Team Canada

I have been watching a lot of the Olympic coverage, and like most people I watch it during prime time. Ron MacLean is the host of prime time, as usual, and it got me to thinking... What are we going to do in 2010?

As most of you know CBC lost the broadcasting rights of both the 2010 and 2012 Olympics to CTV and Rogers Media. No real surprise there considering everything else CTV has purchased from under CBC's nose: Curling, CFL Football, The Olympics, and more recently the "theme." In CBC's defense they did just purchase the Canadian Broadcasting rights to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy from under CTV's nose. (Take that CTV!)

Anyway... What this means is that in 2010, 22 years since CTV last had the rights to an Olympics, the Olympics won't be aired on CBC, and more importantly we won't have Ron MacLean greeting us every evening as our host. Another fear I have is that what we are going to be listening to Brian Williams (Not to be confused with the American news anchor) in the prime time spot instead. To which I say Boooo!

(Is it just me or does he seem to still be REALLY pissed about Ben Johnson and the 1988 steroids debacle)

I can't imagine the Olympics without Ron MacLean. I don't want to. I won't.

Anyway... back to the main topic of this piece. Great or Greatest sports broadcaster/anchor of all time. (Sorry Ron Burgundy, but he has you beat... you too Costas)

From his spot with Don Cherry on Coaches Corner, his constant arguments with Garry Bettman, his interviews, his commentary, his knowledge and yes... even his dry humor. Who else even comes close to him? No one.

In fact he has my vote for next commissioner of the NHL. Anyone else?

Ron is well on his way to winning his 5th Gemini for Best Sports Broadcaster, which will be Gemini #9 in total. He's had me watching men's and women's gymnastics for god's sake. I have never been so enthralled with swimming, and how the Olympians are breaking, sorry smashing, all the world records.

Mr. Hockey Night In Canada.

Mr. Olympic Prime Time.

Multi-Gemini award winner.

Referee.

Sports fan.

Genius. I think so.

The Olympics is about sportsmanship, perseverance, pure athletic ability, national and international unity, and a sense of kinship among all people.

This article touches on none of those subjects. This article is to tide over a Canadian boy waiting for our first medal. Which, by the way will be won tonight (tomorrow in Beijing) in the pool. When the men swim the 4X200m relay. (You heard it here first)

Still though, no medals for Canadian Athletes at these, the 2008 Summer games in Beijing. No medals, but bragging rights for one Canadian athlete.

That athlete being Alexandra Orlando.

I was standing in line at the grocery store picking up milk, and bread. (Of course…You always think you have enough when you don't. Or you always think you need it when you don't. Isn't that a Jerry Seinfeld bit or something?)

Anyway...I was waiting my turn, standing around, looking at all the chocolate bars I wanted, and then I started the usual time waster when standing in lines. Magazine browsing.

You get your usual fix of ridiculousness out of the way first. "Riots: Toilet Paper Shortage," or "Oprah: The Alien Who Wants To Help." Then you move to other magazines, like People and Us to see who's adopting what kid from where or "Who's Bikini Bod Is All Bad." when I happened to see the cover of Chatelaine magazine. (Chataline is a Canadian Women's magazine for those of you who are interested)

Of course, you guessed it. Canadian Olympic rhythm gymnast Alexandra Orlando was donning the cover for the month of August. (Along with two other Canadian Olympians)

Normally that would be the end of the story, however when I returned home and flipped the Olympics on they were showing gymnastics. The men’s, not women’s. Just before the commercial break I was reminded to check CBC's website for some athlete blogs. Hey, why not, I was after all watching men’s team gymnastics. (In my defense they were flipping between that and swimming)

So, whose name popped out at me? You guess it. Alexandra Orlando. I decided I would type her name into Google to see what else I could find out about her. (Don't tell me you haven't done anything like that before. Bunch of liars)

To my surprise I found a couple of sites that happened to catch my eye. One being WebTvHub's "The 50 Most Beautiful Women of the 2008 Beijing Olympics" and an article from The Independent, that states "World-class pin-ups: Meet the Olympic contenders for the gold medal in glamour."

In their defense (and mine) I will quote The Independent; "In Beijing, it's speed, strength and stamina that matter. But in the age of the sports star, glamour counts, too."

Now there aren't any other Canadians in the top 50 of WebTVHub's list.  However, we did manage to take the golden spot in the list. That's right. Alexandra Orlando is #1.

I did find it shocking that no other Canadian made the list, which is dominated by American athletes. After watching Canada, and specifically Lauren Bay Regula, who pitched a one hitter through five innings, to defeat Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 6-1; I found it hard to believe she didn't crack the top 50. She is after all, the younger sister of the newest Boston Red Sox, left fielder Jason Bay. That's got to score her some points.

In all seriousness, as I mentioned before the Olympics is about athletic ability and international unity. Still these articles (this one included) are more for fun... and beautiful, talented women. There can't be anything wrong with that.

