Short Track Speed Skating: Was it a racing incident or deliberate cheating?

After watching the Short Track Speed Skating World Championships 1000m men's race, I was angry and sad.

Contact happens in short track speed skating. I know that.

A skater doesn't deliberately take another out but skating so close and so fast with each other, accidents happen and sometimes a skater is found at fault and penalized (disqualified).

When these incidents happen, fans/commentators will say things like:

• luck was on his side (or not on his side)
• that's short track
• they have to accept it for what it is

I have often said those things but in my opinion, they do not apply this time.

You can see it by clicking here. What do you think?


Sin Da Woon of South Korea had no chance at the overall title, but his teammate did. While Park Se Yoeong sat back in 4th, his teammate (in 3rd) first nudges/pushes Wu Dajing of China aside who was in 2nd place at the time. On the last straightaway, he even more obviously pushes Charles Hamelin aside with all his might (it takes two attempts to finally impede him enough). It's amazing that Charles stayed on his feet and reached the line in second. Wu Dajing who was earlier impeded would finish fourth. Sin Da Woon was disqualified.

In a regular incident when the contact is accidental, the skater at fault would be penalized and the results stand (if in an earlier round, sometimes the impeded skater will still go through to the next round). Sometimes it is luck. Sometimes a skater is in the wrong place at the wrong time or miscalculates their pass. You are taken out or detained and you have to accept the result.

This time is different for me because it was done deliberately to reward a teammate like Hamelin said after the race:

"I'm a little disappointed with only getting the silver," said Hamelin. "I was on my way to a gold medal when the two Koreans teamed up, sacrificing one so the other could win. One pushed me in the last turn and I ended up second."

On the podium, the Korean put the gold medal in front of Hamelin but that's little consolation though.

I am heartbroken to see this happen in an Olympic sport. I am perhaps naive to think that cheating shouldn't happen in Olympic sports.

I'm not saying that cheating doesn't happen, but you hope that when it does, the International Olympic Committee or Sport Federation will do something about it.

Cheating is not new in short track speed skating. At the 2011 World Team Championships, an American skater tampered with Olivier Jean's skates which affected the team's relay performance. You can read CBC's 2012 article here and a 2013 updated article here.

In that instance, the athlete and the coach were suspended for 2 years from the ISU. I am hoping that the International Skating Union will look at this incident and take action to prevent such blatant cheating from succeeding in the future.

How Canada's 1988 Olympic team is as good as our 2014 team

I heard or read somewhere that we're no longer the 1988 Olympic team that didn't win a gold medal. Canada's 2014 Olympic team has a winning attitude and we will no longer accept that lacklustre performance from 1988.

I'm not saying that I'm a fan of this winning attitude that has especially surfaced this year, but this comment made me curious. How many medals could we have gotten in 1988 with the "Own The Podium" funding, support and mentality of 2014?

In 1988, we won 5 medals - two silver (Brian Orser and Elizabeth Manley in figure skating) and three bronze (Tracy Wilson & Robert McCall in figure skating and Karen Percy winning two in alpine skiing).

Looking at the events available in 1988 with the 2014 results for those events, today's athletes would have won 5 medals - three silver and two bronze. We still would not win a gold medal at our home Olympics.

I couldn't believe it!

How could our "Own The Podium" 25 medals in 2014 equal 5 medals in 1988? The answer is that the Olympics have changed, not necessarily Canada's performances. The new 2014 events like slopestyle, halfpipe and team events weren't there, but neither were women's bobsleigh, women's hockey, NHL players, curling, freestyle skiing, snowboard or short track speed skating.

Which members of our 2014 team would have won medals in 1988 events? Patrick Chan, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir would have won their silvers in figure skating, Denny Morrison would have won his silver and bronze in speed skating; and Jan Hudec the bronze in Super-G.

Luckily, looking at the 2010 Olympics results, that team would have won two gold medals in 1988. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in ice dance and Christine Nesbitt in speed skating. In total the 2010 team would have won seven medals in 1988.

There are two messages I am coming away with looking at these numbers. The first is that our team results have not changed much in the traditional Olympic sports. Twenty of our 25 medals in 2014 were won in events that were not part of the Olympics in 1988.

The other eye-opening realization is how little women's events there were in 1988. Women competed in 5 of the 10 sports: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, luge and speed skating. They did not compete in biathlon, bobsleigh (won gold in 2014), hockey (won gold in 2014) and ski jumping. Nordic combined still does not include women.

Looking at the results in more detail brings some interesting findings.

Here are the medal tables for 1988 and 2014 (in order by total medals rather than the official manner of ranking by gold medal).

In 1988

1. Soviet Union 29
2. East Germany 25
3. Switzerland 15
4. Austria 10
5. West Germany 8
6. Finland 7
7. Netherlands 7
8. Sweden 6
9. USA 6
10. Italy 5
11. Norway 5
12. Canada 5

5 more with less than 5 medals
= 17 nations, 138 medals

In 2014

1. Russia 33
2. USA 28
3. Norway 26
4. Canada 25
5. Netherlands 24
6. Germany 19
7. Austria 17
8. France 15
9. Sweden 15
10. Switzerland 11

16 other countries with less than 10 medals
= 26 nations, 295 medals

The countries who have increased their medal counts the most are Canada (5 to 25), USA (6 to 28),  Norway (5 to 24) and Netherlands (7 to 26).

With the number of medals doubling, it's natural that Canada (and others) would win more medals in 2014 than in 1988.

What would the medal table look like if we compare the 2014 results with the events available in 1988? (removing men's hockey with lack of NHL players)

2014 results in 1988 events (1988 number in brackets)

1. Netherlands 22 (7)
2. Norway 15 (5)
3. Russia 14 + Latvia 2 + Kazakhstan 1 (Soviet Union 29 minus 1 hockey gold=28)
4. Austria 14 (10)
5. Germany 14 (East 25, West 8)
6. USA 9 (6)
7. Sweden 7 (6 minus 1 hockey bronze = 5)
8. Switzerland 6 (15)
9. Canada 5 (5)
10. Italy 4 (5)
11. France 4 (2)
12. Slovenia 4 + Croatia 1 (Yugoslavia 3)
13. Poland 4 (0)
14. Czech Republic 3 (Czechoslovakia 3)
15. Japan 3 (1)
16. South Korea 2 (0)

The interesting stats coming out of this table is that not surprisingly Soviet Union and East Germany numbers have decreased with the political changes since then.

In 2014, Netherlands have tripled their medals -  all of them in speed skating (one in short track and the rest in long track). Only two of those events were not available in 1988 (short track and team pursuit for long track).

Norway results also have tripled. Twenty-one of their 26 medals in 2014 involved cross-country skiing (including biathlon and nordic combined).

It would be interesting to study these countries' focus on those disciplines. Do they fund them almost exclusively? Are their athletes not medalling in the other sports due to lack of funding, participation/interest or support?

In contrast to Netherlands and Norway who had their improved performance in the traditional Olympic sports, Canada's and USA's numbers show that the newer sports are geared to North Americans. Seventeen of USA's 28 medals are in events that were not available in Calgary while 20 of Canada's 25 medals are.

What is Canada's medal count by sports in 2014?
Alpine Skiing 1 (in 10 events)
Biathlon 0 (in 11 events)
Bobsleigh 1 (in 3 events)
Cross-Country Skiing 0 (in 12 events)
Curling 2 (in 2 events)
Figure Skating 3 (in 5 events)
Freestyle Skiing 9 (in 10 events - 4 events with double medals)
Hockey 2 (in 2 events)
Luge 0 (in 4 events)
Nordic Combined 0 (in 3 events)
Short Track Speed Skating 3 (in 8 events)
Skeleton 0 (in 2 events)
Ski Jumping 0 (in 4 events)
Snowboarding 2 (in 10 events)
Speed Skating 2 (in 12 events)

This table also shows which sports have multiple events/medals. Netherlands excelling in speed skating that offer 12 events (32 possible medals by country) means they win more medals than someone who would excel in hockey and curling with 2 events each (and one entry per country).

To extend the comparison between 1988 and 2014, the Calgary Games offered demonstration sports which included curling, moguls, aerials and short track speed skating. We won fourteen medals including 2 in curling, 2 in freestyle and 10 in short track.

Adding only these three sports, our total is 19 medals. If we add the figure skating team event, women's hockey and the NHL players, we can easily add three more. There was no comparing data found for snowboard, halfpipe and slopestyle so let's remove those 2014 medals.

Taking all of these factors into consideration, this leaves us with:

20 medals in Sochi compared to 22 medals in Calgary

Are the new sports more popular in North America and so, it's natural that we do better in them? Do we have better facilities for these sports? The Dew Tour and NHL based in North America definitely benefits North Americans in hockey, freestyle ski and snowboard sports.

