even take away a medal. Understand - Canadians are happy with second - or third - or just to be there. In fact we are ecstatic even if we are 18th - as long as we beat the dreaded U.S. of A. - even if it is in some obscure event such as Mongolian Midget Tossing.
It drives me crazy how, as a nation, we are content with simply ‘doing our best’. There is no true competitive spirit in Canada. We are much happier being loved by all nations and wouldn’t want to jeopardise that feeling by actually winning a competition, or as we see it, beating someone in a competition. No More Excuses? Wrong, there is always one more excuse - that being; Excuse me, I Am Canadian.
3 comments:
Trekreb - I know Canada is a great country. It's the people who live here that drive me nuts. See my next post about the great Canadian tradition of brewing beer.
Records are meant to be broken. Just because a Canadian held the world record doesnt mean they can do it again in the Olympics. Some people train only for the Olympics so that all other competitions are just treated as training or may not include the level of talent that draws people to the Olympics. Every country there is doing their personal best and really thats all you can do. Of course they are going to say they are happy - everyone does. It doesnt really mean thats how they feel, it is just the politically correct thing to say(Not only in Canada). Besides I don't see you out there trying to win any golds - your just doing you personal best day to day right?
Well (M), there you are wrong. If they awarded Gold medals for my profession I would have won enough to fill a treasure chest. Unfortunately, in our society today we fail to recognize the efforts of people who are out there trying to make a difference in the world. It is a sad fact about our current society but that is another rant for another day. I'm not saying athletes can't be pleased with doing their personal best - what I questioned is why they didn't lay it all on the line. For the most part, every day I go home I know I put it all on the line - I rarely go home wishing that I had tried harder. My personal best is not enough if someone needs or demands more. That is why I am so burnt out by midweek not to mention by the end of the school year. My only reward (and it is enough) is the personal satisfaction of knowing I did lay it all on the line and the occasional double snow day off inbetween summers off.
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