It has been 17 days since the flame went out on the XXIV Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Somehow, it feels so much longer. The closing montages aired. The athletes went home. Television stations returned to regularly scheduled programming.
Just like that, 16 days and 109 events came to an end.
I love the Olympics. I am the person who will sit and watch hours and hours of coverage. I am the person who will record seven different time slots of events on the PVR overnight, as to not miss anything. I am the person who will avoid social media the next day, so I am not spoiled.
I am the person who gets drawn in by the montages and the highs and lows that victory and defeat provide.
That is me. That is my passion for sport. That is my desire for learning about athletes and events.
I get it. I am not everyone. There are many who do not care about the Olympics. It is easy to tune them out when most events are happening overnight. It is easy to only be interested in one sport. It is easy to do anything else with your time.
Television ratings were down. The notion of “no one is watching the Olympics” made its rounds on social media.
Are the Olympics perfect? No. They never are. Can you point to problems? All day long.
When the competition begins, though, I truly believe the athletes take over. Their spotlight is amplified. They dedicate themselves to their sport, all for these fleeting moments in time. Years of training are reduced to minutes, sometimes seconds.
A lot of the time, you can see the pressure written all over an athlete’s face. The Olympic rings follow them everywhere they go. It is a constant reminder of where they are and the level at which they are expected to perform.
If you put yourself in their shoes, how would you handle the pressure? How would you handle the constant chatter, expectations, and anticipation for your event?
Sometimes, you will see an athlete make a mistake and say afterward, “I have never made that mistake in practice.”
That is the weight of the Olympic Games.
From my perspective, this seemed like a very emotional Olympics. There were a lot of tears, a lot of hugs, and a lot of heaviness in the air.
It is understandable. Nothing is normal. Many Canadian athletes (if not all) were in isolation three weeks before heading to China. Some of them hadn’t seen their families since Christmas. The emotional toll could not be understated
Someone has to care. Someone should care. I do. I care. That is why I watch.
So, here are some of the athletes and stories that stood out to me.
Rachel Homan and John Morris
Mixed doubles curling is one of my favourite events. The pace of play is accelerated and there is an extra emphasis on scoring. It is also just a lot of fun to see curlers throw a stone and then immediately get up to sweep it.
Rachel Homan and John Morris are two of the best curlers in the world and each carry impressive resumes. They have known each other since they were kids and the expectation was that they would come home with a medal.
They did not even finish in the Top 4 and make the playoffs.
Their final game came down to an inch, probably less. They were devastated. A few days later, Homan posted on social media that she was in “the deepest of black holes”.
A lot was made of how Morris and Homan communicated with one another, especially in their first few games. Let me go back further, for a moment.
The Canadian mixed doubles curling trials were cancelled due to COVID concerns, so out of a fairly large field of teams, Curling Canada selected Homan and Morris to represent Canada at the Olympics.
The only downside was they did not have the opportunity to play any games and get back in a rhythm – work the kinks out, if you will – before heading to the Olympics.
While it was obvious that they both like to take charge on the ice, I looked at it as two people who have known each other their whole lives — this is how they communicate because they are completely comfortable with one another.
Other viewers saw it differently. That is okay. At the end of the day, we are all outsiders and make assumptions based on what we see on TV. Only the athletes know what is truly going on.
Homan and Morris fought hard. The competition was tough. They have nothing about which to be disappointed.
Team Jones and Team Gushue
It was a tough time for Canada in curling. Team Jones, led by skip Jennifer Jones, failed to finish in the Top 4 and advance to the playoffs, despite having the same record (5-4) as the third and fourth place teams. Canada was the odd one out when it came down to the tiebreaker.
Team Gushue, led by skip Brad Gushue, won bronze after losing a heartbreaking semi-final matchup.
Both Jones and Gushue are former Olympic gold medallists. They are two of the best in the world, but the Olympics are hard.
Other countries have caught up. Other countries are now being coached by Canadian curlers. It is a great thing for the sport. It just means Canada is no longer a lock to receive a medal in curling at the Olympics.
Maryeta O’Dine
Do you know what Snowboard Cross is? Let me tell you.
Four competitors race down a course to a finish line. There are bumps, turns, jumps, and three other snowboarders to contend with. The top two advance to the next round. It is a lot of fun to watch.
In addition to the men’s and women’s snowboard cross events, there was also mixed team snowboard cross. I am a big fan of the mixed events the Olympics has been bringing in lately.
The way mixed team snowboard cross works is there is one male and one female on each team. The men race first and the time differentials between them at the end of the race are then transferred over to the women.
So, if Person A finishes 1.5 seconds ahead of Person B, their teammate will receive a 1.5 second head start in the next race. The maximum head start they can receive is 3.96 seconds.
This brings me to one of the Canadian teams: Maryeta O’Dine and Eliot Grondin.