Does Own The Podium funding help the new sports more? Not necessarily here's the breakdown of their funding (newer sports in bold):

1. freestyle skiing $3.25M
2. alpine skiing $2.98M
3. hockey $2.8 (includes men's, women's and sledge)
4. bobsleigh/skeleton $2.45M
5. snowboard $2.45M
6. cross-country skiing $1.97M
7. curling $1.89M
8. short track speed skating $1.87M
9. long track speed skating $1.67M
10. ski cross $1.47M
11. luge $1.09M
12. figure skating $0.97M
13. biathlon $0.23M

Click here for more detail.

Ideally wanting to believe that doping is minimal in Canada, are the newer sports less likely to benefit from performance enhancing drugs or blood doping? I don't believe that doping would help moguls, curling, short track or skeleton as much as it would long track speed skating, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing or biathlon? I can not be naive enough to believe that just because there are minimal positive test results in Sochi that there is minimal doping happening. I really hope that Canadians don't. I would rather see a clean 10th place finish than a tarnished podium finish.

The lifestyle of our Olympians in 2014 is probably also much better with the increased funding. More athletes in 2014 can devote their time to training and competing (and sometimes studying) whereas in 1988, the athletes probably needed to fund a lot more of their costs. Of course, the cost of equipment, travel and competing has increased as well.

Some of that extra support could account for our improved performance in many sports where national best finishes were reached. It would be interesting to look at top 10 results in 1988 and 2014 and see those improvements.

Increased funding and support is the necessity of sports nowadays in order to compete with the increased funding and costs in sports around the world. Without Own The Podium and similar programs supporting our athletes, Canadian results may not be what they were in 2014, even for sports in which we are known or expected to dominate.

In the end, saying the 25 medals won in 2014 is a much better performance than the 5 medals won in 1988 is short-sighted and insulting to the Calgary team. Taking everything into consideration, the two team performances are quite similar and both quite impressive.

My pick for Canada's flag bearer

It's 20 days until the Opening Ceremony.

The highlight for the Olympic Opening Ceremony for me is seeing our flag bearer enter the stadium followed by Team Canada. I also love to see all the countries' uniforms and who they chose as their flag bearer. Besides looking for international athletes I love, it also gives me an idea of who to watch for.

As much as I may like to see a "professional" athlete I love carry their country's flag, I love that the U.S. has stayed away from having a professional (NBA, NHL, tennis) player carry their flag. I love hearing the story behind the athlete they choose to lead their team (that I normally don't know and possibly most Americans don't know). Click here for one example.

I love trying to guess who will be Canada's flag bearer.

Here are our latest flag bearers:

Opening Ceremony:
2012 Simon Whitfield (triathlon)
2010 Clara Hughes (speed skating)
2008 Adam van Koeverden (kayak)
2006 Danielle Goyette (hockey)
2004 Nicolas Gill (judo)
2002 Catriona Le May Doan (speed skating)
2000 Caroline Brunet (kayak)
1998 Jean-Luc Brassard (freestyle skiing)
1996 Charmaine Crooks (athletics)
1994 Kurt Browning (figure skating)
1992 Mike Smith (athletics)
1992 Sylvie Daigle (short track speed skating)

Closing Ceremony:
2012 Christine Sinclair (soccer)
2010 Joannie Rochette (figure skating)
2008 Karen Cockburn (trampoline)
2006 Cindy Klassen (speed skating)
2004 Adam van Koeverden (kayak)
2002 Jamie Salé and David Pelletier (figure skating)
2000 Simon Whitfield (triathlon)
1998 Catriona Le May Doan (speed skating)
1996 Marnie McBean and Kathleen Heddle (rowing)
1994 Myriam Bedard (biathlon)
1992 Silken Laumann (rowing)
1992 Nathalie Lambert (short track speed skating)

That is quite a list of Canadian icons leading Team Canada in the past couple of decades. Quite a list to live up to. The past few Games, Canada has had a male flag bearer for the summer Olympics and a female for winter Olympics. Will the trend continue or will they switch it up in 2014? Although it has been a woman for the last four Closing Ceremonies.

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a flag bearer. We could choose someone with past success at the Olympics like:

• Jasey-Jay Anderson
• Alexandre Bilodeau
• Chandra Crawford
• Charles Hamelin
• Kaillie Humphries
• Ashleigh McIvor
• Denny Morrison
• Christine Nesbitt
• Maelle Ricker
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir
• Women's hockey player
• Men's hockey player

We could choose someone who has excelled on the world stage who hasn't yet succeeded at the Olympics:

• Patrick Chan
• Justine Dufour-Lapointe
• Alex Gough
• Erik Guay
• Roz Groenewould
• Alex Harvey
• Devon Kershaw
• Mikaël Kingsbury
• Mark McMorris
• Spencer O'Brien
• Kaya Turski

Being a veteran or leader is a great quality for a flag bearer:

• Chandra Crawford
• Erik Guay
• Charles Hamelin
• Alex Harvey
• Denny Morrison
• Heather Moyse
• Christine Nesbitt
• Hayley Wickenheiser

We could choose someone with a great story like the U.S. have done in the past. 

• Jan Hudec who emigrated from Czech republic as an infant with his parents in a home- made raft. Has overcome multiple injuries.
• Larisa Yurkiw who funded her Olympic dream when she lost Alpine Canada funding last year while coming back from injury
• Heather Moyse (3 time Olympian, multi-sport athlete coming back from injury)
• Alex Harvey (making history in cross-country skiing, all in the family ... father is summer and winter Olympian)
• siblings - Hamelin brothers (father is Speed Skating Canada program director), Dufour-Lapointe sisters
• love story/2010 memorable moment - Charles Hamelin and Marianne St-Gelais

The competition schedule is a concern. Athletes competing the day after the Ceremony (or soon afterwards) often do not attend the Ceremony and wouldn't want to be flag bearer because it could affect their performance. Other athletes with their competition being in the second week may want to stay away from the craziness of the Olympic Games for as long as possible so may not be in Sochi for the Olympic ceremony.

Who does this cancel out? Quite a few, including Patrick Chan, Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, Mark McMorris, Hayley Wickenheiser and Chandra Crawford.

Also looking at the past flag bearers, do we want to repeat recent sports who have been represented? 2010 speed skater, 2006 women's ice hockey, 2002 speed skating. Although worthy, this cancels out Christine Nesbitt and Haeley Wickenheiser.

Here is my short list of athletes to be Canada's flag bearer in 2014.

Alexandre Bilodeau
Pro - first gold medal on Canadian soil, if curse is real, another Canadian (Mikaël Kingsbury) could win gold (also sentimental for me having been at the moguls event to see him win gold in 2010)
Con - sportsmanship/frustration issues this season may put damper on leader criterion

Sydney Crosby
Pro - Although I would normally not want a professional athlete as flag bearer, the golden goal in 2010 ignited the country, we haven't had a male hockey player as flag bearer since 1948, he would need no introduction
Con - too mainstream/professional; has a NHL game that night - could he be in Sochi instead?

Erik Guay
Pro - most successful Canadian alpine skier with 21 World Cup podiums, crystal globe winner, world champion, downhill is well known and popular event
Con - has been SO close at the Olympics (4th and two 5ths), I'm worried about the flag bearer curse (I am SO hoping he medals in Sochi), also competes two days after the ceremony.

Charles Hamelin
Pro - 3-time Olympic medallist (2 gold within 30 minutes on home soil), 26-time World Champion medallist, family affair (brother, father, girlfriend)
Con - sport is high risk, so flag bearer curse could easily affect outcome

Alex Harvey
Pro - history making results in cross-country skiing (including 4 recent podiums of which 2 are wins), father is 2-time Olympian (1976 road cycling, 1988 cross-country skiing)
Con - has been SO close at the Olympics (4th), my fear of curse (especially with 4 recent podiums including 2 wins), competes 2 days later.

Kaillie Humphries
Pro - 2010 Olympic champion, perfect season last year
Con - competition starts Week 2 so may not be in Sochi, bobsleigh not as popular as other sports in Canada

History is being made at the 2014 Olympics with women being included in halfpipe and ski jumping. Slopestyle is also being added as a sport.

One of the major reasons for women freestyle skiing being added is Sarah Burke who lobbied the IOC for inclusion. I would love our flag bearer to be a tribute to Sarah who died January 19, 2012. Roz Groenewoud is an obvious candidate competing in the event that Sarah was the favourite to win Olympic gold. A recent injury and the event being scheduled in the second week makes me doubt that Roz would be available for the Opening Ceremony.

Another athlete inspired by Sarah is Kaya Turski who competes in slopestyle. As much as I would love to see Kaya carry the flag into the Opening Ceremony, I fear that Sarah and Kaya (or Roz) are not known enough in Canada for it to be a moment where Canada stands up with pride. It could be an opportunity however to share Sarah's story with a larger audience - especially with Canada Post releasing a Sarah Burke stamp as a pioneer of winter sports.

