Believe it

Belief and disbelief from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Or should I say Canada Winter Games.

I believe…

That these were the best ever Olympic Games. Not the “excellent friendly” Games that IOC President Jacques Rogge proclaimed during the Closing Ceremonies. Yes, these Games opened on an ominously dark note with the tragic death of the Georgian luger but soonafter the light seemed to shine through and these Winter Olympics became a national love-in. Canada rocked. Canadians rocked. And the world got to see the true north strong and free.

I couldn’t believe..

Giant moose, enormous beavers, gigantic table hockey players and Maple Leafs Forever all part of an elaborate refreshingly self deprecating typically Canadian closing ceremonies. I mean the only thing missing was a big Tim Hortons cup. It was lampoon. It was somewhat silly. It was awesome.

And like our country – it was diverse.

From Neal “Long May you Run” Young to Michael Buble’s Dudley Do Right to Nickleback pumping up the volume, this was a ceremony that revealed the soul of our Canadian personna which was assisted perfectly by some ex pat Hollywood help.

Michael J. Fox going back to the future and telling everybody that he only wears a Canadian hockey jersey -Catherine O’Hara riffing on our politeness and athlete’s who “pee in the snow”-and Bill Shatner, Captain Kirk, beamed into BC Place and confirming Canada as the “Final Frontier”. 

Only in Canada could we make fun of the screw-up with the hydraulic arm in the opening ceremony and make everybody laugh about it in the closing.

I’m sure some young athlete from Estonia is heading home today thinking that Canada is a great country full of  mounties, rock stars, and beer swilling canoe tipping Trekkies.

Gotta love it.

I believe…

That Charles Barkley owes me some money. Just before the final hockey game of the Games. Sir Charles texted me and left a message “There’s a train comin’ get off the tracks” to which I replied “Yeh, it’s called the Canadian Express”.  Charles only reply was LOL.

I can’t believe…

That the Canadian government and the sports ministry would even contemplate downgrading the financial obligation to Canadian athletes. As I typed in an earlier blog – I had no problem with the Own the Podium program – in fact I love the fact they are finally throwing some bucks at amateur sport. I just never liked the name. The reason we’re sitting here today and celebrating the gold rush is because of an investment that paid a dividend. Sport isn’t that far from business and one of the reasons these Games resonated with everyone is because these athletes “did good” in so many ways.

Give up on them and we’ll be taking the system back a decade.

I believe…

The funniest thing I saw at the Games was a red faced Liz Manley when during a break in our figure skating coverage, told me she’d be right back because she had to take a potty break. Canada’s Sweetheart from 1988 took off like Charles Hamelin to the ladies room and then upon her return to the booth ten minutes later looked a little sheepish. When asked what’s wrong? She told me she rushed into the washroom, got into the cubicle and starting doing what needed to be done when she looked under the stall and saw a lot of running shoes. Big running shoes. Realizing she had taken a seriously wrong turn, Manley = now living up to her name – took a quick peek and tried to sneak out only to be spotted by several manly types who were too busy themselves to ask for a picture or an autograph. What we all love about Liz though is she still could laugh about it..

I still can’t believe..

The Olympic odyssey of Joannie Rochette. Losing her mom suddenly. Gaining the support of an entire country and actually still being able to compete and win a medal. It’s a story that will be told for years and years to come. A story of courage, strength, dignity and inspiration. And at the end of these emotionally stirring Games, there she was carrying our flag into our stadium with her mom watching somewhere beaming with pride.

I can’t believe..

How much money these Olympics cost. Not only to the organizers and ultimately the taxpayer (Wait ’til this bill comes in) but also to the average sports fan.

Recession? What recession? Ticket prices for any and every event were so out of wack with reality that only those with some serious cake or big expense accounts could afford to attend the Olympics. Organizers took the average guy right out of the picture by pricing these tickets the way they did. I know it’s supply and demand but unless your name was Gates, Trump or Balsille – the only way you were watching these Winter Games was on your Plasma. I also couldn’t believe how many empty seats I saw at so many venues. Tickets that went either unsold by the scalpers or unused by the IOC sponsors created some wide open spaces.

Why not have some kids in the venue that could be used as seat fillers?

What a thrill that would have been for some aspiring young athlete.

I believe…

That some athletes were born to dance with destiny. Can you say Sidney Crosby? Hayley Wickenheiser? Yu Na Kim? And the new Canadian Sweethearts Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir?

I can’t believe…

The firestorm stirred up when the Canadian womens hockey team apparently had a few beers, some champagne and a cigar or two on the ice after their gold medal win over the United States.  Yes, maybe it wasn’t something you would want young impressionable kids to see but it was well after the fact and the girls thought that everyone had left the building. What? A gold medal winning women’s hockey team can’t have a beer or two to celebrate but we can call Jon Montgomery chugging a pitcher of ale walking down the street an Olympic moment? Fair? I think not.

