3 Months to Go!

There are three months to go until the 2012 Olympics. That's 13 weeks!

I am loving the amount of articles and information I am finding about the athletes and the events. I am spending so much time reading that I have not found as much time to write as I would like.

The Globe and Mail featured our medal expectations on the front page of the newspaper yesterday.

With three months to go, Luciano Barra, an "Olympic expert" and deputy CEO of the 2006 Olympics expects Canada to match the 18 medals we won in 2008 for 13th place overall. The Canadian Olympic Committee is predicting a 12th place finish. USA Today has Canada in 11th with 20 medals. It will be interesting to see where we end up.

Here is Barra's prediction for the top 10 countries:

1. China (103 medals)

2. U.S.A. (81 medals)

3. Russia (76)

4. Great Britain (59)

5. Germany (55)

6. France (41)

7. Japan (40)

8. Australia (36)

9. Italy (32)

10. South Korea (28)

As the Games approach, I will try to calculate my own Canadian medal hopes. It will be a kind of pool to see who lives up to my expectations and who surprises me.

Although the Opening Ceremonies are on Friday the 27th, competition will actually begin on the 25th with women's football (soccer). Men's football will begin on the 26th while archery will start on the 27th earlier than the Ceremony.

With so much information out there, what's the best way to get informed before the games?

Besides athlete websites and sport federation websites that are great resources for Olympic information, there are many websites that offer athlete and event information leading up to the Games. A few of those include:

Official website for London 2012 www.london2012.com

Canadian Olympic Committee www.olympic.ca

CTV www.ctvolympics.com

NBC www.nbcolympics.com

BBC www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/2012/

Canadian Marathoners

For the first time since 1996, Canada will have three male marathoners at the Olympics.  We haven't had a marathoner compete since 2000.

Dylan Wykes qualified at the Rotterdam Marathon to become our third Olympian.  Reid Coolsaet and Eric Gillis qualified last fall at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.  You can read my post about them here.

You can follow our Olympians on Twitter or on their blogs:

Reid Coolsaet:  
www.twitter.com/reidcoolsaet 
www.reidcoolsaet.com

Eric Gillis:
www.twitter.com/nishrunner
www.ericgillis.org

Dylan Wykes:
www.twitter.com/dylanwykes
www.dylanwykes.com

Dylan's marathon didn't start well as he stumbled and scraped his knees.  He posted a photo of his knees after the race on Twitter.  It's amazing that he ran a personal best after that incident.  His time of 2:10:47 is the second fastest by a Canadian all-time.  The women have not surpassed the Canadian standard and haven't qualified for the London Olympics yet.

The great thing about following athletes on Twitter is that you can find out when they are racing.  Often times you can catch the races on television, on live-stream online or even in person, like I did on Sunday.

The Toronto Yonge Street 10K was starting in my neighbourhood.  A few times a year, races start in my neighbourhood.  Sometimes I go watch the start, while other times, I sleep in or don't realize there's a race.  When Reid tweeted that he'd be racing, I took the opportunity to see an Olympian in person.

I got there early enough to see him warm-up.

The beginning of the race

Reid would win, with Kip Kangogo 2nd and Josephat Ongeri 3rd. Tara Korir won the women's race, with Kate Van Buskirk 2nd and Rachel Hannah 3rd.

I did drive downtown to see if I could capture the finish, but unfortunately, the runners were faster. It was an exciting finish as shared by Canada Running Series on YouTube:

12 Reasons To Watch 2012

I wish I had written this. It's so good, it's worth sharing:

(click the link to see the original article that includes photos)
12 Reasons to watch 2012

The Top 12 Canadian Reasons
to Watch London 2012

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium have a stated goal for London 2012, anticipating Canada will enjoy a top-12 finish in the overall medal standings. Looking ahead 100 days, the nation is poised for its best medal performance ever at a fully-attended Olympic Games, and here are 12 Canadian reasons for viewers to watch and experience the London 2012 action.

12: The jersey number worn by Canada's greatest female soccer player ever, Christine Sinclair . As one of 10 nominees for the 2010 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, Sinclair is expected to lead the way for her teammates in London this summer. The women's team will be hoping to win the nation's first Olympic medal in a team sport since the Canadian men's basketball team won silver at the 1936 Games in Berlin.

11: The age of Canada's top-ranked women's triathlete, Paula Findlay , during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games when triathlon made its official Olympic debut. Canada's Simon Whitfield won the inaugural Olympic gold medal in men's triathlon that year and followed up with silver at Beijing 2008. Whitfield will go for the triple in London 2012 and Findlay hopes to be a medal contender despite a recurring hip injury.