I received a tweet reply from Marc Durand, host of Objectif Sotchi on Radio-Canada.  He had a great idea to honour Sarah. Whoever we choose to be flag bearer could wear a Sarah sticker/patch on their uniform like many athletes do now. I would love for the whole team to wear a Sarah sticker/patch and the commentators to point it out and explain the significance.

So if the decision was up to me who would I choose as flag bearer? I would choose someone with experience and knowledge of what it takes to succeed and how to handle disappointment at Olympic Games. I would choose someone who is not competing within 48 hours of the ceremony. My choice doesn't "need" to win a medal to complete their career but are expected to medal. I would choose someone who has given us memorable moments and someone that the other athletes would be proud to follow into the stadium.

I would choose Charles Hamelin.

I don't have a vote though and I will be happy with whoever is chosen to lead Team Canada in to the Opening Ceremony.

The challenge of watching Olympic sports live

With a month to go to the 2014 Olympic Games, so many Canadian athletes are peaking at the right time. There have been amazing results recently, they are almost too difficult to keep track of.

• Erik Guay - 2 podiums incl. a win to break the Canadian record for most podiums - alpine skiing
• Jan Hudec - podium - alpine skiing
• Travis Gerrits - 1st World Cup win - aerials
• Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw - first time for a Canadian 1-2 World Cup finish
• Alex Harvey - 2 more podiums in first 6 stages of the Tour de Ski
• Dave Duncan - 1st World Cup win (and then 2nd) - ski cross
• Dominique Maltais - podium in Lake Louise - snowboard cross
• Sarah Reid - World Cup podium - skeleton
• Alex Gough - World Cup podium - luge
• Tristan Walker and Justin Snith - 1st career podium in doubles luge
• Alex Gough, Tristan Walker, Justin Snith and Sam Edney - podium - team event luge
• Justin Dorey, Noah Bowman, Matt Margetts - Canadian World Cup podium sweep in Calgary - ski halfpipe
• Mikael Kingsbury and Alex Bilodeau - 1st and 2nd in moguls WC in Calgary
• Justine and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe - 1st and 3rd in moguls WC in Calgary

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure I am missing some.

Being a huge fan of Olympic sports, all these great results should have me quite excited, but I was actually feeling sad on the weekend. Why? Because most of these events were not shown live on television or livestreamed by a Canadian (or reputable website). I was learning about the results on Twitter.

Even the world cup events in Calgary were not shown live and are being televised next week.

I find it sad that the demand in Canada isn't bigger for Olympic sports. There are so many sports stations now, it amazes me that more amateur sports are not shown. This begs the question, what comes first? If the stations showed amateur sports, would people become more interested or does the audience interest have to come first before stations show the sports?

I talked about this topic before in a post "Do Sports Organizations and Athletes Want Us to Follow Them Year Round or Only During the Olympic Games?" You can read that post here.

That post was more about live events around Canada and letting people know they are happening, but the same thing can be said about television coverage. It's not easy to find amateur sports coverage. I'm not sure how the average sports fan does it. Do they check the guide to see what is on and plan accordingly or do they just turn on and watch whatever is on?

I have to give CBC and Radio-Canada credit with the continual coverage whether it's CBC Sports Weekend, Objectif Sotchi, Olympic commercials or athlete interviews.  I'm thankful to Sportsnet for covering alpine skiing, bobsleigh and skeleton. So I don't want this to sound like I'm not thankful. I just wish there was more variety (like last week when ski jumping was aired on CBC - I don't think I have seen ski jumping on television outside of the Olympics). I'd love to see all amateur sports get some coverage, even if it's not every event.

Rather than showing skeleton and bobsleigh every weekend, could we mix in some luge or speed skating? Rather than alpine skiing every weekend, could we mix in some cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboard or biathlon?

Alpine skiing, bobsleigh and skeleton are not shown live, so if Canadian results aren't up to par one weekend, couldn't they show another event where our results are better? (Yes, I know television rights comes into play so it's not that simple). And really, in Europe, I believe they show most Olympic sports so why would we have to mix it up?

SportCafé also have a great new video player that is showing some of the highlights. It's great that some events are at least shown delayed or highlights available online, but there is nothing like live sports. Imagine hockey, basketball or football games being shown 8 hours or a week after they were actually played. Would viewers be as interested in those sports if there wasn't the excitement of not knowing what will happen?

Although I was sad to not see our Canadian athletes compete this past weekend, I will get to see them compete at the Olympics in one month. One of my goals for the 2014 Winter Olympics is to manage my Olympic viewing better.

Technology has changed Olympic viewing in the past 5 to 10 years. PVRs capable of recording multiple channels and livestream coverage of every event available on computers, tablets and phones makes it more difficult to manage. It's no longer as simple as watching the evening highlights.

In 2010, I missed most of the first 5 days. Not that I'm complaining. Having travelled to Victoria to attend a couple of events in Vancouver meant that I wasn't glued to a television or computer screen. When I returned, I was trying to catch up on what I had missed and keeping up with current events which made it difficult and not ideal.

In 2012, I used two PVRs to try to capture as much as I could. I would wake up and watch the telecasts I had recorded, while keeping away from social media and news. It was overwhelming.

I'm hoping to stay on social media this time which will mean understanding the schedule better and choosing which events I really really want to see live and which ones I'll be okay with knowing the results before seeing it. This was the mistake I made in 2012. I would be watching one recorded channel that would tell me the result from a different channel I had recorded that I cared more about.

Although the Winter Olympics schedule isn't as daunting as the Summer Olympics (here it is from the official website)...

and hovering over an event will give you more detail including the local time...

It's still not enough for me to ensure that I will see the events I want without finding out the result beforehand, so in the next few weeks, I will be uploading the schedule in SportCafé's events calendar with as much information as I can like the time of the event (local and Canadian), Canadians competing and which channel will be showing the events. So if you're like me and want to choose the events you're most interested in, check the SportCafé calendar in the coming weeks for more detail.

It's the one time of year that amateur sports fans are guaranteed to be able to watch any Olympic sport live. I'll be taking advantage of it and can't wait to see Canadian athletes "Give Their Everything!"

Don't Insult Clean Athletes by Calling Ben Johnson "One Of Our Greatest Athletes"

Twenty five years ago, I probably couldn't stop smiling. The 1988 Olympics were on and every spare moment I had was spent watching them or reading about them. Ben Johnson had just won gold on the weekend and Canada was celebrating.

That was about to change when the news broke that Ben Johnson had failed a drug test. I didn't want to believe it. I was one of many who defended Ben and believed the test result to be a mistake. I believed the excuses "he didn't knowingly take anything", "someone spiked his drink", but then the Dubin Inquiry showed us how naive we were.

A couple of days ago, Canada's sports media were recognizing the 25th anniversary of the 100m race that Ben Johnson won.

I think what was more profound and had more of an impact on Canada was the day we found out that Johnson was stripped of the gold medal because of a positive drug test. Let's mark that anniversary instead.

Ben Johnson took performance enhancing drugs that led to his winning that race. He's no hero or victim. He may have been punished more severely than the others and politics may have been at play, but even if every single sprinter was on PEDs then, we should not be celebrating that performance.

Last year, I saw the documentary 9.79*.

In the documentary we learn that 6 of the 8 athletes in that final either tested positive or have been implicated in a drug scandal since then. We learn that Carl Lewis' friend Andre Jackson may have given Ben a tainted beer before Ben's drug test. Ben tested positive for a different steroid than he was actually using.  Andre is interviewed in the documentary and when asked whether he did, he says "maybe I did, maybe I didn't". If he didn't wouldn't he deny it or is he just an attention seeker wanting a moment in the spotlight?

Whether Ben's beer was drugged or not is not the issue. The beer only leads to Ben getting caught. It doesn't change the fact that he did use performance enhancing drugs for years.

Stephen Brunt's article on the last page of Sportsnet Magazine, has captions like:

"Twenty-five years after Seoul, Ben Johnson should be remembered not for his PED ban, but for his greatness"

" The line dividing what is considered cheating and what is not is often arbitrary"

He makes the ridiculous declaration that his 1988 race was the "greatest athletic accomplishment in history". Sorry but, the greatest athletic accomplishment in history can not be enhanced by drugs!

In an interview, he asks Ben how fast he could have gone, like if it doesn't matter that he was taking PEDs - comparing it to baseball's Canseco and McGwire.

Reading all the comments from readers on various Canadian sites defending him makes me think that this story is so biased. If the scenario was reversed and Carl Lewis had won then tested positive with the same circumstances as Ben endured, we would not be defending him. We would say that Ben deserved the gold because he didn't get caught. The arguments are completely patriotic. Reading comments on Canadian sites vs comments on American sites show the bias.

Ben Johnson says that the Canadian government should have protected him like other governments protected positive test results for their athletes. What?