Come on – we’ve got so many other things to worry about.

All these young women have done is represent our country with class.

An on-ice beer bash hardly sullies that image.

I believe..

That Jon Montgomery embodied the Canadian Olympic spirt and is going to be a star if he’s not already. Imagine eight years ago – he was a car auctioneer watching Sale and Pelletier  on television competing at the Salt Lake Games and deciding right there that he wanted to be an Olympian. I think figure skating might have been a safer choice but the Russell Manitoba bid caller sold himself on the wild sport of skeleton and now the rest is history. 

He’s been on every TV show imaginable including Oprah.

He’s now a household name in Canada and his story should be an inspiration to everyone.

Believe in something strong enough – work hard enough and you can make your dreams come true.

And with a guy that can chug like that – beer companies be calling Jon Montgomery pronto.

I’m sure he’d be the perfect guy for a Molson Canadian ad – or even better Golden.

I believe..

That when I die…I want to come back as my kid.

My two oldest boys Tyler and Brody  spent the last week of the Olympics in Vancouver and though my wife and I hesitated to take them out of school, which I firmly believe is way important than anything, this was an experience of a lifetime and something that no teacher  could ever teach.

Even though they’re only nine and eight years old, they knew it was something special to be in Vancouver. What they saw there and what they learned will stay with them forever especially walking back to the hotel in the sea of red and white after the gold medal hockey game. You can’t teach pride to a child. It has to be instilled. It’s something they have to feel. And they did.

Lucky kids who were soaking it all in and dreaming of becoming Olympians.

Watching the Games through their eyes made the experience for me even more golden.

I believe…

The Olympics makes the world a much better place. In fact, I’m certain that if we could hold a Summer or Winter Games 365 days a year – our planet would be a much better place. It’s amazing that so many countries, including those in conflict, can get together under one flag and exist with such harmony, innocence and peace in the spirit of sport.

I believe..

That we’re a closer country than we were 17 days ago. Closer and better. A few years ago, we had a tendency to be reserved about our patriotism.

It was over the top to celebrate too much.

Over the top to wave our flag. Too much to brag about our success. And too “American” to tell the world we’re good.

But it seems different now..

We’re celebrating today. We’re waving our flag. We can brag our what we’ve done and guess what world – we are good.

And finally, I truly believe…

That I’m going to go through some serious Olympic withdrawl. 

No Games. No arenas. No athletes to cheer and tear for. 

I mean – the flame is out – and now it’s back to real life.

Thank goodness for the guy who invented the PVR. 

Thank goodness for scrapbooks and memories.

Thank goodness for Vancouver hosting the Olympics…

Oh Canada..Go Canada..

Unbelievable..eh..

Defining Moment Day 17

Oh my Gold..

Sid the kid – you are the new Paul Henderson.

No, it wasn’t quite like the seminal Summit Series goal of 1972 and it may not have been heard around the world but it certainly has been heard around Canada.

And it’s still being heard here in Vancouver or should we call it Horn-couver…

Car horns, air horns, all kinds of horns hooting and blowing ever since Sidney Crosby found the net in overtime to put an end to a thrilling gold medal game against the United States. Ironically, Crosby became the hero after a very mediocre tournament. In fact, many people were starting to wonder if Crosby was actually hurt since he was not playing like the #87 we’ve grown accustomed to.

But great players do great things at the right time. And like all the legends of the game, there was Crosby right there at the right time.

A pass from Jarome Iginla – a quick shot that beat the unbeatable Ryan Miller – and then Crosby, looking almost shocked ,throwing his gloves and stick in the air soon to be swallowed by his swarming teammates. 

From there – pandemonium prevailed. Canada Hockey Place became Canada Hockey Heaven. The medals were presented. Crosby’s name was chanted over and over along with the Loos for Roberto Luongo who had a chance to enjoy the biggest moment of his life in his home rink. The range of emotion for Luongo had to be mind boggling considering he had allowed the Americans to tie the game up in the final seconds and send it to overtime.

This was my one and only day off at the Games and I was lucky to be there with my family. Normally, I’m an unbiased observer who watches the game with an objective eye but today I went as a hockey fan and I loved every minute of it. 

There we sat near the rafters with one of the best views of what as to unfold. And as the game ebbed and flowed, you had a real sense that Team Canada was playing too cautious, too defensive in the third period, almost as if they were trying not to lose as opposed to trying to win. 

The building rocked from beginning to end – but in the intermission before overtime, there was a strange feeling among a lot of nervous Canadian hockey fans in the house, knowing that Team USA could be on the verge of writing the script for the new “Miracle on Ice”. 

But not this time. 1972’s Henderson scores for Canada was 2010’s Crosby scores for Canadian Gold.

And there was Sid the Kid looking like a little boy – a little golden boy – hoisting a mammoth Canadian flag and taking it for a victory lap.