So keep Day 13 in mind and circled in your calendar. It's when Rhythmic Gymnastics and our own Alexandra Orlando goes for the real gold. Go Canada!

Okay. Admit it. We all do some pretty wacky things when we’re drunk, and it’s not our fault. Whether it be sliding down the stairs on a mattress, streaking through the quad into the gymnasium, or puking on a peacock, we’ve all been “that girl/guy.” But Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated wrote an article while he was apparently completely shitfaced, which is something even I have never done.

You can read the drunken ramblings here.

First of all, let me mention that Sports Illustrated ranks up there with Damian Cox and Erin Andrews in crappy attempts at sports reporting. Sure, SI is great if you want to know the entire life story of every NCAA basketball or football player. Ever. Or if you want to fawn over some very fancy and expensive swimsuits (but obviously not the foreign supermodels wearing them… right?), but when it comes to any sport not on the radar of middle America, then you’re better off reading Wikipedia.

With a mere 550 days until the Vancouver Games begin, I think I should put on my Sumi/Miga/Quatchi shirt, light my replica Olympic torch and set Mr. Muir straight.

First of all, WTF is with his top line of Iginla-Crosby-Heatley? Was this guy even watching the WHC this year??? It would be bat-shit Britney Spears-style crazy to break up the Getzlaf-Nash-Heatley line. As for “silky smooth” Lecavalier? He’s skating on thin ice (forgive the pun) with Team Canada execs. Sure he’s had above average seasons in the NHL and flashes of brilliance in international competition, but he’s never ascended to the “Michael Jordan of hockey” greatness projected when he entered the league. Time is running out for him to prove himself as more that just an above-average player, or else he could see his first class seat on a flight to Vancouver traded in for a flight to Vegas and enough Jack Daniels to drown his sorrows as he watches players that actually fulfill expectations take the ice for Canada.

On the plus side, Muir had the reigning Captain Canada Shane Doan on the list, who has rightly usurped the title from Ryan Smyth (the runner up in most tearful Edmonton Oiler press conferences of all time). Doan is definitely a lock, but Smyth seems destined to wallow in past-prime obscurity with pretty much every member of the Colorado Avalanche.

Contrary to what Muir believes, there are many Hockey Canada execs who are high on Jason Spezza (does that mean he’s a drug? I’d smoke that… ummm nevermind). There was a reason he was one of the reserve players brought to Torino. Between that experience and having more pressure on him at the Worlds this year, he’s been groomed for a roster spot, and it’s his to lose. When Canada lost to Russia in 2006, one of my memories from that night was seeing how beat up Spezza was about the loss, having to watch it and not being able to get on the ice and do anything about it. My bet is that by 2010 he’ll be chomping at the bit to get some revenge for Canada’s last 2 losses against the Red Army.

As for defense, it looks like Muir was pretty dead on. But come one, would anyone bet against guys like Dion Phaneuf, Chris Pronger and Jay Bouwmeester making the team? However, recent headline-maker and drama queen Dan Boyle looks like he’s past his expiry date, especially with guys like the Free Agent Frenzy winner Brian Campbell and Mike “shades of Bobby Orr” Green. The defense isn’t as set in stone as the offense, but it will be an interesting battle to get in.

In goal, I definitely back the choice of Roberto Luongo as the starter. He’s matured, refined his skills, and will be in his prime by the time the 2010 games roll around… barring the birth of another child. I sure hope his wife is on Alesse for the good of the country.

But Brodeur? Honestly? He’s not the not the goalie we used to know and sister-in-laws loved. His physical build is similar to Philip Seymour Hoffman, and they rank about the same level on my “potential creepy stalker” meter. Brodeur is done like a turkey dinner. No, Martin, you can’t have seconds!

I also believe that Mr. Muir is riding the Pineapple Express for his belief that Marc-Andre Fleury will be the 2nd back up. Sure! Let’s put a guy on the roster who’s scored on himself in the 2 most important games of his life! There’s no way this can backfire! You may say that he won’t even get to play in a game, but with the kind of luck Fleury has, Luongo’s wife will have another kid, our back up (Ward/Leclaire) will trip over a homeless guy on the streets of Vancouver, then Fleury will score the most fantastic lacrosse-style goal in overtime of the gold medal game… on himself. I hate the Habs, but I’d welcome Carey Price over black sheep Fleury any day.

Of course, you can’t talk team Canada without mentioning the coaches. Yeah, Babcock would be a great coach… if Team Canada was comprised entirely of Swedes. It may be a shocker, but when Wayne Gretzky is announced as head coach pretty soon, I’ll try to refrain from saying “I told you so.” And look for Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman to be behind the bench too, from what I’ve heard.

Last but not least, there’s the question of captain. Joe Sakic for sure, you say? I don’t think Team Canada wants a captain that tried to scurry back home and abandon his teammates in Italy after the loss in Torino. When the entire team was booked to stay until the last day of the Winter Games, Cap’n Joe wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, and didn’t care about being there to support his teammates, even though they had lost. Not exactly captain quality if you ask me.