The argument is made that "everyone was doing PEDs then" so it was a level playing field.  Really? I don't agree. There were clean athletes, they just weren't making it to the final or not making it to the Olympics at all. Take away PEDs and the competitors in the 100m final may be completely different. The final in 1988 didn't involve the fastest men in the world. It involved the fastest men willing to take performance enhancing drugs.

Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because your competitor takes PEDs, does not mean that it's okay for you to do it. Just because another country's government protects cheats, does not mean that we should protect cheats.

Ben Johnson paid the price for his actions (perhaps overpaid). I don't think we need to continue to punish him, but I also don't believe we should put him on a pedestal either.

It's a moment in our history. We can look back and try to understand it better and try to learn from it but it is ridiculous to say that:

"He is one of our greatest athletes. He provided one of our greatest moments. And as time goes by, everything else means less and less."

That he took PEDs means less and less? That he continued to take them after serving his two year ban means less and less? Not for me.

That is an insult to every clean athlete to have ever competed for Canada.

The moment in history when the drug test came back positive led to the Dubin Inquiry which led to the creation of Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. Having the CCES testing Canada's athletes on a regular basis will help avoid a Ben Johnson story in the future. It's not a perfect system but seeing tweets from athletes from those early morning surprise visits by drug testers gives me hope that there are a lot of athletes, especially amateur athletes, who are racing and competing clean.

What I take away from looking back at the event in 1988 is that a 20th place by a clean athlete can be as impressive a feat as a medal winning performance. Competing clean should be the goal - that is what makes a great role model.  Should those clean athletes make it to an Olympic or World Cup podium is a bonus.

Some sports are cleaner than others by nature of the sport. Any time there is speed, endurance or strength, some athletes and some countries will use PEDs or other methods to get ahead. I prefer that we lose cleanly than win dirty. I am thankful for Own The Podium and other resources that help our athletes win cleanly and be the best that they can be.

Whether an athlete cheats or not, whether an athlete gets caught or not, they still have look at themselves in the mirror. They have to live with the truth or the lies they tell. They have to live with the health consequences for their choices. They know whether they deserve the medals, the records and the adoration that may come with it.

Revisiting the 25th anniversary of Ben Johnson's positive drug test reminds us why it's important to test athletes year round and why it's important for athletes to be the best that they can be....clean!

How Things Have Changed since '84 and Stayed The Same

I was lent a copy of a Sports Illustrated Special Preview of the 1984 Olympics. I initially was just excited to see an Olympics publication, just curious to see who was predicted to win and which athletes they featured in the massive 540 page magazine. The price was $3.95. How much would that be today? A regular Sports Illustrated magazine in 1984 was $1.75. I know this because I was also recently given from someone else who was cleaning out his father's basement, Sports Illustrated editions from 1979, 1984 and a preview of the Calgary Olympics in 1988. It's fascinating to look back at the media coverage of past Olympics.

As I started to read the 1984 preview magazine though it became clear that as much as things have changed, things have stayed the same.

Gone are the cigarette advertisements but the beer and car advertisements remain. Technology has changed as can be seen with this advertisement for a video camera with a VHS cassette included. While another video camera boasts of being revolutionary lightweight only weighing 2.2 pounds! Incredible to see how technology has changed since then. There were also film camera advertisements that would be replaced now with digital cameras.

The athletes have changed of course, but not the sports. Carl Lewis has been replaced with Usain Bolt in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. Decathlete Ashton Eaton has replaced Daley Thompson. Gabby Douglas was the gymnastics sweetheart in 2012 whereas Mary-Lou Retton was the sweetheart in 1984. No one replaced Greg Louganis who won double gold in 3m springboard and 10m platform in 1984 and 1988 after winning silver in 1976 and forced to sit out with the boycott in 1980.

There was even an article about promising Canadian boxers Shawn O'Sullivan and Willie deWit. Canada had not won Olympic gold in boxing since 1932. Sports Illustrated was predicting that this would change in 1984. O'Sullivan and deWit both won silver although controversy surrounded O'Sullivan's loss with many (including his opponent's coach) believing O'Sullivan had won the match. Canada would wait until 1988 for the next gold in boxing when Lennox Lewis would win. In 2012, women's boxing made its debut. Canada wouldn't win boxing medals, but wrestling and judo ones.

The boxing article was spread over 12 pages, perhaps something that has changed. Does a 2013 audience read a 12 page story in a magazine? In Sportsnet Magazine's Special Collectors Edition London 2012 publication, there are three 4-page articles. Two about hockey and one about Usain Bolt (which included a full page photo). There are 28 pages to cover 15 days of the Games - mostly photos. Our attention spans have definitely narrowed, which is sad.

One of the things that hasn't changed is talk about boycotts.

The first article in the magazine was about the 1984 Olympic Games which included the effects of the boycott by the Soviet Union and most of its allies.

It's interesting to read some of the opinions thirty years later.

There are those who predict that the boycott, on top of other recent Olympic misfortunes, will hasten the demise of the Games

I'm happy to see that this was not the case.

Cynics may sneer, but the Olympics continue to exert a remarkably strong hold on much of humankind. It's possible that they're not on their last legs. One could, in fact, view them as being on the rebound after hitting bottom with the bloodshed at the 1972 Games in Munich, next to which the lack of a few frills or a boycott by this or that superpower pales in importance

I still don't believe that boycotting is the avenue for change. That's not to say that by attending the Olympics we don't want change. I think there are better ways to deal with the issues in the world.
The G20 summit starting today would be one of those avenues. Where is that G20 summit happening with the world leaders arriving and shaking Putin's hand and posing for photo ops? It is being held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Let's hope there is a serious discussion about the anti-gay rights in Russia. Our leaders should be the ones to take action not our athletes.

The simple fact is that all the Olympics have been flawed, some quite seriously, yet each has produced elevating drama and moments that might unapologetically be described as magical.

Even with the controversy of China hosting in 1988, I can agree that once the Games begin, we can forget the problems of the world for a few magical moments. You can read my Canadian memorable moments from the 2008 Games here and part 2 here that includes Canadian and international memorable moments.

When I imagine Simon Whitfield throwing his hat down and chasing the three leaders down to win silver, I don't think of him being in China. When I remember Mark Tewksbury's smile as he wins Olympic gold, I don't remember what country he was in. The same goes for Daniel Igali's dance around the Canadian flag. At the Olympic Games, the athletes and the sports are (and should be) the focus.
By enjoying the Olympics, it does not mean that we don't care about world issues but just like we take a break from work, we can take a break from the troubles of the world. While the Games are held, we can take the opportunity to learn more about the country and report on it and demand change but in the end, the G20 meeting is a better arena for the conversation and for results.

"It will be more difficult now to get everyone together in the future," "It will be easier for countries to say they won't come over some little misunderstanding that could be worked out."

There have been so many calls for boycotts in past Olympics. I'm happy that the world's leaders have not used it as a means to make a point since 1984. Social media has made this year's call for a boycott the loudest, but looking back (and googling boycott with the various Olympics), it's difficult to find one that hasn't had calls for a boycott.

Over and over again, athletes write about the benefits of travelling the world, of seeing different countries, different cultures and broadening their horizons by seeing how different (and similar) we are around the world.

Hosting an Olympics lets the world see you for the good and the bad you have to offer. It is an opportunity to have a discussion, to open our eyes (and hopefully theirs). Otherwise, let's just host the Olympics in the same place every time. Let's find that perfect country without controversy and that no one in the world disagrees with. Is there such a place?

Attending the Olympics is an opportunity for everyone to put their differences aside, at least for a couple of weeks. It's a chance for athletes to try to be faster, higher, stronger. That hasn't changed in the last 30 years.

Speak Out Rather Than Sit Out

Photo credit to Chantal Kissick.

There has been a lot of talk, writing and link sharing on social media about the Sochi Olympics and Russia's new anti-gay (GLBT) laws.

I am against the laws in Russia. I believe in equal rights for all humans. I love that Olympic athletes march in pride parades in Canada where it is safe to do so.

I feel compelled to write because people are suggesting that the Sochi Olympics should be boycotted (or moved). I don't believe that this will lead to change in Russia.

I often write too long so here are the "Coles Notes":

• Boycotting (or moving) the Olympics would lead to more boycotts in the future. It does not lead to change.
• People hurt in the boycotts are the athletes.
• More than 200 nations are attending the Track and Field World Championships in Russia next week (more than double the number of nations attending the Sochi Olympics). Why is this event acceptable but not the Olympics?
• Governments, companies, organizations for change, artists, athletes can do more by speaking out than athletes can by sitting out.
• Instead of demanding a change for the Sochi Olympics, Stephen Fry should organize a concert to raise awareness, to educate and to demand change in Russia like the Free Nelson Mandela concert, Live Aid, Live 8, etc. did.
• Concerts for change give (multi-millionaire) artists world wide attention and allow them to do what they are trained to do.
• Boycotts give (mostly) amateur athletes nothing and prevent them from fulfilling their dreams and doing what they are trained to do.
• We should put pressure on the IOC to better choose host countries (and hold them to international standards after they are chosen).