Game over.

Games over.

And could these Winter Games have ended on any better note?

After underacheiving in the first week of the Olympics, the Canadian athletes more than exceeded expectations in the second half of the Games. 

More medals than ever before. More gold than ever before.

More red and more white than you could ever imagine.

And so many highlights to add to that commemorative DVD boxed set that was being advertised ad nauseum.

More than anything – there were so many moments.

Moments that oozed magic. 

Memories that will last a lifetime.

I’ve had a chance to broadcast and report at a number of Olympic Games but Vancouver 2010 was so far off the charts – it was unmeasurable.

Were these the “best ever” Games in Olympic history?

I’m not sure I can answer that but I do know they were Canada’s “best ever” Olympics.

Because – these were your Games. 

These were OUR Games.

A chance to show the world that Vancouver is a world class city and Canada is a world class destination.

But mostly – these were our athletes Games.

Thank you Team Canada for showing your spirit, your pride, your class, and in the end – your medals.

Almost time to head home – one more night. One more blog.

I’d like to sleep but the horns are still blaring in Fun-couver.

Defining Moment Day 16

Okay – so we didn’t Own The Podium..

We just owned the top of it..

My oh my – what a gold rush – capped off with a triple header day in Vancouver.

Canada’s first three gold medal day in Winter Games history and now our country possessing more gold medals than any other nation.

How did we do it?

As Kevin Martin, skip of the Olympic champion men’s curling team might say – Canada decided to “Hurry Hard”..

Gold in curling. Gold in long track mens pursuit. And gold in parallel slalom snowboard with Jasey-Jay Anderson capping off a three-rific Saturday.

It was an incredible day for Canada riding the momentum which was started when moguls mogul Alex Bilodeau last week became the first Canadian to win a gold medal on home soil. Once the faucet was turned on – the gold just kept pouring out. 

This metallic medal momentum took a serious swing over the last week of the Games and Canada has been riding the golden mojo like never before.

So we won’t finish on top of the medal standings as our sports leaders had hoped – but that’s not to diminish the performances of so many of Canada’s great young athletes.

Yes there have been some dissappointments – there always are – but there were certainly many more who did as expected and others who completely shot for the moon.

25 medals – 13 of them gold – is a new Winter Games standard for this nation and there’s still one more gold out there if the men’s hockey team can beat the United States on the final day and in the final event of the Olympics.

It won’t be easy – especially against a young American team that surprised Team Canada earlier in the tournament. The USA is riding the hottest goalie in the world right now and the Canadian forwards are going to have to get in his mask and crease alot more than they did during the round-robin loss.  You don’t have to do something stupid – you just have to disrupt his vision and line to the puck. It doesn’t matter what it looks like in the highlight reel – a goal is a goal.

Yet there are serious questions for Team Canada. Can Roberto Luongo outplay Ryan Miller? Can the Canadian defense handle the super quick American forwards? Will the real Sid the Kid show up? And will the pro-Canadian crowd be a factor?

Prediction – 5-2 Canada.  That’s not my passport talking. It’s just that this men’s hockey team has been galvanized by what all of these other young Canadian athletes have done at these Games and they too are carrying some mojo into the final game. The two best things that happened to them – their loss to the Americans and the fact that Slovakia gave them a scare in the semis. Two wake-up calls that were necessary.

So one day to go. One game to go. One gold to go.

And then we can put a bow on what has been an amazing two week present – the best Winter Olympics ever.

In so many ways.

As Canadians, I know we often get criticized for being too nice.

For sometimes being not as patriotic as our flag-waving neighbours to the south.

For being too contrite.

Hey we are – what we are. 

We’ve always been proud – we just don’t have to stand up and scream it to the world.

But hey, these Winter Games have shown a different side of us.  Not a dark side but a red and white side where we can paint our faces, wave our Maple Leaf,  proudly tatoo Canada on our forehead and still say please and thank you to a stranger.

So what if we’re nice? So what if we have a tendency to be overly apologetic…

Excuse us for being Canadian. 

Sorry world – we’re kickin’ some golden butt..

Defining Moment Day 15

Wow!

Double Wow!

It’s a good thing I’m typing this today because my voice may not be able to make it. Two gold medals in one night by the Canadian mens short track team that put all the doubts to rest with an absolutely astonishing performance.

First – Charles Hamelin – denied a medal in his two previous races – sprinting out like Usain Bolt on skates, avoiding the traffic near the finish line and capturing gold. It was a wild finish which we come to expect in this thrilling roller derby on ice – bodies flying everywhere – Hamelin spinning around backwards before raising his hands skyward. And then when it became official – and Prince Charles had been named the Olympic champion – he skated even faster to the end boards to embrace his girlfriend Marianne St. Gelais who was even happier than he was. Watching the replay of her watching him will always be one of my favorite Olympic memories.