10: The number of Olympic Games Canadian show jumper Ian Millar will have attended when he competes in London 2012 this summer, setting the Olympic record for attendance by a single athlete. Millar will lead Canada's equestrian efforts in London.

9: The all-time total of Olympic diving medals won by Canada. The London 2012 team is positioned to add to this count, with five of the nine medals attributed to veterans Émilie Heymans (two silver and one bronze) and Alexandre Despatie (two silver), who both return for their fourth Games. The team is also bolstered by young talent such as Jennifer Abel , Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion .

8: The number of oarsmen in rowing's biggest boats who will once again be expected to produce podium finishes for Canada. The men's eight are the defending Olympic champions, while the Canadian women's eight look for a return to Olympic success, having finished fourth in 2008. Canada's lightweight rowers, led by Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Tracy Cameron , are also projected for success in London.

Eight also represents the number of Olympic medals Canada has won in freestyle wrestling during the last eight Games. The London 2012 team is poised to keep this streak alive thanks in large part to a deep and talented group of women wrestlers across various weight classes, including Beijing 2008 gold medallist Carol Huynh .

7: The date in August 2012 to which Canada can look forward with great anticipation. August 7th will feature several legitimate Canadian medal opportunities, including two-time Olympic medallist Simon Whitfield in men's triathlon, two-time Olympic silver medallist Alexandre Despatie in men's 3m springboard diving as well as Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and Perdita Felicien in the 100m hurdles. Other Canadian medal hopefuls competing this day include the duet in women's synchronized swimming as well as two-time World omnium champion Tara Whitten in track cycling, all making this day one to watch.

6: The number of Olympic Games, including London 2012, since Canada's last gold medal in boxing courtesy of Lennox Lewis at the Seoul 1988 Games. This stat will look to change this summer when Canada's Mary Spencer takes to the ring with the official Olympic debut of women's boxing. Spencer is a two-time world champion in the 66kg weight class and now fights in the 75kg division, claiming the 2010 World title.

5: The number of Olympic medals Canada has won in the men's C-1 1000m event in the sport of canoe/kayak. Canada will be looking to add to this all-time total with Mark Oldershaw , who became the fifth member of the Oldershaw family to compete at an Olympic Games in 2008. Oldershaw will compete as a part of a strong Canadian contingent in London's canoe/kayak sprint events, led by three-time Olympic medallist Adam van Koeverden .

4: The position in which Canada finished in 10 different events at the Beijing 2008 Games. Several of Canada's fourth-place finishers return for another shot at the podium in London 2012, including weightlifter Christine Girard , mountain biker Catharine Pendrel and shot putter Dylan Armstrong , who missed a Beijing 2008 bronze medal by just one centimetre.

3: The number of medals Swimming Canada has gone on record as stating its London 2012 goal will be. The team is led by Ryan Cochrane , the Beijing 2008 bronze medallist in the men's 1500m free. Freestyle sprint specialist Brent Hayden will also challenge for a podium position, while on the women's side, Martha McCabe won a World bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke in 2011.
Three also represents the number of medals Canadian trampolinist Karen Cockburn has won in her Olympic career, making her the discipline's most decorated athlete ever. London 2012 will mark her fourth trip to the Games.

2: The number of the world's top female hurdlers Canada can boast as its own thanks to Perdita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep . Felicien is focused on winning the one award missing in her career – an Olympic medal. Meanwhile, Lopes-Schliep is the defending Olympic bronze medallist and continues to work to return to top form in time for London following the birth of her first child.

1: The number of medals needed by the incomparable Clara Hughes to claim the title "Canada's most decorated Olympian" all to herself, as she is currently tied with former long track speed skating teammate, Cindy Klassen, with six career medals. Hughes, who won her first two career Olympic medals in cycling at the Atlanta 1996 Games before turning to long track speed skating, returns to cycling in London 2012 with her sights set on another podium finish.

100 Days To Go!

With 100 days to go until the 2012 London Olympics, I wondered how to celebrate.

Should I focus on an event or an international Olympic star? Should I guess about potential flag bearers for Canada? Should I write about a Canadian athlete with a realistic shot at a gold medal or an athlete who fulfilled their dream to qualify for the Olympics even if a medal is out of reach?

How about celebrating the ones with the "best job in the world"?



From the P&G Thank You, m♥m website:

Help us thank Canadian moms for doing the best job in the world, while bringing sports to kids in need across the country. Because for each Thank You shared, $1* will be donated to KidSport™.