Sidney Crosby? Please. Team Canada doesn’t need to sell more sweaters, so they don’t need to buy into the Crosby Fever that for some reason continues to rage. Anyone can tell you that Gary Roberts was the leader in the Penguins locker room, and Evgeni Malkin was the leader on the ice. Jonathan Toews is another kid named captain over more qualified veterans. He definitely has the international pedigree and leadership qualities, but that would be too much too soon.

The C will most likely go to Shane Doan. The previously mentioned Captain Canada is the epitome of what a captain, a hockey player, and most importantly, a Canadian should be. He’s not outrageous or outspoken, but he’s a diligent worker, knows when to talk in the locker room and exactly what to say. Most guys that have played with him share the Man Love for him, and I don’t blame them.

So there you have it. I’m not saying this is will all go down, but I’m extremely confident from what I’ve been hearing around the Hockey Canada circles. The roster will be announced just before Christmas next year… I already have my “I told you so” post ready.

And hey Allan, next time you’re feeling tipsy and literarily-inclined, fire off some dirty text messages to a hot co-worker. You won’t feel as stupid the next morning as you will when the 2010 roster is named.

Last night, I was watching CBC's coverage of Canadian swimmer Brent Hayden's decision to withdraw from the 200-metre freestyle semifinals. Then Ron MacLean mentioned that the final for the men's rowing eights would be broadcast in the middle of the night (3:50 a.m. Atlantic time).

At least that's what I thought he said.

Despite having to work the next morning, I decided to set my alarm clock and get up in the wee hours to watch the Canadian gold medal favourites try to win Canada's first medal of the Beijing Olympics.

3:50 a.m. came, far too quickly, and the TV was clicked on (turned down low, of course). Then, to my complete surprise, it wasn't the men's eights competing. It was the women!

Now, with all due respect to the Canadian women's rowing team, I was not exactly pleased to see this. The men's eights are considered a heavy gold medal favourite. The women's eights, not so much.

Did I mention that it was a preliminary heat and not the final?

Figuring that I was awake anyway, I decided to watch the women's heat. The Canadians finished third out of four boats and must race in the repechage on Wednesday to advance to the semis.

Despite all that, I enjoyed the race. Rowing is one of my favourite Olympic sports, and it was a pleasure to watch the four boats giving it their all, finding the mental strength to push forward (or, in their case, backward) while their bodies screamed for relief.

It's the allure of the Olympics and the thrill of international competition that hooks me every time. I find myself getting up at 7 a.m. to watch a field hockey match between South Korea and New Zealand, or a badminton match featuring a German and a Mexican.

These are sports that I would never watch under normal circumstances, especially if Canada is not involved, but somehow the Olympic banner and the prospect of best-on-best competition reels me in every time.

So, what drives me to get up in the middle of the night to watch a rowing competition? Even a hockey game would be hard-pressed to drag me out of bed at that hour.

It's the excitement of watching athletes, everyday human beings, from all over the world try to better themselves. Their ability captivates our imagination. Their drive and determination reflect what we would like to see in ourselves. And the goal of achievement is something that we can all identify with.

From: Imagine Winning Gold In Beijing
Sports Are 80 Percent Mental

Imagine winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.  No really, go ahead, close your eyes and visualize it.  What did you see?  Were you standing on the medal platform looking out at the crowd, waving and taking in the scene through your own eyes, or were you a spectator in the crowd watching yourself getting the medal put around your neck?  This choice between "first-person" or "third-person" visualization actually makes a difference on our motivation to achieve a future goal.


Noelia A. Vasquez, at York University and Roger Buehler, at Wilfrid Laurier University wanted to see if there was a link between our visualization perspective and our motivation level to achieve the imagined goal.  They asked 47 university students to imagine the successful completion of a performance task that was in their near future, whether it be a speech in a class or an upcoming athletic competition.  They were also asked to assume that the task went extremely well.  One group of students were asked to imagine this scene "through their own eyes" seeing the environment as they would actually experience it.  The second group was told to use the third-person perspective, pretending they were "in the crowd" watching themselves as others would see them achieving this goal.  Next, they were given a survey that asked each group how motivated they were to now go make this successful scene a reality. 


As hypothesized, the group that saw the scene through their audience's eyes (third-person) ranked their motivation to now succeed significantly higher than those that imagined it through their own eye (first-person).  The authors' explanation for this is the perceived additional importance attached to the task when we consider other peoples' opinion of us and our natural desire to increase our status in our peer group.  Seeing this newly elevated social acceptance and approval of ourselves from the eyes of our peers motivates us even more to reach for our goals.


The road to achievements like an Olympic gold medal is a long one with many steps along the way.  Over the years, as athletes maintain their training regimen, they can keep imagining the future goal, but they may need to also look back and recognize the improvements they have made over time.  This "progress to date" assessment will also provide motivation to keep going once they realize the hard work is actually having the desired effect and moving them along the desired path.  So, as they review their past to present progress, does the first or third person perspective make a difference there as well?