Francois-Louis Tremblay – the guy they call FLOO also flew around the track and made it a one-two Canadian podium punch as he took the bronze.

But the guys weren’t done.

Another hour later and they were back on track. And back in the winner’s circle. This time for the 5,000 metre team relay.

From the sprint to the marathon – and the Canadian Fab Four did it again!

This time – they won it with smarts. Strategic, tactical exchanges and the decision to take the lead at the half-way point were all pivotal in this golden ride to glory. In the end – they kept their ace in their back-pocket – letting the veteran of the squad skate anchor and bring it around – FLOO flying home for the victory.

Pacific Coliseum went nuts. Canada went nuts.

The guys started flashing their “Cobra” pose which was their strategy for this race. Like a Cobra – they slithered, they watched and then they struck – GOLD!!

The medal ceremony, the only one for the short-trackers at the Games was so special. With the Prime Minister watching and cheering, Charles got his gold medal and thrust his fist in the air before standing on guard and hearing the national anthem.

Soonafter – the “Cobras” were paraded out. Five of them – Francois-Louis, Charles and his brother Francois – Olivier Jean – and Guillaume Bastille, the alternate on the team but because he skated in the semi-finals earned his spot on the podium for the medal.

The guys kissed the podium before they jumped on the top step and beaming like the five Olympic rings in the harbour – they stood and belted out Oh Canada, en francais,  since they all hail from Quebec.

It was a night I’ll never forget. My family was there to take it in and while the anthem was being played, my two boys Tyler and Brody stood beside me and soaked it up.

Afterwards – Tyler, a budding hockey and baseball star, looked up at me said, “Dad – I wanna take up short-track”.

I could only imagine how many other young kids these golden boys inspired on a magical night in Vancouver.

Defining Moment Day 14

Golden girls galore.

Let it be said again and again. Canadian women rock.

Especially in hockey where they rocked and rolled to another Olympic gold medal.

Despite the fact that the United States had started to get in Team Canada’s kitchen the last couple of years – the Canadian women did exactly what the Canadian men may need to do on Sunday – if they get there.

Impenetrable goaltending from Shannon Szabados –  shot-blocking from nearly everyone – and a couple of goals from teenage sensation Marie-Philip Poulin –  and there would be no denying this determined group of young women who said before the game that there was absolutely no way that they would let the American anthem play in their own building. They were right.

As you would expect – the building was crazy. The Canadian mens team looked on from above. The Prime Minister was in the house. Michael J. Fox was there and of course the guy who ignited these Winter Olympics – Wayne Gretzky smiled from start to finish.

When the buzzer sounded and the celebration began – it was a sight that no Canadian gets tired of. Doesn’t matter if it’s Timbit hockey or Olympic hockey – there’s nothing quite like piling on top of your goalie and getting the party started.  I’ve been in one of those scrumfests before and I can tell you it’s pretty much like reverse bowling with all the pins trying to knock down the ball. The whole idea is to skate like hell to be first to the pile and then jump as high as you can to topple the guy or gal with the most equipment on,  knock them to the ice and then hope like hell that everybody gets up okay. Could actually be an unofficial Olympic sport. Whatever happened to high fives?

Still seeing the Canadian women do their communal knockdown made me think about two of my favorite Canadian hockey players – Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford who are now  the grand dames of the team,  basking in the glory of another Olympic conquest and teaching the young pups how to win.  Both “Wick” and “Heff” are terrific people but mostly unbelievable role models who also happen to be Canadian legends.

That’s why it’s disconcerting to hear some of the negative press surrounding the way the women celebrated after their gold medal winning game. Apparently, there was drinking going on and it got a little out of hand. What? They can’t party? Have you ever seen guys whoop it up when they win? What? The ladies can’t either.

I’ll just reiterate the same reaction that Hayley had when hearing the criticism. “Get real”.

Nicest moment I thought came when the seriously pro-Canadian crowd started chanting “USA, USA” when the American players lined up to receive the silver medals. 

Best performance under duress at the Olympics naturally goes to Joannie Rochette. Fill in your own adjective to describe her performance but her story will be told and retold for years to come. Who, of any of us, could have pulled off what she pulled off over two absolutely spine-tingling nights? You couldn’t write the script for this made for TV movie.  Champion skaters mother passing away suddenly just before the biggest competition of her life. Athlete overcomes the devestation of losing the rock of her life and has to somehow find the strength to perform while a country holds it’s collective breath. I mean this stuff just doesn’t happen. A director or producer would say – nah, too unbelievable.

Yet…

I’m not the most religous guy in the world but you can’t tell me that the spirit of her mom was not in the building  during both her short program and free skate.

By the time she skated to her spot for her long program – gold out of the question after Yu Na Kim’s brilliant performance – you could hear a pin drop because there was a real chance that with a solid strong skate – she could still get to the podium.