*P&G will donate $1 to KidSport for each personal thank you message created, up to a maximum of $50,000. One “thank you” per account holder. Unliking does not cancel your donation.

Although the campaign is meant to thank all moms (not only moms of Olympic athletes), in the spirit of 100 days to the 2012 Olympics, I will take this a step further. I will thank the dads, the coaches, the teammates and the support teams who also helped make the dreams come true for Olympians around the world.

"The Olympics Is Every Single Day"

Adam van Koeverden wrote an article for The Toronto Star: "Remembering Randy Starkman". You can read the full article here.

I love his quote:

"Randy lived by the same motto as the rest of us. The Olympics isn't every four years, it's every single day. He just got it."

This is why I had started this blog. I wanted to write about the Olympics, not only during the Olympics. I wanted to follow the athletes' results and training between the Olympics. I wanted to know the athletes before the Opening Ceremonies. I wanted to cheer and cry with them when they achieved their dreams or when they didn't. I wanted to recognize the amazing 20th finish from an athlete achieving their personal best, not just the gold medals.

Randy Starkman gave me that with his blog. Although I may not have written as much as I would like, I have followed the athletes through his writing and tweets as well as through the athletes' blogs and tweets. Randy helped me find the athletes on Twitter and their blogs.

I wonder who will pick up the baton that has now been dropped. Who will be the amateur athletes' voice? Who will make sure that we hear their stories? Who will the athletes trust with their stories?

I wish I was worthy, but I am not a writer. I loved the quote in the movie Contagion:

"Blogging is not writing, it's graffiti with punctuation"

So although I am not a "writer", I AM passionate about the Olympics and our athletes.

There is 101 days to go until the 2012 London Olympics. I will write as much as I can leading up to the Olympics. I hope that those interested in our athletes and the Olympics will find my blog and enjoy my posts until Randy's baton is picked up.

RIP Randy Starkman

I am shocked and saddened to hear of Randy Starkman's passing today. He was my favourite sportswriter. He wrote about the Olympics for The Toronto Star.

I started this blog just under a year ago. I love the Olympics and wanted to write about it more without overwhelming my personal blog so I thought that this space could give me that avenue.

I have not written as much as I initially thought I would. There are numerous reasons for this, one of which is that Randy Starkman often gave me what I wanted to research and write about. I loved reading his Olympic blog and athlete profiles. Randy Starkman is the writer I wish I was. He wrote about amateur athletes and the Olympics. He attended twelve Olympic Games. His articles were the ones I loved most.

When my son was in Grade 5 (2006-2007), he participated in a Flat Stanley project. One of my favourite memories of Randy Starkman was of him taking a Flat Stanley to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics (like he had done in 2006). He took a Flat Stanley from my son's teacher's class. It must have been so great to be in her class that year and read about Flat Stanley's Olympics experience when he returned. You can read his pre-Olympic blog post here (link is now broken :-( ). I would have loved to have been a "Flat Stanley" and get the chance to experience the Olympics through Randy's eyes.

Adam van Koeverden wrote a blog post today about Randy. You can read it here. In it he says that Randy encouraged him to write more. I never met Randy, but I would like to think that if we had met and he could have seen my passion for the Olympics, he would have encouraged me to write more.

I am sad that my RSS feed to his blog will forever be quiet, but I will remember the impact he had on amateur sports in Canada and will hopefully use this memory to motivate myself to follow his lead and write more.

Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials

The Olympic Swimming Trials were held last week in Montreal at the 1976 Olympic Pool and broadcast every evening on Sportsnet.

If I thought I am emotional at the Olympic Games, that is nothing compared to the emotions of the swimming trials where one race determines your destiny.

Unlike in other sports where there are sometimes multiple chances to beat the Olympic qualifying times in order to qualify, these trials meant win the race and go to the Olympics (or be second and faster than the qualifying time). There were a few exceptions where swimmers had pre-qualified according to their placement at the World Championships lat year but overall, it was an emotional meet.

For me, these trials were heart-warming and heart-wrenching. There were some broken dreams with athletes who were expected to qualify and even compete for a medal at the Olympics who didn't perform on the day.

One of those was Annamay Pierse who held the World Record in the 200m breaststroke, but ended a disappointing 5th after struggling with illnesses in the past couple of years that hurt her training efforts. Two of her teammates qualified under the qualifying time to punch their tickets to London. It was difficult not to be excited for 18 year old Tera Van Beilen who won the race (as well as the 100m breaststroke) and Martha McCabe who qualified in 2nd and dreamed of going to the Olympics since the days of the "McCabe Olympics" held at their family's cottage.

