Why on earth do we suck so much at certain sports?

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

Maybe we are just fat Canadians and don't want to go fast downhill,fly off a jump,push ourselves in a long skate,don't want to look like fruits and don't like to train in the middle of nowhere on skis.

All I know is we suck at winter sports we should be great at!

[3 Justin 3]

The Koreans are powerhouses in skating, and we should arguably be ahead of them. The facilities in Calgary are easily the best in the world, and we should be pumping out speed skaters, but we aren't. We should be a powerhouse in a lot of sports but aren't.

This comes down to $ though, and the Americans are willing to pump a TONNE of money into Olympic sports, and we aren't.

[keenan87]

I think all our money goes to stuff that we are already good at like Curling and Hockey. I am in the exact spot as you as its something I have wondered too. Especially in ski-jumping, why are we sooo bad? Then there's the ski events where half the Canadians live near where they are participating and still manage to crash. Unbelievable!

[3 Justin 3]

We really need to put the money towards other programs, we'll always dominate hockey and most likely curling. I find it the most pathetic how bad at skiing we are, that and how badly we are choking in the speed skating.

[IceMan]

I agree with the OP. We arguably have the best facilities in the world, especially here in Calgary where most of the other athletes from around the world train at but seem to fair better at the Olympics than our Canadian athletes. The problem is definitely funding where the most funding goes into Hockey and Curling and the other sports just seem to get pushed aside. For a country that has winter for 7-8 months out of the year, we sure don't fair well at the Winter Olympics.

[Sylvanfan]

In terms of skiing....find me someone under the age of 35 in this country who isn't a full time snow boarder. I'm surprised we don't do better at that sport given that when I was in high school skiing was dead and everyone had taken to snow boarding instead.

Our best athletes tend to gravitate towards more exciting sports that they enjoy. You can have great facilities, but if you can't get good athletes to take up those sports you'll never have anyone who's any good at them.

[Joborule]

The problem is a mix of not enough skill and the inability handle the pressure. When it's time to bring your best, the athletes result in underwhelming performances. The athletes mentally aren't strong enough to get the job done in these high stakes events.

Don't know if more funding went to sports other then hockey and curling, that it may result in more prepared athletes that can perform on the big stage.

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

In terms of skiing....find me someone under the age of 35 in this country who isn't a full time snow boarder. I'm surprised we don't do better at that sport given that when I was in high school skiing was dead and everyone had taken to snow boarding instead.

Most wouldn't pass the doping

[T@T]

Originally Posted by keenan87

I think all our money goes to stuff that we are already good at like Curling and Hockey. I am in the exact spot as you as its something I have wondered too. Especially in ski-jumping, why are we sooo bad? Then there's the ski events where half the Canadians live near where they are participating and still manage to crash. Unbelievable!

I sure hope that's not where our development money is going considering they are pro sports and the people playing them for the most part are filthy rich allready.

What this country is lacking is a grassroots program where as in where you see a 10 year old youngster good at say "skiing" you pay his way as long as he/she is interested. the true talents start very young but sadly some don't ever develope because of financial reasons from the parents.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Joborule

The problem is a mix of not enough skill and the inability handle the pressure. When it's time to bring your best, the athletes result in underwhelming performances. The athletes mentally aren't strong enough to get the job done in these high stakes events.

Don't know if more funding went to sports other then hockey and curling, that it may result in more prepared athletes that can perform on the big stage.

That is a product of the school system and general mentality in general these days. As long as you feel good, that is ok, don't worry about it.

Not saying all of that is bad, but at some time in each and every one of our lives, there comes a certain day when you have to perform in your field of training. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, but today, right now.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

In terms of skiing....find me someone under the age of 35 in this country who isn't a full time snow boarder. I'm surprised we don't do better at that sport given that when I was in high school skiing was dead and everyone had taken to snow boarding instead.

22, proud skier. Skis outsold Boards last year for the first time in years btw.

[Russic]

I'm looking forward to March when we can all go back to not caring about any of this for four years. Sure I wish we could get more medals, but if the funding is going to come out of taxpayers pockets, I say screw it.