You know what happened next. Joannie did exactly as prescribed. Wasn’t perfect but it was still amazing considering she’s had to cope with such a terrible loss in her life. How did she do it? Maybe it was the fact that nothing in her life makes sense right now except skating.  Her therapy – albeit temporary – is to be able to skate.

The defining moment of the Games for me – Joannie Rochette receiving her bronze medal – looking at it with tears in her eyes and giving her head a shake that told me reality was setting in.

When she skated around with the other two medallists for a victory lap, she posed for pictures for all the cameramen, smiled bravely, and waved to an adoring audience. Then as she stepped off the ice with the Canadian flag on her shoulders and her bronze medal around her neck – Joannie walked right into the arms of the most important person in her life right now – her dad Normand.

The tears wouldn’t stop – nor should they.  A nation shed a tear too and Joannie Rochette had won a medal for her country, for herself, but mostly for her mom.

A bronze for skating – a gold for courage beyond belief.

Joannie – you made us all believe.

Your mom is so proud of you right now.

Defining Moment Day 13

 

It was Ladies Day in Vancouver.

And the best day for Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Gold. Two silvers and a bronze and they all came from some great Canadian women who love to drive fast.

The Golden moment came in the two-man I mean two-woman bobsleigh where Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse slid down the icey roller-coaster in Whistler to slip by their teammates Helen Upperton and Shelley-Anne Brown on the last run of the day. Heather Moyse is one of my favorite athletes. I had a chance to spend some time with her at an Olympic event a few months ago and she had one of the most frank and candid assessments of why she does what she does.  When asked what goes through her mind before she gets in the sleigh. Moyse said two words. “Haul ass”.

It was a medal haul day. .

Gold and silver in sleds. Silver in short track. Bronze on the long track.

All the ladies in the house say Yeah….

The womens’ short track team brought true meaning to the phrase silver lining when the Korean team was disqualified. The Koreans were celebrating a gold medal after racing to the line in the 3000 metre relay, China was second and Canada – third but as the young Koreans were skating around the rink with their flag in the air and tears in their eyes, officials ruled that  Korea had committed a track violation and were DQ’d. That’s when the second celebration began – China suddenly had the gold, Canada the silver and the United States bronze. The Chinese women were so happy, they leaped onto the padded boards to hug their coach and one of their razor sharp skates nicked the chin of a teammate and opened up a nasty gash. She quickly went backstage, got stitched and bandaged up and later came out with her teammates to accept her flowers and the applause of the Pacific Coliseum. The Canadian women -equally exuberant – started hopping up and down on the podium when they were announced and then jumped down and  took off running down the ice in their street shoes to throw their flowers out to family members. A Kodak moment with a caption that read – who needs flowers? We want our medals!

And while the Canadian short trackers turned a bronze to silver, Clara Hughes captured a bronze medal that must have seemed like gold. The 37 year old became the second oldest speed skater to win a medal in Winter Olympic history when she finished third in the womens 5000 metre race, her final race as an Olympian. The medal, her sixth in a glorious career, was the perfect way to cap an incredible career that has seen her win medals in both speed skating in the Winter Games and cycling in the Summer Olympics.

If there is a better Olympian – someone who demonstrates what the Olympics truly are about – than I haven’t met her. Over the years, every time Clara met a bump in the road, she always skated right over it. From a car accident a few years ago to a hiking mishap last year to the doubt that always creeps into an athlete’s mind once father time starts to take over, Hughes has never lost sight of why she does what she does. And through it all has found time to be a terrific ambassador for Right to Play , an organization which helps gives impoverished kids from around the world – a chance to play.

Clara has skated thousands of laps during her celebrated career but no lap may have felt as sweet as the one she took in her runners after winning bronze. That famous Hughes smile, the same one we saw when she carried the Canadian flag into the opening ceremonies was radiant again as she ran – and ran – and ran – arms in the air – carrying a Maple Leaf again. The final moments of her swan song written to near perfection.

And while these fabulous athletes brought pride to a nation again. Dare I say, a lot of people only saw them do it on an Olympic replay or on the highlights.

That’s because it was another Hockey Day in Canada and all eyes were on on the mens quarterfinal

Nothing stirs our collective soul more than our game and two words – Canada – Russia. 

Walking the streets in the morning getting ready to go to work – I bumped into Crosby – Iginla and Luongo – about a thousand times. Everyone decked out in a Team Canada jersey with their favorite star’s name emblazoned on the back. You can’t tail-gate party in Canada but who needs one when you do a city gate.

What a sight. Red and white everywhere. Hockey jersey heaven. 

My wife and two oldest boys arrived the other day and one of the first things we HAD to do was make sure they had their Canadian gear. We stopped at the bustling Nike store on Robson Street and my boys went crazy. They didn’t have the right size for the little guys but that didn’t matter. A Crosby and a couple of Iginlas later and they were set. Off they went to the biggest game of the tournament, swimming in their red jerseys – proud to wear the Maple Leaf – and dreaming that they someday would have their own names on the back of a jersey and playing for Team Canada at the Olympics.

