Just finally got a chance to read this thread.
The "Own the Podium" ideal is when the Canadian sport technical program launched in January 2005 to prepare Canada to become the top winter sporting nation in the world by 2010. Most of the top countries already support their athletes in more ways then Canada has ever. Our athletes before this relied mostly on fundraising and corporate sponsorship.
If one of our athletes win gold, they are awarded $20,000 for the win. Other countries give their athletes a salary for life, as in Korea and Japan.
Incentive to be best in the world is always there, but financial incentives help more.
Among all Olympics there will be highs and lows, unfortunately in my personal opinion. The Olympics have become too commercialized, and they have forgotten the base roots of competition.
In '88 we seen the likes of "Eddie the Eagle" and the "Jamaican bobsled team", that is the true gift of the Olympics, the "Olympic" experience for all.
Unfortunately, as in all competition, everyone strives to be faster stronger, etc... they have weed out the likes of the above for safety reasons.
Furthermore they have taken the Olympic experience away from the regular person. You have to pay to see the medals ceremony from the spectators of that specific sport, awarding most of the medals at GM place at a cost of $20-$55 a person.
You cannot even get a clear picture of the Olympic flame because it is surrounded by a chain link fence, keeping the people away. Why didn’t they put it on a barge like they did the rings? At least this way it doesn’t make the common person feel like they are locked away.
Did anyone try getting tickets for any events? That alone was a horror story in itself. After the IOC, Vanoc, corporate sponsorship, what tickets were left available for the average person? Not many.
As for London, let them say what they want. We have better weather here in winter than they have in the summer. The British media always love a chance to criticize Canada for anything that they can. The probably do the same for Australia also.
Just my opinion,
Ken - BWA
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