Individually, O’Dine captured a bronze medal and Grondin earned a silver medal. And now they found themselves together, in the finals for the mixed event. Only one team would finish the race without a medal.
Midway through O’Dine’s race, as she landed a jump, one of her competitors landed right on her back. Both of them fell to the ground and then it was a mad scramble to get up and race home for the bronze medal. To do so, they would have to climb up a jump without any momentum.
O’Dine was the first to do it and went on to win a bronze medal for herself and Grondin, finishing 23 seconds behind the second place finisher.
It was one of the wildest things I have ever witnessed in sport. The determination to get up after the fall, scale the jump, and continue on to a medal was incredible.
Keegan Messing
Keegan Messing is a Canadian figure skater. He was supposed to participate in the team event in the singles discipline. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 right before travelling with his teammates to Beijing. In order to be cleared, he needed four negative tests.
So, he missed the team event. Roman Sadovsky filled in for him.
Messing finally arrived in Beijing and was on the ice practicing, five hours later. The men’s short program would take place in less than 24 hours. Athletes often describe their situation as a “whirlwind”, but this was actually a whirlwind.
Get off the plane, go to the rink, sleep, compete. I remember he gave an interview and said he did not realize he had grown a beard until he saw pictures of himself on social media at his practice session.
When he was not competing, he was in the stands cheering on his fellow Canadian figure skaters, with a large Canadian flag attached to an even larger pole. He ran back and forth, up and down the rows and across the aisles with that flag.
Messing did not win a medal, but he did not allow that to dampen his spirit. He always looked happy to be there.
Oh yeah, he also landed a backflip during his skate at the Exhibition Gala. Yes, a backflip on ice. With skates. Not a standing backflip either. He skated backwards and then flipped.
For those that don’t know, an Exhibition Gala is when figure skaters skate freely (for fun) and do things they are not allowed to do in competition. I saw a pair pull out props and perform a whole skit. It was fun.
Madeline Schizas
Skate Canada is going through a rebuild of sorts, as the 2018 Olympics signalled the end of an era for many Canadian figure skaters.
As the only women’s singles skater representing Canada at the Games, Madeline Schizas was entered to participate in the team event. She set a personal best in the short program, which put Canada in the Top 5 and qualified them for the free skate. Make no mistake, there was a ton of pressure on her to perform and get Canada one of those spots.
I remember she gave an interview afterwards and said something along the lines of, wanting to pull her own weight in the team event and not just be there to be there. She admitted how nervous she was, but it did not show in her skating.
She is still only 19-years-old and has many years of skating ahead of her – if she wants them. I think her future is very bright and she will be someone to watch.
My takeaway from watching her skate was, “nerves of steel”.
Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha
If you are Canadian, you probably know who Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are. The pair who made us obsessed with Ice Dancing ever since 2010. Well, they retired in 2018, opening the door for some new names.
Enter, Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha. In 2019, they were crowned world junior ice dance champions. The only other Canadian team to do that? Virtue and Moir in 2006.
Watching Lagha skate, he has very similar mannerisms as Moir. I noticed them before the commentators told me I should notice them; they were that obvious.
I shall stop the comparisons there as Lajoie and Lagha have both expressed their desire to build their own legacy. They have the ability to do just that.
Like Schizas, these two are just getting started with their senior career. They finished 13th at the Olympics, out of 23 teams. Two other veteran Canadian teams, finished in the Top 10.
Do not sleep on this team. The older they get, the more experience they will accumulate, and the better they will be. Four years from now, I could see myself writing about how they are legitimate medal contenders.
Remember the names.
Max Parrot
Max Parrot is a Canadian snowboarder who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December 2018 and underwent 12 treatments of chemotherapy over the course of six months. Not only did he beat it, but he returned to competition that year (2019).
At these Olympics, he won a gold medal in Slopestyle (an upgrade on the silver he won in 2018) and a bronze medal in the Big Air competition.
I think what Parrot went through, and where he ended up, is a great story of persistence and a determination to never give up.
Marie-Philip Poulin
Women’s Ice Hockey has been an Olympic event since 1998. Six of the seven gold medal games have featured Canada and the United States. It has become expected.
That is the backstory.
Marie-Philip Poulin is Team Canada’s captain. She has played in four gold medal games (2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022) and has scored in each of them. She also has three game winning goals (golden goals!). That is absurd.
If she is not the best women’s hockey player of all-time, she is definitely on the shortlist.
Every team hopes their best players show up in the big games. Poulin does that, every single time.
I do not think she is done yet, either. I think she will be back at the Olympics in four years, going for another gold medal.
Until then, something needs to be figured out between the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). Most of the U.S. and Canadian national team players are a part of the PWHPA, which was formed when the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) folded in 2019, and have refused to join the PHF ever since, as their demands were not being met.
They want livable wages, health care, and dedicated access to training facilities.