Researchers from Cornell, Yale and Ohio State, led by Thomas Gilovich, professor of psychology at Cornell, designed an experiment to find out.  They recruited a group of university students who had described their high-school years as "socially awkward" to now recall those years and compare them with their social skill in college.  The first group was asked to recall the past from a first-person perspective, just as their memories would provide them.  The second group was asked to remember themselves through the perspective of their classmates (third-person).  Next, each group was asked to assess the personal change they had accomplished since then.


As predicted, the group that had recalled their former selves in the third person reported greater progress and change towards a more social and accepted person in college than the group that remembered in the first-person.  "We have found that perspective can influence your interpretation of past events. In a situation in which change is likely, we find that observing yourself as a third person -- looking at yourself from an outside observer's perspective -- can help accentuate the changes you've made more than using a first-person perspective," says Gilovich.  "When participants recalled past awkwardness from a third-person perspective, they felt they had changed and were now more socially skilled," said Lisa K. Libby, an assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University. "That led them to behave more sociably and appear more socially skilled to the research assistant."


So, whether looking forward or backward, seeing yourself through other's eyes seems to provide more motivation to not only continue the road to success, but to appreciate the progress you have made. 


Then the actual day of competition arrives.  It is one hour before you take your position on the starting blocks at the "Bird's Nest" stadium in Beijing or on the mat at the National Indoor Stadium for the gymnastics final.  Should you be imagining the medal ceremony and listening to your country's national anthem at that point?  In a recent Denver Post article, Peter Haberl, senior sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympic Committee says, "It takes a great deal of ability and skill to stay focused on the task at hand."  He distinguishes between an "outcome" goal, (receiving the medal) and "performance" (improving scores/times) and "process" (improving technique) goals.  "The difference is that these types of goals are much more under the control of the athlete," explains Haberl. "The process goal, in particular, directs attention to the here and now, which allows the athlete to totally focus on the doing of the activity; this is key to performing well.  This sounds simple but it really is quite difficult because the mind takes you to the past and the future all the time, particularly in the Olympic environment with its plethora of distractions and enticing rewards." 


Mental imagery is a well-known tool for every athlete to make distant and difficult goals seem attainable.  By seeing your future accomplishments through the eyes of others, you can attach more importance and reward to achieving them.  Just imagine yourself in London in 2012!


Vasquez, N.A. (2007). Seeing Future Success: Does Imagery Perspective Influence Achievement Motivation?. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33(10), 1392-1405.


Libby, L.K., Eibach, R.P., Gilovich, T. (2005). Here's Looking at Me: The Effect of Memory Perspective on Assessments of Personal Change.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(1), 50-62. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.88.1.50

By Mary Beth Walker

The only female on Canada’s wheelchair rugby team, Erika Schmutz is heading to her first Paralympic Games eight years after being introduced to the sport in rehabilitation.

In 2000, she broke both arms and shattered her C7 vertebra when the car she was in collided with two moose.

When she heard the news that she would be competing in Beijing, her initial reaction was disbelief.

“Competition was fierce,” said Schmutz. “All I could think about was how eight years ago when I got hurt, I told my nurses one day I'd make it to the Paralympics and here I did it.”

Schmutz added though she’s disappointed she could not share the experience with her mother, who was one of her biggest fans, because she passed away in November.

Girl power

Three years ago, Schmutz was named the third female athlete to make Canada’s national wheelchair rugby team.

“We're lucky in Canada where they have supported female development and never made an issue of it,” Schmutz said. “I know of other countries where this isn't so.”

While the majority of athletes competing in wheelchair rugby at the Paralympic Games are men, countries have the option of entering a team of 11 male athletes, or a mixed team of 12 athletes with a minimum one female.

Schmutz said at times it can be a bit lonely being the only female on Canada’s wheelchair rugby team heading to Beijing.

“As much as I'm one of the guys and they talk of everything in front of me and we hang out as one large family, it's comparable to being the only female in an all male family,” she said. “Most of the time it's great; just now and then though you wish for a sister to talk to.”

Preparing for Beijing

For Schmutz preparing for Beijing is as much about the mental preparation as it is about being ready physically.

“I'm finding there is as much mental as physical training necessary for this pinnacle of competition,” Schmutz said. “The time away from home and family creates its own stress.”

Leading up to the Games, the team will be training and doing a bit of traveling, which on its own can be physically taxing. The team will be going from Melbourne to Beijing to Vancouver.

“With our team being spread across Canada when we do get together, it's very intense, for we know at this level it's the team that makes the least amount of mistakes that will win,” Schmutz said.

Aiming for their best

Wheelchair rugby made its way onto the Paralympic program in 1996 at the Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta, USA as a demo sport and became a competitive Paralympic sport at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Summer Games. Canada won the silver at the Athens 2004 Games and placed fourth in Sydney.