[ma-skis.com]

I don't think it's a funding or facility issue, I think it's a concern of where most of us put our kids when they're young. As a coach of a sport that isn't hockey, I know it's tough to develop kids when they're first focus is on hockey, which means a lot of the time they don't get developed in other sports since we're a hockey mad country.

Even in the hockey off season, those kids don't cross-train in other sports, the best athletes are told to do dry-land training or summer leagues in the off-season.

That's for countries like Finland or germany

The other reason has got to be sheer numbers for a place like Korea, America or China, given the vast numbers of people over there, they would most likely be good at something, or have some type of cult following in a sport like short track speed skating.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Russic

I'm looking forward to March when we can all go back to not caring about any of this for four years. Sure I wish we could get more medals, but if the funding is going to come out of taxpayers pockets, I say screw it.

Yeah lets spend 1000 times more tax money sending our kids to Afghanistan only to never return.

[OzSome]

i was talking to my friend about this. I think part of the problem is the lack of confidence on Canadian athletes. There is no fire in their guts and they are happy and content just to finish the race and so on. Look at the Americans like Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn and others. These people are so confident or very cocky about winning the gold and if they don't get it, they are very dissapointed. With the great training facility we have here in Canada, I would think the Canadian teams will do a lot better.

[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.

[browna]

Morrison blaming Own the Podium:
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/speed-skat...tml?cid=rsstsn

Morrison, who finished a dismal ninth in the 1,500-metre race, said his technique has fallen off since the days he trained with Davis in Calgary before the 2006 Turin Games.

...

Davis trains by himself and came to Calgary in advance of Turin to work out at the oval there, striking up a close relationship with Morrison. The two competed fiercely, and Morrison began to rise quickly up the international rankings as he raced against the faster American.

However, Morrison's coach, Marcel Lacroix, disagreed with his skater. "For me as a coach, that is not an excuse," said Lacroix, who also coaches Canadian Christine Nesbitt, who won gold in the women's 1,000 metres this week.

"The program was giving him what he needed for the last three years. He got a world record with his technique in the program. So now what? So it was working and now it's not working, so it's the program? I can't support this at all."

Bunch of garbage excuses Morrison. Good for the coach for calling it what it is...ridiculous. The program gave him more money and more training time and everything since 2006...and it got him the world record. But when he fails, he reverts to using the excuse that the Own the Podium and thus not being able to train with Davis in the past 4 years is the reason to blame he finished 9th and 15th in the biggest races.

Choker...and a whiner, obviously.

[SOMBRI2]

it's not about money, it's about determination and 'we can't lose attitude'.

team china hockey team, most of the members not only are amateurs, but they earn less than $100 a month. yet, they pull their best effort. women's ice hockey is a sport in they dying in fact.

koreans who are expected to win but could not do it, will apologize to their citizens. they feel bad, they feel ashamed.

americans, have the 'we are the world attitude' plus support from the government.

what's the identity of canada? 'nice'!

i won't say athletes are not willing to sacrifice. but they sad part is, they have not 'suffered' enough. they have not been in dire situations to realize their true potentials. because at the end of the day, in my opinion, canadian athletes can afford to lose.

[Kipru]

Originally Posted by T@T

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

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.

Small mistake there, we do have several facilities. The world cup is jumped on a 4 different Finnish hills, we also have several smaller venues for training.

http://berkutschi.com/en/front/hills/list

I guess the main reason for you guys sucking is that you haven't had any successful athlete in those sports for years, so kids rather want to be like Sidney Crosby than Stefan Read.

[redforever]

I think for some sports, where there can be mass participation, there might be a resurgence of more young people in Canada taking it up again......perhaps figure skating etc

The last 15 to 20 years, Phys Ed etc has almost vanished from a lot of North American schools and now the results of this (out of shape young kids) are starting to show. I think parents now are encouraging their children to be more physically active.

Plus, factor in all the video games, etc. We have raised a generation of couch potatoes.

And, how do you promote some sports, like luge, skeleton, ski jumping? when in all reality there simply is not a training facility available to the mass of Canadians. I sometimes question why they are Olympic sports.