I only saw the game on television since I was in another rink – but I saw all the pictures that my wife took later – and heard all the stories from my boys about each goal and every move  – and of course of how much they celebrated when as my oldest son Tyler told me “Dad, we smoked the Russians”.

Smoked and stoked. The Russian bear slayed. On to the semi-finals.

What a great day to be a Canadian. What a great day to be a kid.

Defining Moment Day 12

A defining moment that defies all.

It was the moment of theses Winter Olympics and one of the greatest moments these tired jaded sports eyes have seen in a long time..

When Joannie Rochette stepped on the ice here at Pacific Coliseum – there was a roar that you wouldn’t hear at a hockey game.

An entire building stood up -cheered –  hoped – and prayed.

Only two days earlier Joannie was woken up at the athletes village with the worst news anyone could ever here. That her mother Therese had suddenly passed away. Her world that she  knew had dramatically changed forever.  The person she loved more than anything in her life,  the person who was her support system – her rock – her soul was so sadly taken away from her.

When she got the news from the other main love of her life, her dad Normand, I’m sure the last thing Joannie thought about was skating or competing at the Olympics. But with an inner strength that not many of us could ever conjure up, she decided to skate on and dedicate her performance at the Games to her mom.

It was no longer about winning a medal  – it was about something much more. About the everlasting love that only a mother and daughter can share and being able to persevere long enough to honour her memory.

Who would have thought  would happen next?  When the ovation settled to silence, Joannie skated into her spot. Her eyes closed for a moment. A moment for just her and her mom. Her music started and then a spirit was lifted.  As she prepared for her first element – a triple jump combination – she looked to slip a bit but quickly steadied and then with a laser beam focus launched herself into the air – there revolutions – landed perfectly…and it just got better..and better..

I’ll have to check the replay for what happened after that…because I’m not sure I can truly remember. Looking around the broadcast booth, all I saw were people transfixed on a performance of a lifetime. Waterfalls were flowing  from my colleagues Jennifer Robinson and Elizabeth Manley – our floor director and cameraman – our assistant producers – our researchers and Michelle Kho – a skating judge who happens to help crunch the numbers for us and has forgotten more about skating than any of  us know. Grown men, grown women, little kids, Canadian, non-Canadian – all profoundly moved to tears from a young lady who taught us all that in times of duress and stress – we can overcome.

When the music stopped – and the audience exploded.  It was Joannie’s turn to cry.

The torrent of  tears wouldn’t stop and why should they. For the first time in her life – she had skated without her mother in her life. 

And with an entire nation shedding a tear – we all knew that even though her mother was no longer here – she was certainly still beside her – inside her – and always will be with her.

It wasn’t supposed to be about a medal – but guess what – there’s a serious chance that Joannie Rochette will win one for her mom.

She could have the same magic moment that Ashleigh McIvor enjoyed.

The latest gold medal winner – McIvor raced to gold in ski-cross and now prospectors are lining up at Cypress Mountain to see if there truly is gold in that hill. Cypress has been the place to be at these Games if you like to watch Canadians celebrate.  Ashleigh didn’t disappoint – led pretty much from start to finish and later her heard her anthem, saw her flag, and got her gold medal at BC Place Stadium which was a sea of red and white.

It was also a day where we again experienced the true agony of defeat – people inexplicably doing something that they never would do on their worst day.  Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer – the golden boy of the long track – suffering a serious brain camp and slipping into the wrong lane. It would be like Michael Phelps forgetting to touch the wall after a world record or even worse realizing he wasn’t wearing his Speedo.

Embaressing. Humilating. Shattering.

That’s sport – sometimes stars like Sven Kramer fall from the sky and sometimes you can rise to the heavens – like Joannie Rochette.

Defining Moment – Day 11

Persistence, excellence, deliverance.

Gold for Canada.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have made history – in many ways…

Canada’s first Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medal.
North America’s first Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medal.
The youngest team to win the Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medal.

It really doesn’t get any sweeter than that.

Just when Canadians were starting to wonder if anyone was going to seize the moment again. Virtue and Moir stole the show.

Two kids who’ve been skating together since they were 7 and 9 years old – who dreamed what some thought was the impossible dream.

Not to them. Two of the best trained athletes I’ve ever covered, who never ever crack under pressure, delivered one of the greatest performances this country has ever seen in any sport.

I know what you’re saying – “it’s only ice dance for God’s sake!”

But it’s more than that. Way more.

Imagine having to skate the performance of your life with your entire country dancing every step with you. Imagine knowing that even the slightest misstep could cost you the prize you’ve most coveted your entire skating life.