“Our only objective is to perform to the best of our abilities,” Schmutz said of her goals for Beijing. “We have been one of the top teams for the last five years and have as good a chance as any team to bring home gold. At this level, as for many sports, it's who performs the best on that given day. I think our country, coaching and support staff have given us the tools, now it's up to us to use them.”

Eight countries will compete this September at the Science and Technology Beijing Gymnasium for the wheelchair rugby gold medal. The Paralympic Summer Games open on Saturday September 6. The wheelchair rugby competition starts September 12, with the finals on September 16.

I've heard Oh Canada before just about every single sporting event I have been to and it never gets old. But those few times I get to hear it at the Olympic Games it just means so much more, like the athlete earned the right for it to be played so everyone in their country can hear it and everyone no matter what country they are from only gets to hear that anthem. I can only remember the Olympics back to 1994 in Lillehammer but each one has provided events that I will always remember, and reminds me of how fun it is to cheer for the maple leaf every two years, especially when its against an Olympic superpower such as Russia or the big bad USA. Here are my top 10 most memorable events that I witnessed first hand, and this is completely from a Canadian standpoint.

1: Men's hockey winning gold in 2002

    Nothing compares to this in all my years of following sports, the prototypical "where were you when" sports moment for my generation. Following heartache in the shootout in 1994 and then when the pros blew it in Nagano, there wasn't too much confidence entering Salt Lake City. After a few mediocre games, Gretzky took the pressure off the players and ripped into the media providing an underdog feel for this team of all-stars. After beating Finland and Belarus it was time to take on the home team, the USA for gold. After falling behind 1-0 early, I knew it was too good to be true, but after 60 minutes it was 5-2 Canada and we drove the streets of Collingwood with the flag hanging out the windows.

2: Daniel Nestor and Sebastian Lareau winning gold in 2002 - Pairs tennis

    They were ranked fourth, but I don't remember them being any kind of medal threat, let alone the gold medal winners. I knew of Nestor, but I hadn't heard of Lareau but it was fun hearing of them keep winning and once they made the gold medal match I made a point of staying up and watching the match (it began at midnight if I remember correctly). Nestor and Lareau were big underdogs in the final as it was widely assumed that the Woodies (Woodbridge and Woodforde) would take home the gold at their home games, and after winning the first set they were in good position to do so. But the Canadians fought back and took the fourth set in a tiebreak to clinch the first tennis medal in Canada's Olympic history.

3: Jamie Sale and David Pelletier winning silver/gold in 2002 - Pairs figure skating

    I'm not a big figure skating guy, I hate how its the "premier sport" at the winter games and how some of the skaters seem larger than life. In 2002 though we had this amazing young couple, and like every other sport it sucked me in, for we were definite medal contenders in the pairs competition. The Russian pair of Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze were the favourites and were ahead after the first skate, but when they slipped up slightly on the last skate, there was a window for the Canadians to take home the gold. They were perfect...but since the mob was involved, certain judges were paid off to put the Russians first and the Canadian pair was cheated of their gold. While Jamie sobbed on the podium I along with the rest of the people in the room were shocked and as the filthy details came out the pair received support from not only Canada, but from media outlets around the world. Eventually the two pairs stood side by side about a week later when the IOC decided to award a second and most-deservedly gold to the Canadians. Its interesting to note that if the Russians didn't slip up they probably would have won gold and nobody would question any of the judges motives, so thankfully Sale and Pelletier were flawless.

4: Daniel Igali winning gold in 2000 - 69kg freestyle wrestling

    One of the best things in cheering for Canada is that when they win its usually like they are the underdog, and who doesn't like cheering for the underdog, especially when they end up winning. Anyways, I had never heard of Daniel Igali, but the CBC was showing his matches one by one as the quarters, semis and finals were all in the same day. In the semis Igali went up against a superior opponent from the States named Lincoln McIlravy, and once again the underdog came through. Igali went on to Arsen Gitinov from Russia in the  finals and everyone in Canada fell in love with this man who moved here from Nigeria as a boy once he placed the flag at the centre of the ring and did circle around it in celebration.

5: Jody Holden and Conrad Leinemann winning a preliminary round match in 2000 - Beach Volleyball

    This was kind of what epitomized how much I love the Olympics. It was just some random early match between two teams that weren't going to win a medal, but what made it extra special was that it was against a team from the States. If I remember correctly the Canadians were down 14 to 6 and were one point away from being eliminated in the first round. I remember thinking, its going to be tough but our guys can do it, and slowly but surely Holden and Leinemann came back to tie and eventually win the match 17-15. It was so much fun to just see them come back, especially against the Americans and I remember getting so into the match since if we lost one more point, we would be eliminated.

