[browna]

Originally Posted by T@T

Yeah, we win a few medals and that's awesome but comeon:

1) Skiing - no excuse not to develop medal winning skiers considering we have arguably the best hills in the world.

Well, the best man and best woman were missing this year. Guay was .23 and .03 seconds away in his two races, from a medal in each.

Also, training in Europe is year round, not so much here where they go to Chile to train, amongst other places.

2 years ago, Canadians were getting to podium weekly on the World Cup. The two key injuries, and peaking early, is the issue.

2) Ski-jumping, unbelievable how bad we are at this, why on earth can't we develop at least one jumper every 4 years when we have numerous facilities (4) in this country for training. The Finnish team has one facility and every year they win something.

I thought we only had 1. COP is now useless for Ski Jumping and I though the one in Thunder Bay is the only other. The one in Whistler I belive is going to be taken down, after the games are done.
Not sure what kind of athlete makes a Ski Jumper now...from the looks of it, a thin, flexible kid. Not like a gymanst or , so you have to wonder how kids get into that sort of sport here in this country.

3) Long track speed skating - again, no excuse not to be leaders at this sport, we have the facilities and we have people that grew up on skates...we should be a power in this event.

Well, we got a ton of medals since 1988, mainly the women. Wotherspoon is the most decorated World Cup skating athlete in history I think, he's just choked at his Olympics (prior to this one)

4) Figure skating, not that I really care about this sport but Canada sucks at a sport we shouldn't suck at. maybe if we won a little I could over-look the American fruit with the roses on his head.

No idea, but agian, not sure if teens stick with it for long enough (need to be doing it for more then 4 years) to develop in this country, or is the program is structured/strict. Germans and Russians have long established programs and once you're in that program, you're in it or else. As teens I am sure there are more distractions to have to put in the work needed in this countr...but as I said, those other countries, and now add China, have it as a regimented program.

5) Cross Country Skiing. this is another sport we should dominate.

Yeah, not sure either. That said the Men today did ok and Canda got multiple medals in biathlon/cross country for most of the Olympics since 1992. Those Nordic countries like Norway pour tons of money into that, as its a priority. You'd think it should just be about training over and over to get the bodies ready....but to get that same level of training for those Norweigens, I am guessing that is their full time job. Even with the better results (which now mean more money for those athletes) in Canada, those Euro countries give (and get through sponsorship) there athletes more then enough money to make a living by training full time and not having to worry about an annual income.

Its certianly about priorites. Some countries focus tons of government money and corporate money on particular sports, and the Olympic Committies, and sponsors in those countries, expect a return for their heavy investment.

The "Own the Podium" program, easy as it is to critizcize, is a step in that direction. Since Athens, it has resulted in better rewarding those athletes that put up top results in the world cups and world championships, as opposed to splitting the pie equally amongst athletes whether they finish 56th or 3rd, as it was before.

Chicken and Egg with corporate sponsorship in this country. Everyone, corporate sponsors included wants to be associated with a bread and butter sport (hockey)hockey) and its hard for a luge athlete to pull in the same level of recognition and funds year to year. Spread that out over a ton of sports, both summer and winter and there isn't enough corporate money in this country to go around. Its gotten better but nowhere near what other countries have for long term contracts.

As for tax payer money, when there's bitching about an extra $120 per year for recycle bins, it would be a hard sell for $10 more per person for Olympic athletes...again, priorities. The legacy of the 1988 games means that the oval and the bob/luge track at COP are self sustaining and don't cost tax payers anywhere, a penny to run.