Ice dance may look divine, pristine and sometimes delicately dainty but take your gaze off the sequins and twizzles and you’ll discover a sport that requires an incredible amount of athletiicism. These are some of the best trained athletes you’ll ever meet. Have you ever tried to do a high powered dance on a floor non-stop for four minutes? How about doing the same thing while wearing skates – mirroring the exact moves your partner does and then adding some acrobatic lifts and tricks?

And then try doing it while not making a single mistake.

That’s why Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are now Olympic champions and new Canadian heroes.

There’s no secret to their success. Consider they’ve been doing this together for the last 13 years and have never wavered from their goal.

Repitition. Mileage. Determination. And most of all… belief.

In the eye of the storm, Scott and Tessa’s willingness to believe in themselves, their training, and their remarkable talent won out.

Some athletes feel it helps alleviate pressure by treating the Olympics like any other practice.

These two treat every practice like it’s the Olympics.

That’s why they’re wearing gold medals right now.

Priceless and precious watching the two of them sing the national anthem like it’s never been sung.

Unforgettable to see Scott leap into his brothers’ Charlie and Danny arms. A family moment like you’ve never seen.

The Moir’s are from the small town of Ilderton, Ontario – population 1500 – and in a community where 1200 of them belong to the skating club, this was over the moon.

If you saw the footage of the people in Ilderton watching and dancing along with them during our coverage, you now understand how it often takes a community to raise a child – and country to salute a champion.

A dance with destiny has now created a legacy.

A legacy of gold.

Spun by two young magicians who are still only just kids…

Defining Moment Day 10

Where do I start?

First the terrible news that jolted us early in the morning – that Joannie Rochette’s mom had suddenly died.

Therese Rochette was just 55 years old and had just arrived in Vancouver to watch her daughter, Canada’s ladies figure skating champion, compete at the ultimate competition in sport – the Olympic Games.

All the training, all of the focus, all of the positive thinking could not have prepared Joannie for this shocking news.

You see, like most of the athletes competing here in Vancouver, Joannie has always relied on her parents for all the things one needs to become a champion. The endless rides to and from practice, the skate sharpenings, the costume buying and making, the hot chocolates, the shoulders to cry on, and of course the warm hug at the end of a competition.

Therese Rochette was that and more to her only daughter. She was her rock. She was her pillow. Like every parent – she made so many sacrifices just so her child could skate out a dream. And just like that, unfathomably – she’s gone.

Only hours after learning of her death from her father, Joannie bravely said she would continue to compete at the Games and that her mother would have wanted that.

And surprisingly, there she was at practice. Eyes swollen, lost in thought but still skating.

Occasionally glancing to the heavens and every once in a while flashing a small smile at those she knew and of course her dad, Normand who was watching her every move.

How hard will it be for Joannie Rochette to do this? Only she knows. But talking with my colleague Elizabeth Manley who also recently lost her mom, said that Joannie is a fighter and perhaps the best way to deal with this life altering setback  for the momentis to channel it, compartmentalize it and try to focus on the task here. This loss will hit much harder later.

Liz, the 1988 Olympic silver medalist in Calgary, knows a lot about being able to skate outside herself. She did it in front of a huge hometown crowd at the Saddledome rising up and stealing the show in the showdown between Katarina Witt and Debi Thomas. Liz has been a mentor to Joannie and will be helping her through this tremendously emotional ordeal.

Whatever Joannie does, however she skates, medal or no medal, this is all about her and her mom and I can’t imagine what it’ll be like when she skates her short program on Tuesday.

The rest of the skating world, especially the tight-knit Canadian team was shaken. No one could believe that something like this could happen on the eve of Joannie’s biggest day of her skating life.

But as we know, sport is real reality and often life intervenes in our fun and games. And so it does with this tragic news.

Reality check time for all of us. Perspective time – contrary to what you often hear when someone loses a medal at the Olympics – it is not devastating. 

It’s devastating when you lose someone you love. Our sympathies and prayers are with the Rochette family. Joannie you are one of the most courageous athletes I know.

We are all so sorry for your loss. Mes sympathies, mes condoleances. Bonne chance.

Joannie’s roommate at the athlete’s village before her mother’s sudden passing was ice dancer Tessa Virtue who was very emotional when trying to come up with words to explain her feelings. She didn’t know what to say. Who does?

Deeply saddened, Tessa and her partner Scott Moir then went out and did what Joannie will have to do. They went out and skated. Motivated to ease the pain for their teammate – they danced the performance of a lifetime in their original dance.

A flawless Flamenco that brought the capacity crowd to it’s feet and the roof down.

They were spectacular and lead the way heading into Monday’s free dance with a chance to dance for gold. If they do, they would become North America’s first gold medalists in this discipline in Olympic history.

Their chances? Golden.

They are the best ice dancers on the planet. That’s not my passport talking, that’s the truth. The only team close to them – their own training mates from their club in Michigan – Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States who sit second and are looking to spoil the Canadian party.

You never know what can happen in dance.

