We won a damn medal. Now, every half wit sports columnist in the country is going to have to find a new tiny African country were equal with in the medal standings to set-up their punchlines tomorrow.
Togo is a good bet.
Carol Huynh in women's 48kg freestyle wrestling, by the way. She won her semi-final moments ago to clinch silver. She could upgrade later.
An unexpected one. Was it ever going to be another way.
To quote Bob McCown...thank the baby Jesus.
UPDATE: She fights for gold just after 4 a.m. EST, 1 a.m. wacky left coast time against the 2004 silver medalist Chiharu Icho of Japan.
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I'm all for finding a new tiny African country we're equal with.
Know why? Because many of those new tiny African countries have much less resources (natural, financial, athletic and otherwise) but have the same medal count as a country with a strong dollar, more people and better way of life.
One medal does not make the Olympics a remote success thus far.
Duane: "You guys up for a Togo party?"
Canadian media: "Togo! Togo!"
Duane: "I think, they like the idea, Hoov."
She just won GOLD in comvincing fashion. Yeah Carol!
OttawaFan
The Togo guy that won grew up and was trained in France. So, when you do make those silly comparisons put them in full perspective Greg.
And none of our potential Canadian medallists have been born in another country, gone to college in the United States or spent 9 months of the year training in Europe.
Point being, the Olympics have not kept up with the modern world by insisting athletes be ID'd by country.
I didn't make my point clear Neate - Greg was, I think, suggesting that it was shameful that Canada is being outperformed by small countries with less resources. The mistake in that thinking is that Canada isn't being outperformed by those small nations. Not when you look at the whole.
Through the luck of his father's birth a Frenchman wears Togo's colours at the Olympics and wins a bronze medal. I'm not making a judgment about his decision to represent a country that he doesn't live in, but you can't hold him up as an example of how small countries do a better job of preparing athletes than Canada because Togo doesn't do anything to support him other than to give him his jersey (so to speak).
(for the record I find it a bit crazy that I'm being cast as the great defender of the status quo. I hardly am. I agree that Canada's performance in the summer games is sad and that changes should be made. I likely feel more strongly about that than 99% of Canadians, making it particularly ironic that I'm the one defending the performances)
But back to the topic. I've asked Greg to put things in full perspective. Don't exaggerate the competitiveness of the team by making hyperbolic comparisons. Anyone with a surface understanding of Canada's medal hopefuls knew that the chances were coming this weekend (and so far, so good). Making the snide "Togo joke" is just hackery, plain and simple.
Well, some would say that with some of our athletes, we're just giving them the jersey.
My heartfelt belief is that if the Olympics are supposed to be about athletic accomplishment, than what country wins what is very ancillary. For instance, to whose benefit is it that Tanith Belbin almost didn't get to skate in Turin b/c she had to get U.S. citizenship, or Daniel Nestor couldn't have his usual doubles partner?
I also wouldn't make the Togo joke, unless I was making it crystal-clear it was meant to zing that Canadian mentality. Anyway, we're up to 4 medals now ... not great, but better.
I'm just jaundiced about the Olympics in general.
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