I've been watching the Road Cycling World Championships this weekend. The women raced yesterday. Canadian Olympic Icon Clara Hughes gave us something to cheer about when she broke from the pack and increased her lead to 45 seconds with 10 km to go in the 140 km race. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough steam to take herself to the end and the pack caught her.
The men raced today. The British team led the peloton for most of the time that I watched with the hopes that Mark Cavendish would win the sprint at the end. They caught the leaders in the final pack. As the peloton approached the finish line after racing for 5 hours and 40 minutes, Mark Cavendish sprinted for the win; just like he often did at The Tour de France.
If Canada is not in the running for a medal at the London Olympics, I hope the British team will do it again!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Mazda Canoe Kayak Knockout
The Canadian Canoe and Kayak team was in Toronto to compete in the Mazda Canoe Kayak Knockout event yesterday.
It is such a fun event. They really should promote it better. The only reason I knew about it was because I went to the Canoe Kayak Canada website to see the schedule of events having learned of this event after the fact last year. I didn't want to miss my chance at seeing Adam van Koeverden race this year.
The event has a Facebook Page and Twitter account, but they're not updated very often. It's sad because this was a wonderful opportunity to see our national team up close heading into the London 2012 Olympics. There was also an autograph session where you could meet each member of the national team.
The event has a Facebook Page and Twitter account, but they're not updated very often. It's sad because this was a wonderful opportunity to see our national team up close heading into the London 2012 Olympics. There was also an autograph session where you could meet each member of the national team.
The events included Men's K-1, Women's K-1, Men's C-1, Women's C-1, Paracanoe and junior K1 and junior C1. Team members who would normally race K-2 or C-2 were racing on their own.
Each event would have multiple races. After each race, the slowest competitors are knocked out. Although the races are 200m (and so a sprint), there is strategy involved to try to ensure the racer doesn't get knocked out, and at the same time maintains enough energy for the following races.
The men's K1 had the most competitors starting with 39.
The top 18 moved on after the first race. In the third race, the top 14 moved on followed by the top 10 and the top 6. There were plenty of opportunities to see our favourites race and get different viewpoints.
The top 18 moved on after the first race. In the third race, the top 14 moved on followed by the top 10 and the top 6. There were plenty of opportunities to see our favourites race and get different viewpoints.
After qualifying, the racers would paddle back to the starting line passing right by the spectators which allowed some great photos to be taken.
(Ian Mortimer)
(Ian Mortimer)
Although Adam van Koeverden is the reason I went, I was excited to see the rest of the Canadian team including:
Mark Oldershaw
Mark de Jonge
19 year old World Champion Laurence Vincent-Lapointe
up and coming Juniors including Etienne Beauchesne:
and many more.Results:
Men's Kayak
1. Mark de Jonge
2. Richard Dober
3. Ryan Cochrane
Women's Kayak
1. Kathleen Carole Fraser
2. Genny Orton
3. Mylanie Barre
Men's Canoe
1. Richard Dalton
2. Gabriel Beauchesne-Sevigny
3. Andrew Russell
Women's Canoe
1. Laurence Vincent-Lapointe
2. Mallorie Nicholson
3. Taylor Potts
Friday, September 9, 2011
Don't blame Steve Nash!
I wanted to see the Canadian basketball team qualify for the London 2012 Olympics like every other Canadian Olympic fan or Canadian basketball fan.
As I watched the dying seconds of their loss to Panama, my heart went out to the team. Winning that game did not mean that they were going to the Olympics there was still a long road ahead. The loss meant that the dream was over. At the time, a lot of thoughts went through my head but the last thing I thought of was blaming Steve Nash.
I was shocked to read Steve Buffery's article entitled Thanks a Lot, Nash! I chalked it up to a sports writer who didn't do proper research, preferring to check Steve Nash's tweets in the last couple of months instead of checking Steve Nash's history. I also imagined he was just looking for a reaction. I wasn't going to give him one.
This morning, I saw an article written by Michael Grange for Sportsnet entitled Same Old Story also blaming Steve Nash along with other NBA players by declaring "Until our players truly want to play for Canada, the basketball program will continue to suffer."
I couldn't keep quiet when another sports writer was pointing the finger at Steve Nash.
Twelve teams qualify for the Olympics, we are ranked twenty third. We lost to #28 ranked Panama. Are these sport writers suggesting that Canada should upset higher ranked teams, but no one should upset Canada?
The writers I imagine are assuming that our ranking wouldn't be #23 if Steve Nash was playing. I won't argue that point, but in 2003 Steve Nash played for Team Canada and they failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.