If I piqued your curiosity... or my Coles Notes aren't clear...here is the novel ;-)

It seems that every two years, there are calls to boycott the Olympic Games, but this year is the loudest perhaps because the social media voice is becoming louder.

What is the goal of the protests? The goal is to change the laws in Russia. Russia will not change their laws because of an Olympic boycott/change of venue.

What will happen if countries boycott the Sochi Olympics? Russians will win more medals and the country will celebrate even more. Russia will then boycott future Games in retaliation. We saw this happen in 1980 and 1984.

If the Games get moved like is being suggested (but is not very realistic), Russia (and possibly others) may boycott the 2014 Games.

The people who are hurt by boycotts are the athletes, this includes the Russian athletes some of whom are GLBT. We are for equal rights no matter where an athlete is from right? A Russian boycott is not any better. It's the athletes who suffer.

Russia is hosting over 200 nations and almost 2000 athletes next week for the Track & Field World Championships. At the 2010 Olympics, there were 2500 athletes from 82 nations. If people protest about Russia hosting the Olympics, why aren't they about the Track and Field World Championships? Not that I want them to, I am just wondering, why the Olympics? Some people would even argue that Track & Field is more popular than Winter Olympics.

If you're making a stance on an issue, shouldn't it be for more than one event?

If we're okay with sending athletes to the World Championships, we should be okay with sending them to the Olympics.

Sochi will also be hosting a number of test events before the Games. If athletes are attending all these events, shouldn't they also attend the most important event of their careers, the Olympics?

I met a woman recently who had qualified for the 1980 Olympics. She should have been an Olympian. She never got the chance. Her Olympic dream was gone. I'm sure this was the case for many Soviet athletes who missed the 1984 Games.

When I say speak out rather than sit out, I do believe that there is a place to speak out and I don't believe that doing it in Russia is the answer.

Some people are suggesting that athletes should attend the Olympics but wave a rainbow flag or show some other sign in support of GLBT rights. If I was visiting a country where women have to be covered in public or couples are not allowed to kiss in public, I would respect their laws (even if I don't agree with them) and decrease my personal risk.

I wouldn't want to see an athlete defy the law and face the consequences. Some argue that Russia wouldn't dare react in front of a world stage. I wouldn't want to take the chance. They don't seem concerned about giving asylum to a wanted American. They also haven't freed the Pussy Riot band members who received a two year jail sentence for protesting against Putin even after receiving international pressure to do so.

Athletes attend the Olympics in order to compete. Sport brings countries together. It is a place for peace and fair play (in most cases). It is a place where enemies (by country allegiance or religion) compete and shake hands afterwards.

Even boycotting Russian vodka and other goods will hurt the Russian people, employees and manufacturers who are perhaps against the anti-GLBT laws. It will not necessarily bring change to the laws.

Stephen Fry, a very popular actor/author/director, etc. has written an open letter to GB Prime Minister David Cameron and the IOC that has been retweeted over 6000 times, brought his website down and read by possibly millions demanding that the Sochi Games do not happen.

I don't argue the facts (or opinions) on the atrocities of the Russian laws. 
I am arguing that the Olympics is not the avenue that will lead to change.

He argues that Hitler gained momentum by hosting the 1936 Olympics, but I believe the information highway of today is much wider and a simple Olympics Games would not give Putin the "confidence" that Fry says it gave Hitler. There are a lot more ways in 2014 to give Russia the message that discrimination is not acceptable and that the laws must be changed.

• Governments. 
• Elected officials and foreign affairs ministers. 
• Organizations for change (Amnesty International, GLAAD, Athlete Ally, Change.org, etc.)
• Artists/celebrities who can stage concerts for awareness, education and change (Free Mandela, Live Aid, Live 8, etc.) 

They are the ones to lead the cause for change.

Stephen Fry also argues that Russia hosting the Olympics would put a stain on the Olympic rings. Did he forget that China hosted in 2008? Are gay rights more important than human rights? I believe they are as important and Russia is not the only country with human rights issues. Countries who host the Olympics should be held accountable for their actions.

The IOC and Sports Organizations should be active in ensuring that their events are safe for athletes and that human rights (for all humans) are respected. I hope that after hearing protest calls regarding the 2008 and 2014 Olympics, the IOC will be more diligent in choosing host countries.

Preventing mostly AMATEUR athletes of doing what they have trained their lives to do, whose only glory is Olympic gold (or Olympic attendance) is not the way to get change.

Nelson Mandela was not freed (and apartheid abolished) from the 1976 Summer Olympics boycott but in part by the 1988 Free Nelson Mandela concert. The artists that performed at that concert got world wide attention. The athletes who boycott get no attention.

If Stephen Fry wants to fight the Russian laws, he should organize a concert, event or march. Invite artists, celebrities, athletes and world leaders who will take the stage, who will share facts, who will educate and who will demand change.

Speak out rather than sit out!

Saving The Olympic Ideal

I began writing this post when the IOC voted to remove wrestling as a core sport in the 2020 Olympics. There was a fierce reaction from wrestlers, the media and fans alike at the time.

Tomorrow, the 8 sports that are vying for the single spot in the 2020 Olympics will be presenting their cases to the IOC.  The other seven sports vying for a spot at the Olympics are:

• baseball/softball
• karate
• roller sports
• sport climbing
• squash
• wakeboarding
• wushu

Following the presentations tomorrow, the IOC board members will vote on September 8.

There's a great article detailing and summarizing the 8 bids. Click here to read it.

I thought this was a good time to finish writing my thoughts on the subject of the wrestling omission.

The funny thing is that although I love and follow many sports, wrestling isn't one of them. I only say this because I feel that this makes my opinion more unbiased than say a wrestler or a supporter of wrestling. The argument that I keep hearing from wrestlers and wrestling fans is what a great sport wrestling is. There are videos showing highlights of wrestling over the years being shared. There is talk about the great Canadian wrestlers we have had.

I don't think that these arguments are valid in this decision. I would argue that anyone who competes in a sport could argue about how great their sport is and offer a highlight video.

Some of my favourite Olympic moments involved our Canadian wrestlers. This is an international decision so one country's love for a sport or its athletes is not relevant.

There are countless amazing sports that are not part of the Olympics. I think the argument of wrestling being an amazing sport is not the best to keep it in the Olympics.

I don't follow wrestling yet I was shocked and saddened to see it on the IOC chopping block. You can read my initial thoughts here in my post entitled "Is It A Sad Day For Olympics Sports?". I talked in this post about the decision to not include wrestling as possibly being a monetary or political decision.

In that post, I asked the question:  "So once, they decide to keep the modern pentathlon, how in the world do they get to wrestling as the sport to remove?" (Rumour had modern pentathlon being removed from the 2020 Olympics)

This post is about that question. How could they come up with removing wrestling as the solution?

There is a lot of tweets about #SaveOlympicWrestling but for me, it's not only about saving wrestling as an Olympic sport but saving the Olympic ideal. If the IOC saves wrestling but then gets rid of triathlon which encompasses three original sports, I don't believe it's any better.

The decision for me is about saving the Olympic creed Pierre de Coubertin originally began the Modern Olympics for:

"The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

The Olympic ideal is about being "Faster, Higher, Stronger". The Olympic ideal is about unifying the five inhabited continents as represented by the Olympic rings.

Wrestling represents the Olympic ideal. That is why it should be saved.

If they save wrestling as a core sport, will they then try to remove one of the other core sports that embodies the Olympic ideal?

Why did they decide to cut the 26 core sports to 25 and have 3 floating sports? Why not 26 core sports and 2 floating sports (or more floating sports)? Is 28 the absolute maximum sports?

Is their vision to have various sports come and go? Doesn't it just complicate things for sports to come and go?

I'm not sure how I feel about floating sports.  I would prefer to review the existing sports every 20 years or so to evaluate the relevance of existing sports and how the sporting world is evolving. A sport gets removed once it is obsolete or irrelevant (not because it's not bringing in enough money). I don't like the idea of removing a sport for a few Games and then bringing it back. I don't like the idea of adding a sport that won't stay although I don't mind having more than 28 sports. I don't like the idea of adding a sport for money or celebrity.

For now, let's accept the decision of 25 core sports and discuss which of the 26 core sports should be removed (instead of wrestling) or better said, which sports should be saved? Golf and Rugby 7's are upcoming floating sports and are not considered for removal in this discussion.

Since the inception of the Modern Olympic Games in 1896, sports have been added and removed. The Olympic Games started with 8 sports. For the next 40 years, it added and removed various sports.

I feel that the original sports of Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics, Cycling (Road & Track), Fencing, Shooting, Swimming, Weightlifting and Wrestling should not be removed unless the sport becomes completely irrelevant and obsolete. Tennis was an original sport but was dropped between 1928 and 1988. These original sports are still relevant and popular around the world.

I would start by saving these 8 sports.