6: Jennifer Heil winning gold in 2006 - Moguls

    In what was one of the first finals at the Torino games, Canada had their best chance at gold competing, and she did not disappoint. Heil put in a great performance as she was expected to do (something that rarely happens with Canadians) and took home the gold. This one was especially memorable since it was on the first day and I was so excited to watch that regardless of the hangover from the night before, I woke up at something like 7 or 8 am just to catch the mogul event. And although the rest of the day was tough, it was well worth it.

7: Jean-Luc Brassard winning gold in 1994 - Moguls

    I don't remember much from these games other than the golds won by Brassard and Myriam Bedard in the biathlon, but I do remember the move the Brassard broke out on the jumps in between the mogul tracks. I think it's called a kossack, but what he did while he was in the air was do the splits and make his skis parallel to each other. I remember thinking how cool Brassard was because it was this new 'cool' sport as I was always an avid skier. Even in gym class in junior school I would try to re-enact the trick while jumping off the balance beam.

8: Marc Gagnon wins two golds in two hours in 2002 - Short Track Speed Skating

    It was the second last day of competitions in the Salt Lake City Games and Canada had not even come close to a respectable medal haul, but that would change after this night. In what was his last Olympics Gagnon went out as the most decorated Winter Olympian in Canada's history (he was passed in 2006 by Cindy Klassen) by winning gold in the 500m and the 5000m relay event along with Jonathan Guilmette, Francois-Louis Tremblay, and Mathieu Turcotte. Not only did Canada win the two golds, but Gagnon was joined on the podium by silver medal winner Jonathan Guilmette in the 500m. With all the talk of the South Koreans and Apollo Anton Ohno, it was nice to have a few Canadians take the spotlight in one of the most exciting events at the Games.

9: Lori-Ann Muenzer winning gold in 2006 - Woman's sprint, cycling

    Muenzer seemed to me like another of the dozens of Canadian athletes I've seen over the years who had little to no expectations from the public going into the Games, those athletes who might provide a little excitement before the medals get handed out, but are long shots to end up on the podium. As Muenzer (who was 38 during these games, and appeared much older in comparison to her opponents) kept winning her races I was just hoping that she could get to the finals and guarantee a medal. I remember her biggest obstacle coming in the semis when she took on Anna Mears from Australia and lost the first race in a best of three set when Mears posted the best time of the day. By seeing Canadian Olympians falter on a regular basis I was just hoping this wouldn't be a repeat, and I was delighted when Muenzer pulled out everything she had and won the next two races to advance to the final where she eventually beat Russian Tamilla Abassova to win one of the most unexpected medals for Canada at the 2004 Games.

10: Woman's hockey winning gold in 2002

    This is so low only because I missed the majority of the game and only saw the final seconds as well as all the post-game stuff. A major theme here is the Canadians beating the Americans, especially when we are not expected to win, and this gold medal game was no exception. The Americans and Canadians were by far the two best teams in every Olympics and World Championships, but the Canadians were always one-upped when it came to the gold medal game. This time around the Canadian team put in such an inspired effort and were led by a great performance by Sami Jo Small (I might be wrong with that one). This win was highlighted by Hayley Wickenheiser when during a post-game interview she said the team was fired up by hearing that the American team put the Canadian flag on the ground in their locker room and it was taken as a sign of disrespect. Whether or not this was true, it still helped our team win gold, and helped the lore of the Lucky Loonie.

I've probably forgot some, but ones that do receive mentioning are ones that are not related to golds, silvers, or bronzes, such as the Norwegian cross-country coach giving a replacement pole to one of the Canadian skiers in the team sprint when her pole broke helping Canada win a silver, great sportsmanship. There was also a day late in the Athens Games when Canada was playing in the baseball semis and they were losing a number of runs. In the bottom of the ninth they started pushing for a comeback but their last out was on what looked like a sure thing home run, which would have tied the game. Instead we went to the bronze medal game and lost. During this game was the final race in the woman's 100m hurdles, which featured Canada's best medal hopeful, Perdita Felicien. Unfortunately at the first hurdle she tripped up and fell and everyone in Canada's heart sank. Canada's basketball team in 2000 deserves a mention as that put Steve Nash on the map and featured another heartbreaking loss in the quarters to France. Two medals that I remember that didn't make the list were the two bronzes won in the first trampoline events by Karen Cockburn and Mathieu Turgeon.

These are my favourites, I would love to hear other people's favourite Olympic moments that they watched live, and I would love to hear some stories from countries other than Canada and the States if there is anyone here from elsewhere in the world.

NB: I was at a cottage during most of the 1996 games, so therefore I didn't see Bailey's WR in the 100m or the 4X100m relay, but they would definitely be tops if I saw them.

There are few things I consider myself good at, but one thing that I feel like I excel at is the ability to watch the Olympic Games, be it summer or winter. For two weeks every two years I anticipate just about every event (especially those where Canada has a medal shot) and glue myself to the TV, sleep be damned. It's especially funny that only during the Games do most of these sports get any attention and people (just like myself) eat them up.

