So much of what is happening in Vancouver is happening BECAUSE of the '88 games.
Organizers have used the Calgary games as a model, just as all the other games in between have. Calgary's legacy was likely a big reason Vancouver even won the games in the first place... the IOC had confidence that Canadians can pull these events off.
Look at the progression of the athletes themselves. Canadian athletes have been more and more successful on the Olympic stage ever since 1988. Much of that is due to the legacy of those games.
And one of the things we can be most proud of, I think, is that nearly every demonstration sport rolled out in Calgary has become a full-fledged event of their own. Curling, short track speed skating, freestyle skiing, all events that have their origins in Calgary. It has made the Winter Olympics a bigger undertaking, allowing more athletes and requiring more venues.
The Vancouver games are bigger in almost every way than our games were. But we shouldn't look at it as them stealing our glory. It's the glory of the Calgary games spilling over and creating the foundation that the 2010 Games are built on.
As Canadians and especially Calgarians, we should be very proud of what is happening over there right now.
And most importantly, enjoy it.
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