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Own the podium has become a national embarasment
February 21, 2010 - 11:49am
-_-
How sad.
Big Push From Canada Is Not Panning OutMellisa Hollingsworth, a favorite for a gold medal in skeleton, cried when she finished fifth on Friday. “I feel like I let my whole country down,” Hollingsworth said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/sports/olympics/21podium.html
Actually, what is not "sad" is Canada's actual performance. Canada is doing well (four gold -- and eight total -- medals so far).
The only thing that may be "sad" about the Olympics from Canada's perspective is, perhaps, over-optimistic expectations.
Besides, most of the medals have yet to be won.
110 million dollars later, it doesn't look like we own the podium to me
Turin 2006 Olympic medal count
Germany - 29 medals
USA - 25 medals
Canada - 24 medals - Third
Vancouver 2010 Olympic medal count so far
USA - 23 medals
Germany - 14 medals
Norway - 11 medals
Korea - 9 medals
Canada - 8 medals - Fifth
I hear a bit of an interview with a Norwegian skier who said he was told that he could not practice skiing with the Canadians because they were on a own-the-podium mission and the Canadians did not want to give away their secrets. Norway's skier said this was absurd because the best way to improve is skiing with the best - the international exposure is where you learn to excel.
"podium - odium" yet another aspect of this awful corporate circus
Own the podium 2010
Own the Podium 2010 (OTP) is a sport technical initiative designed to help Canada become the number one nation in terms of medals won at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and to place in the top three countries overall at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/about-vanoc/own-the-podium/
NR, we are at the halfway mark,
and the chief of Own the Podium himself noted before the Games that the first half contained many fewer potential medal wins for Canada than the second, and hence predicted that Germany would lead Canada by 2-1 at this point
exactly correct
he predicted that Canada would then surge and likely finish 2nd-3rd overall
now, I think it is foolish to bet on winning everything or sky-high totals or esp. putting much emotion into that kind of thing, but you DO have to compare apples with apples, that is, a completed Games (Torino) with the same at vancouver (still a week away) ....
Also, $110 million dollars, with the way dollars are thrown around these days, doesn't seem like much to me.
I could care less if Canada came 1st or 101st.
Any program that makes a Canadian athlete think she has let down her country Canada because she finished fifth on the planet in her sport is wrong, wrong, wrong.
But the overall cost of the games - $6 billion is what I've heard - is absolutely bloody ridiculous given the social needs of the city, the province, and the country.
Sorry for the rant, you know how I feel about this.
On another note, Canada will likely win hockey and curling gold, and curling is the only game that matters.
well, are you then against having number-ordered competitions, ie, where people finish 1-2-3 etc in a world competition??
I agree, no one has to feel bad about anything less -- and the 2 Olympic athletes I have known, and who finished way back, are unbelievable physical talents -- but no athlete is going there and competing to finish 37th, believe me
:D
You betcha!
Martin won last night against Murdoch.
If she feels she let Canada down, respect her feelings. I personally feel that she let me down. I had so much invested in her. Fiscally speaking, that is.
This whole board is a national embarrassment nothing nbut whining moaning and complaining against canada all day long by well paid separatists obviously.
This board is the Fox news of Canada.
Keep censoring my posts wimps.
The latest incarnation of this gentleman is gone.
Frkn Harris's agism on CTV curling reporting is really getting on my nerves, he needs to be removed from his reporting on curling position and never allowed near a mic on national TV ever again.
And perhaps even a discrimination charge against him at a human rights commission should occur. And yes, I am very serious about this and may contact BC Civil Liberties Association on Monday in this respect.
Skater Rouchette's mother died last night from a heart attack, right after flying into Vancouver to watch her daughter skate next week.
.......condolences go out to the family....
I enjoyed that game, I think curling is my favorite as well.
I'm also a little puzzled as to how Canada (or any host country) can admit so openly to such an agenda, which so clearly goes against the spirit of good sporting (sportsmanship). It's like an open admission about what the games are really about, contrary to all the internationalist pomp and circumstance. If this is an accepted Olympic ethic and practice, then doesn't that suggest that the host selection process also is corrupt?
What I mean to say is, if that kind of agenda is specifically allowed, then doesn't that make the selection of the host country all that more loaded?
personally, I see nothing wrong with it, if you are going to go down the Olympic trail in the first place....as every country expends millions to see their athletes win, so why in hell should Canada be any different....?
It is as I have always understood Olympics to be, crass competition between all the countries, it used to be much worse between communist and capitalist countries with each trying to prove they were better at bringing "true" athletes forward, as opposed to the monied few.
That is a pretty meaningless number unless you put it in context.
What is the revenue? NBC for example spent a fortune for the television rights and is spending big buck on the production. What are the operating costs of the games? Is there an operating deficit?
What are the capital costs and what is their long term value? The Sea to Sky Highway was due for an upgrade, The Canada Line has is running with high usage. The Richmond Oval is well suited for its conversion into a recreational centre. Woodwards is a major housing and community redevelopment that was part of the Olympic package. On the other side did Vancouver need another curling facility. And finally what were the infrastructure choices that were pushed back.
Has there been serious wasteful spending? The Athletes Village obviously is a major cost overrun. There was also significant expenditure on tickets for politicians.
Community displacement. Commentators from the DTES on the radio yesterday spoke about how they were generally relieved about the impact on the community. However this is something that only can be measured properly after the games. I have no doubt that there will be a gazillion social engineers studying the issue.
A team's objective to win as many medals as possible is contrary to "the spirit of good sporting"? Is there any team at the Olympics whose objective is not to win as many medals as possible?
Clue: The whole objective of competitive sports is to beat your opponents...playing by the rules, yes, but beating them nonetheless.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!!
There is a direct relationship between the amount of money countries spend on their elite athletes and how many medals they bring home. Check this link for more details. Very poor countries bring home no medals because they can't afford to spend money on their athletes. I find it bizarre that people who claim to have progressive views would defend spending on such an elitist and corporatist cause.
If you're interested in promoting healthy living, it would be far better to give the money to minor sport directly.
I have no money spending money on the science of sport where we can figure out how to make people fitter and healthier. I'm not a fan of having my tax dollars go to some "Own the Podium" program where money goes to athletes so they can win gold medals and eventually gain endorsements from sponsors.
Own the podium has been more of a USA approach to winning. Canada used to used another approach. Have we changed our Canadian nature in such a short period of time. This term "own-the-podium" reminds me of an approach some self-help or marketing guru such as Tony Tobbins would use.
The program should have been called "buy the podium".
Less than 1 hour to game time.
Halfway through the Winter Games, the United States dealing in heavy medal
To now, though, Canada has had to cope with logistical glitches and lagging medal production as Team USA has burst to its most productive Winter Olympics start ever and on trajectory to win the overall medal count for the first time since the 1932 Lake Placid Games.
With 23 medals in the first eight days of competition, through Saturday, the U.S. was nine trinkets ahead of Germany, 12 from Norway and 15 past Canada, which at least has its sense of humour intact.
As late as Friday, Canada led the competition in fourth- and fifth-place finishes.
"We have always been a fourth to be reckoned with," joked Chris Rudge, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/725822
I can't even see the game in HD -- but at least it's on.
The US is lucky to have the lead after one period.
Try reading what I said, as opposed to what you think I said.....hint it starts with "if"
Have been opposed to the Olympics all along for decades actually now...however in the Olympic framework mentality there is not a damn thing wrong with paying to win....
what is wrong is the whole damn thing, so keep your "not progressive" nonsense to yourself, it is boring, and a personal attack, which is decidedly not progressive in itself....
Oops. I guess we got outbid for the podium.