Having Steve on the team is not an automatic berth to the Olympics.
Buffery says that a hockey player would be vilified for not playing for Canada and so thinks we should vilify Steve Nash. This is like comparing apples to oranges. Canadian hockey players don't have to qualify for the Olympics. Their standing at the World Championships automatically qualifies them. The Olympics are held during the NHL season. The hockey players don't give up their summers to represent their country.
When Steve helped Team Canada achieve "Mission Impossible" to qualify for the 2000 Olympics, they upset much higher ranked teams. By winning their group at the Olympics, they upset even better teams. Being ranked higher in the quarter finals, they lost. Yesterday, Canada was ranked higher on paper, but lost on the court. This is what sport is about.
After the 2000 Olympics, Steve Nash said "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play. That's what I really hope."
This was more than 10 years ago. Where are those kids now? Where are the sports programs and sponsorships to help those kids become the next Steve Nash? The flame has passed. Steve Nash is 37 years old and the 6th oldest active NBA player. He's not the one we should look at to get us to the Olympics Games. He's been there, done that! And did us proud!
He has often talked about the toll playing at the highest level has on his body, especially with the style of play that he and his team play. He understands his body and knows its limits. He chose to allow his body to recover in between NBA seasons. Perhaps if he was a hockey player, he would still be representing his country. He's not.
Steve Nash has made Canada proud. He spent 10 of 12 summers playing for Canada between 1991 and 2003. He helped us qualify for the 2000 Olympics. He got Canada excited about basketball. He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 2010 Olympics. That is the thanks he deserves; not those articles.
Sports writers, feel free to point your finger here or there to explain why Canada's basketball team failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, but don't point it at Steve Nash!
As I watched the dying seconds of their loss to Panama, my heart went out to the team. Winning that game did not mean that they were going to the Olympics there was still a long road ahead. The loss meant that the dream was over. At the time, a lot of thoughts went through my head but the last thing I thought of was blaming Steve Nash.
I was shocked to read Steve Buffery's article entitled Thanks a Lot, Nash! I chalked it up to a sports writer who didn't do proper research, preferring to check Steve Nash's tweets in the last couple of months instead of checking Steve Nash's history. I also imagined he was just looking for a reaction. I wasn't going to give him one.
This morning, I saw an article written by Michael Grange for Sportsnet entitled Same Old Story also blaming Steve Nash along with other NBA players by declaring "Until our players truly want to play for Canada, the basketball program will continue to suffer."
I couldn't keep quiet when another sports writer was pointing the finger at Steve Nash.
Twelve teams qualify for the Olympics, we are ranked twenty third. We lost to #28 ranked Panama. Are these sport writers suggesting that Canada should upset higher ranked teams, but no one should upset Canada?
The writers I imagine are assuming that our ranking wouldn't be #23 if Steve Nash was playing. I won't argue that point, but in 2003 Steve Nash played for Team Canada and they failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.
Having Steve on the team is not an automatic berth to the Olympics.
Buffery says that a hockey player would be vilified for not playing for Canada and so thinks we should vilify Steve Nash. This is like comparing apples to oranges. Canadian hockey players don't have to qualify for the Olympics. Their standing at the World Championships automatically qualifies them. The Olympics are held during the NHL season. The hockey players don't give up their summers to represent their country.
When Steve helped Team Canada achieve "Mission Impossible" to qualify for the 2000 Olympics, they upset much higher ranked teams. By winning their group at the Olympics, they upset even better teams. Being ranked higher in the quarter finals, they lost. Yesterday, Canada was ranked higher on paper, but lost on the court. This is what sport is about.
After the 2000 Olympics, Steve Nash said "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play. That's what I really hope."
This was more than 10 years ago. Where are those kids now? Where are the sports programs and sponsorships to help those kids become the next Steve Nash? The flame has passed. Steve Nash is 37 years old and the 6th oldest active NBA player. He's not the one we should look at to get us to the Olympics Games. He's been there, done that! And did us proud!
He has often talked about the toll playing at the highest level has on his body, especially with the style of play that he and his team play. He understands his body and knows its limits. He chose to allow his body to recover in between NBA seasons. Perhaps if he was a hockey player, he would still be representing his country. He's not.
Steve Nash has made Canada proud. He spent 10 of 12 summers playing for Canada between 1991 and 2003. He helped us qualify for the 2000 Olympics. He got Canada excited about basketball. He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 2010 Olympics. That is the thanks he deserves; not those articles.
Sports writers, feel free to point your finger here or there to explain why Canada's basketball team failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, but don't point it at Steve Nash!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)