There was heartbreak for Mike Brown who missed a medal at the 2008 Olympics by 9/100th of a second. After the 2010 Olympics, he decided to make a comeback and attempt to redeem himself at the 2012 Olympics. That dream died when he finished 4th in his race.

There was redemption for Scott Dickens who qualified in the 100m breaststroke after failing to make the team in 2008.

We did get some expected results with Julia Wilkinson, Brent Hayden and Ryan Cochrane winning their races and representing Canada once again.

It was especially exciting when the judge would put up four fingers meaning that we had qualified a relay team. The race would end with the winner knowing she was going to the Olympics, but when those four fingers went up, celebration erupted in the pool and in the crowd.

The best moment of the trials for me was the moment when Heather McLean qualified in the 4x100m freestyle relay after finishing third. Her younger sister had already qualified in the 400m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay. In her last race of the week, Heather joined her sister on the team to London. It was impossible to keep a dry eye watching the two sisters hugging and celebrating after the race.

This week was an emotional roller coaster. It really reminded me that the Olympic Games is not only about the medals, but about the journey to get there. For some of these athletes, walking into the Opening Ceremonies and getting to race at the Olympics is the dream. Hopefully they're now dreaming bigger, training hard and quoting Mark Tewksbury saying to themselves "Why Not Me?" (Read the full quote here)

The full list of qualified swimmers can be seen on the Canadian Olympic Committee website.

Why Not Me

During an interview at the Canadian Swimming Olympic trials, Mark Tewksbury was asked to give advice to our Olympians. I loved his quote:

"Leave no stone unturned now because, I think when you get to the Games, the best place to be is 'I've done everything possible...Why Not Me' to win a medal and when you get that kind of confidence and sureness, anything can happen"

Great advice from the 1992 Olympic Gold Medal Winner (backstroke).

Olympic Legends Underground Map

I love this Olympic Legends Underground Map designed by Alex Trickett and David Brooks.

"Alex Trickett was a sports journalist and International Editor for the BBC Sport website and David Brooks is a sports historian, journalist and author of "The All-Time World Cup".

You can view a better sample here and buy the map here.

It showcases successful Olympians as well as Olympians who are famous for their defeats.

Canada has two athletes represented:

• Lennox Lewis (boxing) who would later represent Great Britain in his professional career
• Simon Whitfield gold medal in the inaugural triathlon in 2000 and silver medal 2008

The underground lines are dedicated to specific summer sports so for example all the tennis players are on the Northern line (with the basketball players). All the 2012 Olympic sports are represented on the map.

As much of an Olympics fan as I am, there are more athletes that I don't know than I know. It will be fun to learn about the different Olympians and which Olympics they participated in. When you purchase a map, you receive a fact sheet about the Olympians that are featured.

1st, 3rd, 5th in Chamonix

What an exciting weekend for the Canadian ski team.

We only have 3 skiers racing these days because of injuries. Today, our worst result was better than most of our best results. Three Canadians in the race and they finish 1st, 3rd and 5th!

Last weekend, Erik Guay was an amazing 2nd at Garmisch where he has had excellent past results including a downhill win last year.

I was sad that the race the next day was cancelled, but the momentum continued into Chamonix this weekend. On Friday, Erik was 0.08 seconds from the win but ended up just off the podium in 4th. Jan Hudec finished 6th and Ben Thomsen came in 11th halving his career best result of 23rd the weekend before.

On Saturday, Canada had their best showing since 1994. Jan Hudec 1st, Erik Guay 3rd and Ben Thomsen 5th.

Erik had bib #20. He arrived at the finish line in 1st. The excitement didn't last long as the next skier was faster. Jan would start #24. When he arrived at the finish line, he blew the field away leading by over half a second (remember the day before, Erik was in 4th 0.08 seconds behind).

Even knowing the results with the program tape delayed, my heart was still racing during their runs and I had tears in my eyes. It was so exciting!

Then, Ben Thomsen started 50th. Brian Stemmle had told the story the day before about the fundraisers Ben held in order to get the funds to be able to race. Alpine Canada had invited him to go race for Canada, but unfortunately didn't have the funds for him. Many (most?) of the sponsors for the Alpine Team withdrew their funding after the 2010 Olympics. When Brian was telling the story, he was getting choked up. You see how much this must mean to the Alpine Team and to Ben when you work so hard and the results come in. Those who helped fund Ben's dream must be over the moon.

Speaking of great stories, Jan Hudec has a story of his own. When he was eleven months old, his parents defected from Czechoslovakia, escaping in a boat across the Adriatic Sea. They initially settled in Germany before immigrating to Red Deer Alberta and later Jasper. He won his first race at Lake Louise in 2007 but has struggled with injuries since January 2008. Today's win was his first podium appearance since the injuries.