Just for the start there are a couple of stories that I really want to follow that have absolutely nothing to do with Team Canada

1. Natalie du Toit almost qualified for the 2000 Sydney Games when she was only 16 years old and the future looked bright for her dream of going to the Olympics. Unfortunately she was hit by a car and had her leg amputated soon after, an accident that would end nearly anyone else's swimming career. She then tried to qualify for the longer distance events as she could use her strength to make up for lost time over the course of the race, but once again she fell short. When the Olympic Programme added the 10K open water event for the Beijing games, Du Toit realized there was still a chance to make the Olympics and ended up qualifying for this event.
2. Dana Abdul Razzaq is going to be one of two Olympians coming from Iraq, which lost the rest of its competitors to the IOC ban put on them that was just recently lifted. Razzaq qualified for the 100m and 200m sprint events, but her trip there was very different from those of her competitors. In a country that has a strong religious and cultural standing, some people are opposed to women being athletes and have tried to prevent her from competing in the Games. If that wasn't enough, Razzaq has twice been shot at, once by a sniper as she was training, and the other by a group that shot at her and her trainer's car. Apparently she dodged the bullets from the sniper 'Matrix style.'
   
3. The Spanish basketball team won the World Championships in 2006 in what was a relative surprise since they had not won a medal at any World Championships and had not even won the Eurobasket competition. Their only significant performance at the Olympics was a silver at the 1984 games (obviously marred by the boycott) and have not won a medal at any other games. But, along with Argentina, they have to be considered the favourites for the silver (because nobody is beating Team USA). The reason why I'm excited to watch them is because they feature all around NBA good guy Pau Gasol, former Raptor Jorge Garbajosa and my favourite Raptor, Jose Calderon. These guys have good chemistry and I hope they can bring home the silver again. I will also be watching Team USA simply because they seem to just be toying with opponents. Plus Chris Bosh is the man.

What Du Toit and Razzaq bring to these games are what make the Olympics so special and they will be two athletes that I will be looking for in the parade of nations. What they have overcome to get to these Games is more than most of us will ever do in our lives and I hope more time will be dedicated to others with stories like this (although maybe not as intense) than the same old stuff on people who end up being caught doping anyways. Not to mention, it will take more air time away from Brett Favre.

By Rachal Fleury

Sally Thomas knew from an early age that she wanted to go to the Paralympic Games one day. She just needed to find the right sport.

After a couple of failed bids to make it in track and field, Thomas turned her attention to powerlifting and is now gearing up for her second Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, from September 6-17.

Powerlifting is a test of upper body strength. Competitors must lower the bar to the chest, hold it motionless on the chest and then press it upwards to arms length with locked elbows. Athletes are given three attempts in total and the winner is the athlete who lifts the highest number of kilograms.

Thomas says one of the aspects of the sport she enjoys the most is that it is based on weight classifications and not on disability. She likes that she is competing against lifters who have more ability than she does. For example, the majority of her competitors have some use of their legs; Thomas has none.

“It’s more of a challenge and I like a challenge,” said Thomas, who lives and trains in Ottawa. “When you win you beat everyone, not just people with your same disability.”

For Beijing, Thomas has set a lofty goal as she is aiming to lift 82.5 kg. Her current best lift is 75 kg.

“I’ve got some work to do,” she said of reaching that weight. “I’m not there yet.”

A life in sport

Thomas got involved in sports as a child after her mom enrolled her to help her overcome her shyness. She took up both wheelchair basketball and track and field, but focused primarily on track. She went on to make the time qualifications for wheelchair racing in the 100m and 200m for the Atlanta and Sydney Paralympic Games and for two world championships, but never made it onto those Canadian Paralympic teams. By 2000, her frustration with her lack of progress was mounting.

“I was close enough that I could smell it,” Thomas said. “But when younger people started making the team and I didn’t, I thought ‘this is silly’.”

In an effort to improve her race times, Thomas started lifting weights. But what was supposed to make her faster actually had an adverse affect.

“I just got worse,” she said. “The stronger I got the slower I got.”

But not all was lost, as through her weight training, Thomas became involved in powerlifting.

“My lifting just got better and better,” she said. “In six months, I had surpassed where I was in track.”

Learning from Athens

In 2004, just four years after taking up powerlifting, Thomas realized her Paralympic dream in Athens. She finished seventh out of eight competitors in her weight class and while she cherishes the experience, she says there are a lot of things she’ll do differently in Beijing.

“I was under the assumption that I would have seen everyone (who would be competing in Athens) so I knew where I stood,” said Thomas. “But then I got there and there were two girls I had never seen before and they were good! That threw me off a bit, but I won’t let that happen again.”

Thomas says she was also distracted by her competitors’ attempts to intimidate her. She says she had people pacing in front of her, glaring at her and pointing.

“I’m just not like that,” she said. “So it was really surprising.”

But it wasn’t Thomas’ competitors that caused her the most problems. She admits that her performance expectations were her toughest challenge.