In 1948 there were 17 sports: basketball, canoeing, football, field hockey, boxing, equestrian, football, modern pentathlon, sailing and the remaining original sports of artistic gymnastics, athletics, cycling (road and track), fencing, shooting, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling.

Since 1948, sports have only been added (with the exception of Judo that was dropped in 1968 then re-added in 1972 and baseball/softball being added in the 90's then dropped in 2012). In chronological order from oldest to newest, the sports added are:

• volleyball 1964
• archery and handball 1972
• table tennis and tennis 1988
• badminton 1992
• taekwondo and triathlon 2000
• rugby 7's and golf (not core sports) 2016

There have also been events added to existing sports like rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming in 1984, canoe/kayak slalom in 1992, mountain biking and beach volleyball in 1996, trampoline and synchronized diving in 2000 and BMX Cycling in 2008 being the most recent additions.

I think rather than omitting an original sport dating back to the Ancient Games like wrestling, the IOC should have looked at the newer sports that were added.

Is the Olympic Games a tradition or should it try to keep up with current times?

I feel that it should be both. They should keep tradition yet at the same time keep current enough so that the interest grows.

I feel the seventeen sports of 1948 should be kept (so long as they are not obsolete or irrelevant).

This doesn't resolve the issue that the IOC have. They want to keep a total of 28 sports. If they keep wrestling, then there is no room for the new sports trying to be included which I think is unfortunate because there are some sports that I would like to see added to the Olympics.

If I was a member of the IOC, what would I vote for?

#1 Save the original 8 sports (meaning wrestling)
#2 Save the 17 sports that existed since 1948 (keep tradition).
#3 Review recently added sports along with the sports vying to be included for 2020.

The Olympics are not the X-Games. I understand that money (sponsorship/viewership) has to be a consideration in the IOC's decisions but I don't believe that it should be the only driving force. The Olympics are a tradition. The Olympics encompass the amateur athlete ideal. The sports represented should reflect that.

Look For The Helpers

Last Monday morning, I watched the Boston Marathon online before going out for the afternoon.

I couldn't believe it when I returned home to learn of the news of the bombings.

So many stories have been written and shared since then, but the favourite quote I read was from Mr. Rogers:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping"

From first respondents to competitors to spectators, countless people helped others last Monday.

To see examples, all you have to do is google Boston Marathon helpers and there are numerous articles detailing those who helped while facing adversity.

Yesterday, Toronto held the Yonge Street 10K run. It starts a block from my house and I have often gone to watch the start.

Seeing runners wearing special bibs reading "Runners United In Support" made this Yonge Street 10K more memorable and special.

Race director Alan Brookes who was in Boston last Monday (and London during the week) spoke at the start of the event saying that the spirit of the marathon and running would not be diminished. He said that "while we are still very much in shock and sadness, the whole community, globally, seems to have come together in shows of support and it’s wonderful that we have the opportunity in Toronto". There was then a 30 second moment of silence for Boston before the start of the event. 

The elite runners taking the start included Olympian Eric Gillis (red sleeves and black vest near the left). He would finish the race in 2nd place behind Kip Kangogo (black shorts white vest - 2nd from the right). Click here for a race recap.

The women's eventual winner Lanni Marchant is seen to the left and behind Eric.

Over 7500 runners ran the race. It was inspiring to see so many fit and happy people ready to challenge themselves. 

This is the 4th group starting.

The first group that started were the handcycles:

Unfortunately at the London Marathon yesterday, the wheelchair athletes did not start first. This in part lead to Canadian paralympian (and 2012 Boston Marathon champion) Josh Cassidy being involved in an accident when the 2012 Olympic women's marathon winner veered left at a watering station into the path of Josh who was in the process (along with multiple other wheelchair athletes) of passing the group of women leaders. The accident ruined both their chances of winning the race, but luckily not their season or careers.

The London Marathon paid tribute to Boston as did the Vancouver Sun Fun Run which saw over 48000 runners participating. The city of Boston will pause today at 2:50pm to mark the moment of the bombings a week ago.

Running (and races) are happy events where many people achieve their dream of simply completing the race or reaching a personal best. They share their achievements with family, friends and supporters. Continuing to run and pursue their passion is another way that these runners are helping everyone recover from the Boston bombings. 

Professional Sports at the Olympics

A few weeks ago, I asked whether it was a sad day for Olympic sports when the IOC voted to remove wrestling from the 2020 Olympics. You can read that post here.

In my opinion, keeping wrestling is a no-brainer.

Including "professional" sports is a complicated issue for me. In some ways I love it and in other ways I don't.

Although this blog is dedicated to Olympic sports, that does not mean that I don't also love professional sports.  I love the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leafs, Blue Jays and TFC. I love tennis and golf.

Loving the Olympics like I do, I love to see my favourite athletes whether they are amateur or professional to get to experience the Games but I fear that the professional athletes that we see on television year round will take the attention away from the amateur athletes we only get to see during Olympic years.

I also have an issue with professional athletes who covet their own championships more than an Olympic medal. Ask a basketball player if he would rather win an NBA Championship or an Olympic gold medal and most will answer the NBA Championship. Although, perhaps that is only an issue for American basketball players because winning an Olympic gold medal isn't really a challenge for the "dream team". Ask a Canadian, Spanish or French basketball player and the answer would probably be different.

Tennis and golf were in the Olympics in the early 1900's. Winning a gold medal for those athletes was probably very important, but to tennis players and golfers today, an Olympic gold medal can be a side benefit. Most would rather win a major or a Grand Slam.

The other problem with golf is that the best players are not all represented at the Olympics. This issue occurs with amateur sports as well but it's more glaring with famous professional athletes. There are mogul skiers or cross-country skiers for example who are in the top 10 in the world who will not qualify for the 2014 Olympics because each country only have so many entries. Would you recognize their names?

The top 15 players in the world automatically qualify for golf. The next 45 players whose countries don't already have two players qualified would get invitations. Looking at the 2012 year end World Rankings, four players would qualify who are out of the top 300 but number 16 ranked Phil Mickelson wouldn't (and many other players who could win on any given day). It could be good news for Canada with David Hearn ranked 224. He would have qualified. Of course things will change on the road to Rio.

In tennis, only three players outside the top 100 competed at the 2012 Olympics. Their qualification method seems better (or more diverse in countries represented in the top 100). Tennis allows for four players from one country compared to two for golf. This selection process wouldn't help Phil Mickelson though.

Golf unlike tennis, is a sport where anyone can win on any given day. In the 20 golf majors between 2008-2012, there have been 18 different winners. In the 28 tennis Grand Slams between 2006-2012, there have been 5 winners (with 3 players winning 26 of those). What is best, having an Olympic champion who is "worthy" because he is already in the top of his sport or having a surprise winner? There are definitely Olympic sports like tennis where the same people win, but is there a sport where someone outside the top 50 could win a medal? Between 2009 and 2012, there were 6 golf major champions who were ranked outside the top 50 (and only 2 who were ranked in the top 10). There are many golfers ranked between 15-50 who could win but won't compete because of the selection criteria. The American dream team (think Ryder Cup/President's Cup) in golf is definitely not guaranteed a gold medal like the basketball dream team.

Another issue for me is the amount of time needed for some of these sports. Golf will increase coverage by approximately 5 hours for each of 4 rounds if they show the full round for the leaders (double when we include the women). It would probably be even more than that if they show every player's full rounds. That is coverage potentially taken away from sports that only get coverage every four years.

As a spectator, I was annoyed during the London 2012 Olympics when CTV was showing tennis matches on the main network during the early rounds. I felt that players that I could see week in and week out throughout the year was taking broadcast time away from Olympians that we only get to see every four years. I wouldn't have had a problem if they had showed the tennis online or on another network.

For me, early round matches were not very important. Roger Federer playing a first round match that he has a 99% chance of winning shouldn't be televised in Canada (on our main network) ahead of our amateur athletes (as much as I love Roger).

Ironically, I was driving my kids to camp up in Muskoka when the men's final was going on. We stopped at McDonald's in Huntsville and we were excited that the match was being televised. We sat at a bar-type table all facing the television. As the match is nearing the end, an employee comes up and changes the channel. A table of women move closer and cheer as Canada's women's basketball team is playing a match. All I could do was laugh at the irony. I believe the basketball game was a quarter final while a British (Scottish) man who hasn't won a major is about to win gold in his home "country" (I'm married to an English man, so don't get me started on the Scottish-English-Welsh-Northern Irish-Great British-UK thing).

Although, speaking of that "thing", Rory McIlroy, the #1 ranked player at the end of 2012 from Northern Ireland, has already said that he may not want to compete at the Olympics because he doesn't want to choose whether to compete for Great Britain or Ireland (in so doing potentially alienating a portion of his fans). Being from Northern Ireland, he can choose which one he wants to represent. Does that not say something about whether the Olympics are important or not to (some) professional golfers?