CBC Sports Weekend included the podium presentation and national anthem in their telecast. It was so great to see Jan and Erik singing the anthem. Erik was so close to a medal at the 2010 Olympics with two 5th place finishes. These results show that our team is still contending and we have some young skiers to help the team grow.

[Later edit: Ben had gone from 23rd to 11th, to 5th and halved his result one more time to a career best 2nd in Sochi where the 2014 Olympics will be held]

My Daily ♥ #152: Winter X Games

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on January 28, 2012

I spent quite a bit of time this weekend watching the Winter X Games. The 2012 Winter X Games are dedicated to the memory of Sarah Burke. They prepared a beautiful video which includes Thursday night's glowstick descent down the halfpipe by her fellow Winter X Games competitors.

My daughter is thinking of writing her school speech about her. Sarah's impact has reached even further than skiing.

Athlete Profile: Simon Whitfield

Event: Triathlon

Simon's website and blog:

www.simonwhitfield.com

www.whatmyphonesaw.com

Simon's twitter: @simonwhitfield

Book: Simon Says Gold

Olympic results in triathlon:

2000 Sydney - gold
2004 Athens - 11th
2008 Beijing - silver

Flag bearer for Canada at the Closing Ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic Games.

One of the first torchbearers for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay when it began in Victoria.

Simon Whitfield won his 10th national championships in August 2011.

Simon was nominated by Triathlon Canada for selection to the 2012 Olympic team.


Written on August 22nd, 2008
Olympic Memorable Moments (Part 1) (excerpt)

Another memorable moment for me was watching the gutsy run by Simon Whitfield in the triathlon. Man, as optomistic as I like to be, I thought he was done (a number of times) but especially when three runners start to pull away from him near the end. The commentator says that Simon had just said the other day that he did not want to be 4th. I'm thinking...ahh man - there isn't even anyone around to pass him so he can't be 5th...lol.

Then, I see him throw his hat down. My first reaction is that he's annoyed that he's going to be 4th (has nothing left in the tank) or he's p*$#'d off and decides to go for it...ok, I was a little dramatic - perhaps he always takes his hat off for his final sprint, but that image is ingrained in my brain of seeing him throw his hat. Unfortunately, only those watching in HD could see this. I was recording in non-HD and it's not visible, so I'm glad I watched it live (from Australia so late at night in Toronto).

So I go from thinking he won't get a medal to thinking he's got it, he's going to win gold, to the final realization that he wins the silver...so moving...so exciting...what a roller coaster ride...definitely a highlight.

To add to the triathlon excitement, was to see Colin Jenkins finish the triathlon...jumping up and down like if he was the one who won a medal. What a great teammate. He was instrumental in Simon winning the medal (well, instrumental in ensuring he didn't lose it).

Actually Simon said something very interesting. The choice of Jenkins to the Olympic team was criticized in the media because he wasn't our 3rd fastest. He was chosen to help Simon in the first two legs (by staying near the front and keeping an eye on athletes who would make a charge and run away from the pack and letting Simon know). Then, at the Olympics, the media complains that Canada is not winning enough medals. So should we have sent 3 triathlon athletes to compete individually and none win a medal or should we have sent someone to help our best hope to win a medal?

posted on February 17, 2010
Victoria Highlights (excerpt)

My hosts/tourist guides recommended going to Mile 0 to see the Terry Fox Statue and to go to the Frontrunners store because it has a Simon Whitfield jersey on display (as well as a Steve Nash jersey that my host forgot to mention...hello???) Ok, perhaps not your typical tourist stops in Victoria, but perfect stops for me.

As I approach the Terry Fox statue in Victoria, ... a very friendly man wearing a Terry Fox t-shirt strikes up a conversation, wondering where I'm from. The conversation finally gets to him as I ask him why he's wearing a Terry Fox t-shirt (and there is a television camera man there interviewing him).

It turns out that he is Rob Reid, the owner of Frontrunners, the store I was planning on visiting. He was the driving force to have the Terry Fox statue erected in Victoria.

[a little later] I end up at Frontrunners. I locate Simon Whitfield and Steve Nash's jerseys and ask permission to take photos.


I had so much fun in the store. I was like a kid in a candy store. Who needs a museum when you have Frontrunners?

The staff were amazing and completely indulged me in my enthusiasm.

The store also displayed Simon Whitfield's autographed jacket from the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and his running shoes.


(I bought quite a few items that day, including Simon Whitfield's book "Simon Says Gold")