“A lot of people told me I was going to win a medal and I started to believe it,” she said. “They were saying if I did my best, I would win a medal. Well, I did my best (setting the Canadian record) but I finished seventh out of eight… and the eighth competitor was disqualified!”

Post Beijing

After Beijing, Thomas plans to re-evaluate her progress and potential for improvement before deciding her future in powerlifting.

“I don’t know how much I can progress without putting on a lot of weight,” she said.

For Thomas, putting on weight is a risky option. With no muscle mass in her legs, all the weight she gains goes to her upper body. She has already gained 20 pounds since she started lifting and that has caused her to become “top  heavy”, which results in a lot of falls.

“It puts a lot of stress on my personal life,” she said.

On a positive note, Thomas has recently lost some weight and is still seeing improvement in her lifting.

When she does retire, Thomas will be leaving a sport whose future is up in the air. As the only member of the Canadian powerlifting team, Thomas’ retirement could very well signal the end of the sport in this country.

“The sport is dying,” Thomas said. “Last year, there were three Canadians competing internationally and now there is only me.”

Thomas has tried unsuccessfully over the years to get more athletes involved in powerlifting and says the lack of funding is the main reason no one is interested.

“I foot about half the bill for the meets I go to,” she said. “With no athletes, the sport gets very little funding. With little funding, it’s almost impossible to get athletes. It’s a vicious circle.”

Making the most of it

For now, Thomas’ thoughts are on Beijing. Not only is she hoping to have a better performance than in Athens, she is planning on taking better advantage of the whole Paralympic experience.

“In Athens, I followed the rules to a tee and I didn’t go anywhere before my competition and then got sick afterwards,” she said. “I was in Athens and didn’t even see the Acropolis. This time I am going places. I’m going to China and I am going to see the sites.”

Thomas will be joined in Beijing by her mother and her sister. Her sister, who is filming a documentary on Sally, will be bringing a film crew.

By Rachal Fleury

When Devin Gotell saw how much traveling his sister, Chelsey, got to do as a competitive swimmer, he decided he wanted to do the same.

Now, for the past couple of years, 17-year-old Devin and 22-year-old Chelsey have traveled the world together as members of Canada’s national swim team.

“I think it is pretty exciting,” said Chelsey, who along with Devin competes in the S13 visual impairment category. “I’ve been away from home for a few years and haven’t spent much time with him so it is great to have him on the team, not only as my brother but as my friend.”

The siblings’ from Antigonish, N.S. are currently gearing up for their biggest trip to date. They will soon head to China where they will compete at the 2008 Paralympic Summer Games in Beijing, from Sept. 6-17. The Games will be Chelsey’s third (she competed in Sydney and Athens) and Devin’s first.

“For sure it is cool to be going with Chelsey,” said Devin. “I think having her there as an experienced veteran, she’ll be great to help guide me through the Games.”

Chelsey and Devin will be joined in Beijing by their parents, Marlie and Glenn, who also accompanied Chelsey to Sydney and Athens.

 “They are quite excited, but are getting quite used to (going to the Games) as well,” said Devin. “It is going to be nerve wracking for them to watch both of us.”

Chelsey’s Path

Chelsey joined the Antigonish Aquanauts Swim Club at age eight after being encouraged by a friend to try out.

She began competing nationally three years later, and qualified for her first Paralympic Games at age 14. At the Sydney Games in 2000, Chelsey won a silver medal and three bronze. In 2004 in Athens, she won a gold medal and three bronze.

Other career highlights include, winning three bronze medals at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa, and two gold, two silver and one bronze at the 2007 Parapanamerican Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Chelsey is the current world record holder in the 50m and 200m backstroke.

Devin’s Story

Devin joined the Antigonish Aquanauts at age 13 and quickly made an impact, winning gold in the 100m IM at the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina, SK.

He has since competed at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships and brought home three silver medals and three bronze from the 2007 Parapanamerican Games.

After Beijing, Devin, who recently finished high school, will return to Nova Scotia where he plans to attend St. Francis Xavier University to pursuit a career in social work. He will continue to concentrate on his swimming with his sights set on the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games in London, England.

“I’ll be aiming for that as my peak performance,” he said.

For Chelsey, who will be returning to McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, for the fourth year of her psychology degree, London is an unknown.

“Right now I’m keeping my options open and I am going to take it one day at a time,” she said. “My next step is to finish my degree and eventually I want to go into massage therapy and do sport massage. I do know I’ll keep swimming internationally after Beijing... I have no set retiring date.”

Chelsey has some lofty goals left to accomplish before she does retire, including qualifying for nationals in able-bodied swimming, as well as breaking the world record in the 200m IM and the 100m backstroke.

In Beijing, Chelsey will compete in the 50m, 100m, 400m freestyle; 100m backstroke; 100m butterfly; 200m IM. Devin is competing in the 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 200m IM and 400m freestyle.