In the end, my biggest problem with professional athletes competing at the Olympics is the attention that multi-millionaire household names who we see compete year round will take away from the amateur Olympians we only get to see every four years. The news programs, the headlines, the sports highlights will feature the professional household names instead of introducing the mainstream to our amateur athletes.

The IOC are trying to get big name athletes into the Games along with big sponsors. They are thinking about the money and the viewership but I fear that in doing so, the Olympics will lose their tradition and history and will just become another competition on the calendar.

Best Olympics Games

The 1988 Olympic Games ended 25 years ago tonight.

Last week, Scott Russell of CBC Sports wondered if it was the greatest game ever. You can read the article here.

My first reaction was "what"? Seriously? Vancouver was the best!!!!

But the more I thought about it, it did have an innocence that today's Games don't have.

Canada won 5 medals at the 1988 Olympic Games.  Total! (and no gold medals) At the 2010 Olympics, we won 14 Gold! But the "greatest games" can't be just about Canada's success.

The 1988 Games was about the stories not only who won the medals.

A Twitter account was set up with tweets posted daily by Calgary Herald writer Jason Markusoff reliving the 1988 Olympic Games. It was wonderful to relive the Battle of the Brians and Battle of the Carmens, La Bomba Tomba and 3 time gold medallist Matti Nykanen.

If you missed it, you can relive it in its entirety here. There were other stories as well.

Eddie the Eagle captured our imagination. Canada even invited him to run in the Olympic relay for the 2010 Olympics - 23 years later.

The Jamaican Bobsleigh team has not been forgotten. I was thrilled to see the bobsleigh on display at the airport in Jamaica last year. There is also a tourist attraction that I didn't have time to visit.



These were stories about participation. They were athletes with a dream but without the means to become the best.

Although the Olympic Committee has turned towards including professional athletes to get television ratings and sponsorship, in 1988 these athletes from small countries with little or no snow captured our imagination.

We were introduced to athletes we had never heard of, got familiar with their struggles to compete at the Olympics and although they came in last place, we cheered for them.

Today's Olympics offer multi-millionaire athletes who view the Olympics as secondary to their major or Grand Slam titles. Athletes we see on television week in and week out. I'm still working on a blog post about professional athletes at the Olympics so will not dwell on this topic now. Suffice to say that I struggle with their inclusion. On the one hand I want the best athletes representing their countries. On the other I want the athletes and sports to value Olympic tradition and values.

It's sad to say that perhaps this is what the world has come to. Attention spans aren't long enough to listen to the stories of athletes they haven't heard of yet.

Is it a sad day for Olympic sports?

The International Olympic Committee decided today to remove wrestling from the 2020 Olympics. I was shocked.

This decision makes no sense to me and so I felt the need to write about it while researching how this decision came about and whether my initial reaction is wrong and it does make sense.

Is understanding an IOC decision an oxymoron? Perhaps, but I need to try.

For the past few weeks, we've been hearing that modern pentathlon was at risk of losing its spot at the 2020 Olympics.

The original pentathlon dates back to the ancient Olympic Games and was modelled after the skills of the ideal soldier of that time. Modern pentathlon was invented by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, to simulate the experiences of a 19th century cavalry soldier.

(quote taken from Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games website)

I was saddened at the possibility of losing the modern pentathlon because I feel that there is an important place in the Olympics for it and perhaps the IOC agreed.

So once, they decide to keep the modern pentathlon, how in the world do they get to wrestling as the sport to remove?

It turns out that the decision isn't to remove wrestling, but to keep the other 25 core sports:

1. acquatics (swimming, synchro, water polo and diving)
2. archery 
3. badminton 
4. basketball 
5. boxing 
6. canoe/kayak 
7. cycling 
8. equestrian 
9. fencing 
10. field hockey 
11. gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic, trampoline)
12. handball 
13. judo 
14. modern pentathlon 
15. rowing 
16. sailing 
17. shooting 
18. soccer/football 
19. table tennis 
20. taekwondo 
21. tennis 
22. track and field 
23. triathlon (swimming, biking, running) 
24. volleyball 
25. weightlifting 

Golf and rugby 7's are added for 2016 but not counted in the core 25. Starting in 2020, there will be 25 core sports and three floating sports. Every sport will be at risk as a committee reviews the 25 core sports and 3 floating sports to remove and add sports to keep the total number at 28. In the past to remove a sport, the committee needed 2/3 agreement. In the future, it requires 50% of the votes +1. Does this mean that we will see more traditional Olympic sports be dropped?

Wrestling will now be added to the list of sports trying to get included in 2020. Those sports include:

• baseball/softball
• karate
• roller sports
• sport climbing
• squash
• wakeboarding
• wushu

Wrestling is a classic sport that has existed and evolved since ancient times. It is a sport that anyone from anywhere of any size can participate and excel in. It doesn't require a lot of money or a lot of resources or equipment.

Why would the IOC not protect wrestling? It is one of the original Olympic sports from the Ancient Olympic Games (along with boxing, equestrian events (chariot racing, riding), pankration, pentathlon (discus, javelin, jump, running, wrestling) and running. 

My first thought was that they want to bring in karate when they vote for the next sport to be included.

Is there room for wrestling, judo, taekwondo (added in 2000), boxing and karate? I have now learned that wushu is a martial art, so it's also in the same "fighting" category in my mind.

But of course, it's not as simple as spreading out the types of sports. Nothing is simple when it comes to the IOC. Unfortunately many people believe that the IOC is guided by money, politics and corruption. When these types of decisions are made, more suspicion is thrown towards the IOC. Being a huge Olympic fan, I don't like to see its organizing committee criticized.

So wrestling is potentially being dropped from the Olympics, is this something that happens often?

Going back chronologically, sports that have been dropped are baseball/softball in 2012, judo in 1968 (then added again in 1972), polo and handball in 1948 (handball added back in 1972), football in 1932 (and re-added in 1936).

In the last 100 years the only sports that have been dropped and not returned to the schedule are: baseball/softball (added in 1992/1996), polo and tug-of-war. Rugby had been dropped but is coming back in 2016.

Dropping a sport has been rare. Dropping an original yet still current sport like wrestling is huge news! No wonder the media and twitter are going crazy today. It's not a sport like polo or tug-of-war. Who in the wrestling world upset the IOC? Did wrestling make the least amount of money for the IOC? They are possible explanations if it's meant to be a lasting change.

Did the IOC not understand its history or just ignore it? Did they feel that newly added sports (going back chronologically to 1940) like taekwondo, triathlon, badminton, table tennis, tennis, archery (added in 1972 - was in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1920 and dropped in 1924), handball, judo and volleyball are more worthy of inclusion?

Just so I'm clear, I would be just as upset to see most of those sports go. If not wrestling, then which sport should go? This leads into a good tangent discussion that I will write about in a separate blog post.

It just shocks me to see a historical Olympic sport like wrestling be dropped.

The other explanation is that the IOC doesn't want the proposed sports to be added. By adding wrestling to that list, it has a better chance of beating out the proposed sports than perhaps Modern Pentathlon or table tennis could have.

Maybe they just want to know how much the Olympic community cares about wrestling.

Rise up wrestling fans and federations! The IOC are expecting you. 

I hope I'm right, otherwise it's a sad day for Olympic sports.

Heartbeat Highlights

It has been an incredible weekend of podiums for Canada in Olympic sports on the world stage. I am counting 19 (apologies if I am missing any). With 375 days before the 2014 Sochi Olympics, these are some of our men and women who will be going for gold for Canada.


Snowboard Cross World Championships
1st Maëlle Ricker
2nd Dominique Maltais


FIS World Cup Moguls - Women
1st - Justine Dufour-Lapointe
2nd - Chloé Dufour-Lapointe

FIS World Cup Moguls - Men
1st - Mikaël Kingsbury


Bobsleigh World Championships
1st Kaillie Humphries and Chelsea Valois
(although not an Olympic event, Canada was 3rd in the Bobsleigh Team Event)

Speed Skating Sprint World Championships
Although the Canadians did not medal in the overall competition (combining times for two1000m races and two 500m races), they were in the top 3 in single races.
Women 1000m (Sat) 1st - Christine Nesbitt (5th overall)
Women 1000m (Sun) 2nd - Christine Nesbitt
Men 500m (Sat) - 2nd Jamie Gregg (4th overall)
Men 500m (Sun) - 2nd Jamie Gregg
Men 500m (Sun) - 3rd Gilmore Junio

FIS Kitzbühel Downhill - Men
2nd - Erik Guay

X Games Snowboard Slopestyle - Men
1st Mark McMorris
2nd Max Parrot
(Mark was also 2nd in Snowboard Big Air which is not an Olympic event)

X Games Ski Superpipe - Women
2nd Roz Groenewoud
3rd Megan Gunning

X Games Ski Slopestyle - Women
2nd Kaya Turski
3rd Dara Howell

X Games Snowboard Slopestyle - Women
3rd Spencer O'Brien

How many of these did you see on television this weekend? There was a lot of sports coverage but not enough to cover everything. The Snowboard World Championships held in Stoneham, Québec were not televised on English television (thanks to TVA Sports for broadcasting it live in French). What an opportunity wasted to not have shown this World Championship event being held in Canada.