The only certainty is that one or more teams will come out on the ice and wear ridiculous outfits like the Russians who were dressed or should I say undressed like Adam and Eve in Stanley Park. Do these people not get it? Do they have a mirror in their dressing room?

Skating in costumes that you wouldn’t wear in a parade does not help a sport that is still in the rebuilding mode.

Wake up. Smell the coffee. Show some class.

This is a sport – not a Halloween party.

Defining Moment Day 9

 

Moan the Podium.

Make no mistake, there have been some golden Canadian moments delivered at these Winter Games.

And believe me – there will be more to come.

I promise.

Geez, I sound like someone from the Canadian Olympic Committee.

But, there is no way around it – Canada’s Own the Podium program has backfired so far.

it’s not that OTP was not a good idea. In fact, it’s something that should have been constructed years ago.

Let’s hope it’s something they’ll continue to maintain . A country’s sports program is a reflection of it’s commitment to it’s health system. More sport means more kids getting a chance to get hooked on something that could make them a champion. 

Why not put more  money into our summer and  winter sports?
Why not push our athletes?
Why not create a culture of winning? 

We’ve never done that in Canada with the one exception of the game that runs through our veins – hockey.

Do the math.

Eight medals after nine days.

Outstanding…if you’re Estonia.

But this is Canada and these were supposed to be our Games. And even though many of these sports are disciplines we discover and re-discover every four years-the Canadian public has been duped into “believing” that we would run away with everything.

34- maybe 35 medals- they said before the Winter Olympics. A gold rush in Vancouver, they said.

They should have shut up when they had a chance.

There is nothing wrong with making projections or predictions – hey we all do it. (At this point, I’m predicting a gold medal for the maids at the hotel who have to clean my room)

However when you are the creators of an unrealistic mantra and you start to predict – you also promise

And when promises go unfulfilled – expect a backlash.

I don’t blame the athletes.

I blame the hype machine.

Every member of Team Canada has come here hoping for the moment of his or her life.

Every athlete, especially those in the strongest positions have been helped out financially on the road to Vancouver.

Every athlete has been given everything they need to excel.

But it’s not as simple as dreaming or believing.

This is sport. There are other athletes from other countries who think exactly the same way.

You don’t think the USA or Germany – who’ve always had strong athletic programs – haven’t devised their own “Own the Podium”?

It’s called a plan.

Like OTP – it’s meant to put their countries in the best possible position to be successful.

They just don’t brag about it.

Or call it Own the Podium.

You might be thinking these are built in excuses for Canada’s underwhelming medal collection so far.

But it’s reality.

A lot of people – from the COC (why don’t they change that handle?) and the mainstream media sipped this Koolaid from the beginning but they were all treating the medal possibilities like a math problem.

They looked at World Cup and World Championship projections – they looked at how athletes were doing last year instead of this year and when they did – they heaped some unfair expectations on a lot of these kids.

Suddenly instead of merely being a contender – Canadian athletes were told they were favored to win.

That they were going to win.

And when that happens you start being afraid to lose.

We’ve all had it happen to us at one time in our life. 

Perfect example is short-track speed skater Charles Hamelin who came into Vancouver as the poster boy for Team Canada.

He was projected to be one of the favorites to win Canada’s first gold medal on home soil. The press printed it, cyberspace texted it, our booming CTV voice over guy bellowed it.

But what everyone outside his sport failed to realize – was that the 1500 wasn’t his distance. They did the math but used the wrong numbers and came up with gold. He didn’t even make the final.

So – with the golden gorilla hunched on his back  – Charles went to the line in the 1000 with a much better chance in a more suited distance.

With his brother Francois beside him in the final, Charles looked calm, composed and loose at the start line.

But then the brothers Hamelin did something that we all do when we face a certain amount of pressure – they tried too hard.

They went out too quick. Too fast. A terrible tactical move for skaters who are better sprinters than distance guys.

Their strategy failed miserably.. 

They faded and finished OTP.

Off the Podium.

The good news is that they still have a medal shot in the sprints next week. Problem is that the gorilla will have grown to King Kong and anything short of gold will be treated as a failure.

Fair? Maybe not but a lot of Canadians will say, “hey we throw our tax money at these athletes – so stop whining and start winning”.

I understand their frustration and maybe even their rationale.

I just don’t believe in throwing the athletes under the bus.

Is it any coincidence that many of our most over-promoted athletes have underachieved here?

Patrick Chan, Jeremy Wotherspoon,  Mellissa Hollingswoth, and  keep going down the list.

All had come to Vancouver with gold in their eyes. They were already stars on TV commercials. Most retained personal agents. All had been pumped up by the media and Own the Podium.

Great people, great athletes, but greater expectations..

They just didn’t win.

That’s sport.

Happens at every Olympics.

You can’t write the ending before it happens.

You can’t predict a promise.

You can’t own a podium.

Unless you’re prepared to walk your talk.