The World Cup Moguls being held in Calgary and the Speed Skating Sprint World Championships being held in Utah are being televised next weekend. I was also surprised that the Bobsleigh World Championships weren't shown in a timely fashion (like World Cups often are). The World Championships were shown on Monday morning (except for the women who were shown on Saturday).

Sports are so much better when they're live. Part of the appeal is the anticipation and the excitement of the results. As much as I love to see our Canadians perform, it's not the same when the results are known. It's so much more exciting when we are on the edge of our seat watching it live.

A decade ago, it may have been acceptable to show sports on tape delayed. We weren't as likely to hear the results then. In today's world of social media and instant news, I wish our sports channels would make a stronger effort to show sports live or at least in a more timely fashion. Live online feeds is a step in the right direction but with some events being held in the middle of the night, it's the minority who will stay up or get up to see it live.

Some sports do it right. Bobsleigh/Skeleton have a YouTube channel that show live events and go the extra mile by keeping the videos available for later viewing. The International Biathlon Union offer the same benefits on their website. The sports federations may need to take matters into their own hands in order to publicize and grow their respective sports.

Our athletes are winning world championships. I don't think it's too much to ask to see it live (or at least be able to PVR live coverage).

I look forward to the day when we have a dedicated Canadian amateur sports television station who will do it right and help fans support our athletes year round.

"The Olympics isn't every four years, it's every single day".

Tears and Goosebumps in 2012

As 2012 comes to an end, it's time to reflect on the sports moments that had an impact on me this year. This is not a list of THE "best" moments, you can read the major newspapers and watch sports stations for those. This is a list of moments that brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps on my skin.

I'll start on a sad note with those who left the sports world in their prime.

Much more than a sports reporter to Canada's amateur athletes, Randy Starkman was the fan's looking glass into the athletes' world of training and competition. Husband, father, colleague and writer, he will be missed for years to come. He was remembered this past week in the Toronto Star. You can read the article here.

Canada also lost two Olympic hopefuls in 2012.

Sarah Burke was a pioneer of ski halfpipe.  She was the best at her sport and successfully fought for ski halfpipe to be added to the 2014 Olympics. Winning the first gold medal for Canada was almost a sure thing, until she died doing what she loved to do. Click here to read the article that Randy Starkman wrote after her death.

Nic Zoricic died while racing in a ski-cross race in Switzerland. Since leaving alpine skiing to join ski-cross in 2009, he was climbing up the rankings with two World Cup podiums.  Click here to read the article that Randy Starkman wrote after his death.

On a cheerier note, here are the moments that had me cheering, gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes:

2012 Olympics

Choosing favourite Olympic moments is so difficult because I was thrilled with each and every medal that Canada won. Above and beyond that, I loved seeing the personal bests whether that meant a medal, making a final or semi-final or going faster, farther or higher. I was also proud of the Olympians who came home disappointed that the best they had to offer that day wasn't the best they had hoped for whether that meant finishing a triathlon in tears or on the pavement, flopping on a last dive, stepping on a line, running out of steam or finding the conditions or pressure too tough to handle.

I am proud of all our Olympians but here's an attempt at some of my favourite moments:

Leading the Team
One of my favourite Olympians, Simon Whitfield led Canada into the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Watching Canada walk in is always one of my highlights and recognizing so many of our athletes walking into the stadium in 2012 was amazing.

The Sprinters
Brent Hayden 100m freestyle bronze and Mark de Jonge 200m kayak bronze
Short distances are exciting because everything has to be perfect. There's no time to come back from a poor start. It's all out for the full distance and we won bronze in the water and on the water.

The Long Distance Swimmers
Ryan Cochrane 1500m freestyle silver and Richard Weinberger 10k bronze
The beauty of the long distance swimmer (cyclist, runner, skater or skier) is that a surprise is harder to come by. If you're one of the best, you have a lesser chance of not winning a medal. So although Ryan and Richard didn't surprise me with their medal wins, it's amazing to see them maintain their positions as some of the best in the world.

Meeting Silver Expectations On The Water
Adam van Koeverden, Men's Eight Rowing and Women's Eight Rowing
Winning a medal wasn't a sure thing as anything can happen in sport as we saw many of our favourites stumble so it was wonderful to see our successful rowing tradition continue along with Adam winning his fourth Olympic medal.

Overcoming adversity
THE call during the Women's soccer team's semi-final was a pivotal play that sometimes overshadowed Christine Sinclair's amazing hat-trick against the United States. Overcoming the letdown of their dream being crushed by a referee's call put them in our hearts. They could have also lost that bronze medal match, but they didn't. They kept fighting to the last whistle and came home heroes with a last minute goal by Diana Matheson. Christine Sinclair would be named flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony.

Our First Gold
Rosie MacLennan won our first and what would be our only gold medal at the Olympics becoming our golden girl for 2012.


Give Your Everything
Clara Hughes didn't win her 7th Olympic medal, but she was the epitome of Give Your Everything when she led the road race in the first half of the race and then finished a wonderful 5th in the time trial. Clara's Olympic career will be remembered for her medals but also for her smile as well as her grit and determination.


Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat
4x100m relay - even if we didn't get to keep the bronze, the moment when I realized Justyn Warner was going from 5th, to 4th and finally to 3rd down the final straight of the relay had me jumping up and down with excitement. Watching Gavin Smellie, Seyi Smith, Jared Connaughton and Justyn Warner celebrate was an amazing moment that I will not forget. Click here for a blog post I wrote about the race and their journey. Click here to see an early celebratory reaction.

The Reactions
There are moments that stick in your mind for the athletes' reactions. My favourites were:

Mark Oldershaw's shocked hand on his mouth look when he realized that he won the bronze medal in the 1000m canoe. Click here.

Christine Girard coming off the stage after missing her last lift thinking she was not on the podium to reading her lips say "J'ai une médaille?" and her reaction afterwards. (translated as "I have a medal?" I am going by memory of what she said since I can't find a video of that moment)

Antoine Valois-Fortier's tearful celebration when he won the bronze medal in Judo. Click here.

Diana Matheson scoring the winning goal giving them the bronze medal and the celebration happening in front of my husband's parents and uncle and aunt. Click here for a photo that includes his uncle (in white shirt and Tilley hat) and aunt and mother partially blocked by Christine Sinclair. Great seats!

Brittany MacLean hugging her sister Heather at the Canadian Olympic trials when Heather qualified in her last race and would join Brittany at the London Olympics who had qualified earlier.

2012 Paralympics

The television coverage for the Paralympics was disappointing but the team's performance wasn't as the competition at the Paralympics gets tougher and tougher.

Although the major networks made it difficult to catch the action, there were still some amazing moments for our Canadian Paralympians.

Leading the Team
As mentioned above, nothing gets the tears in my eyes like watching Canada enter the Opening Ceremony. Garett Hickling, a five-time Paralympian in wheelchair rugby led the team in 2012. His team would go on to win the silver medal.

Veteran and Rookie Success in the Pool
Benoit Huot won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal in 2012 with three personal bests and a world record. The three medals increased his overall total to 19 Paralympic medals including 9 golds for his four Paralympic Games.

At her first Paralympic Games, Summer Mortimer won two gold, one silver and one bronze. What will her total count be when she has competed at her fourth Paralympics?

Basketball Gold
Winning gold at basketball isn't something Canada does at the Olympics, but at the Paralympics, Canada won gold in 2000, 2004 and now 2012.


Milestones

I have a special place in my heart for the Olympics, but 2012 saw Canadians achieve some amazing milestones and firsts. Here are some of them:

Ryder Hesjedal (cycling)
1st Canadian to win a Grand Tour when he won the Giro d'Italia. Click here and here to read my posts. He also won Male Athlete of the Year.

Jean-Philippe Le Guellec (biathlon)
1st Male Canadian to win a biathlon World Cup. Watch the race here.

Eugenie Bouchard (tennis)
First Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles championships when she won the Junior Wimbledon Championships.


Filip Peliwo (tennis)
First Canadian to win Junior Wimbledon and U.S. Open. He was finalist at Australian Open and French Open ending the year ranked #1, a first for a Canadian singles player. The future for Tennis Canada is very bright.

Kaillie Humphries (bobsleigh)
Streak of 8 wins, including the World Championships, started at the end of the 2011-2012 season with Jennifer Ciochetti and continued with new partner Chelsea Valois.



I can't imagine 2013 being as wonderful as an Olympic year, but I look forward to seeing the Winter Olympians gear up for the 2014 Games as well as following the summer athletes' journey for the next three and a half years.

Happy New Year!