Now, the PWHPA is looking to start their own league, with the support of the NHL and its teams. So, we could have two duelling leagues, when what we need is one.
I say all of this just to make the point that Poulin, as well as the other top women’s players, need somewhere to play on a regular basis. I hope it can get sorted out.
Iivo Niskanen
Iivo Niskanen is a Finnish cross-country skier. He won the gold medal in the men’s 15km event, which is impressive, right?
What I found to be more impressive was the fact that he waited, almost 20 minutes, for the last place finisher to cross the line, so he could greet him and offer his congratulations. The last place finisher was Carlos Andrés Quintana – one of the three athletes representing Colombia at the Olympics.
Niskanen said in an interview: “Everyone worked hard to be here. You have to show this kind of respect at the Olympics towards countries that don’t have much budget to get the best results, unlike the best nations.”
Quintana said on Instagram, “I will never forget this moment…thank you friend.”
That is just a wonderful story, is it not?
Eileen Gu
Eileen Gu is an 18-year-old freestyle skier who was born and raised in the United States, but decided to represent China at the Olympics. She received a ton of criticism on social media for this. It was a big controversy that followed her, as she won two gold medals and one silver medal.
Eileen Gu is “the next big thing”, so for those of you who are unfamiliar, remember the name. One article I read said she has 23 endorsement deals and has earned millions of dollars from them.
She is going to be a global athlete and the face of freestyle skiing, the same way Shaun White has been the face of snowboarding. Get ready for it.
I guess I should not be surprised that Gu and White share the same birthday.
Charles Hamelin
It was good to see Canadian short track speed skater (and flag bearer), Charles Hamelin, go out in his final Olympics and win a gold medal in his final event: the 5000m relay. What a special moment it must have been to win one last gold medal alongside his teammates.
This was his fifth Olympic Games. Simply, incredible. When I think of Vancouver 2010, he is one of the faces I attach to those Games. He is one of the reasons why short track speed skating is my favourite Winter Olympic event.
Other Notes
Sarah Nurse led the women’s hockey tournament with 18 points in 7 games. The entire team was firing on all cylinders. When it came to the gold medal game against the Americans, I was not even remotely nervous. This Canadian team was a juggernaut.
Team Canada won a bronze medal in the ski jumping mixed team event. It was the first time a North American country had won a medal in ski jumping since 1924. Congratulations to: Alexandria Loutitt, Matthew Soukup, Abigail Strate and Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes.
The Canadian women’s short track speed skating team has a promising future. Look out for them four years from now at Milano Cortina 2026. Kim Boutin is the leader of the group and is currently ranked 2nd in the world. Behind her are talented skaters like: Florence Brunelle, Alyson Charles, and Courtney Sarault. It will be a lot of fun to track their progress on the world stage between now and the next Olympics.
Bobsleigh must drive perfectionists absolutely bonkers. The times come down to tenths of a second, if not less. You kiss the wall coming out of a corner and all of a sudden the commentator chimes in with, “Uh-oh, that will surely cost them.” And it does. There is absolutely no room for error. You need four clean runs to win gold and even then, it might not be enough.
The Top 5 finishers in the men’s 4-man bobsleigh were separated by 0.97 seconds, after four runs each.
A lot was made about the technology in the German’s bobsled. At one point, the commentator said they develop their bobsled like Formula 1 teams develop their cars. That is next-level commitment. Germany entered three teams into the 4-man bobsleigh event and placed, 1st, 2nd, and 4th. The Canadian team, piloted by Justin Kripps, spoiled the party and captured bronze.
I do not know if you are aware of the song “Boléro“, but it is one of the greatest and most famous pieces of classical music. It was composed by Maurice Revel in 1928. Depending on which version you listen to, it is around 15 minutes in length. It is a popular choice among figure skaters. Type in “Bolero figure skating” on YouTube and you will be bombarded with a legendary performance by Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean at the 1984 Olympics, among others.
I may or may not have listened to the London Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of “Boléro”, exclusively, for a week after the Olympics ended. It is just a magical piece of music.
Broadcasting legend, Steve Armitage, announced his retirement at the end of the Olympics. He was the soundtrack of so many sports and moments. Speed skating, swimming, diving, and rowing immediately jump to the forefront of my mind, from an Olympic perspective. I also grew up listening to him call Canadian Football League games on CBC. It was a joy to listen to him.
CBC did a fantastic job with their coverage. I have always looked up to broadcasters. To me, they have the coolest job in the world. I feel the need to mention some names: Scott Russell, Brenda Irving, Andi Petrillo, Mark Lee, Joanna Courtney, Mitch Peacock, Anastasia Bucsis, Devin Heroux, and Colleen Jones, to name a few. They all brought a level of warmth to the coverage.
While I am at it, I must mention the wonderful montages put together by Tim Thompson. No one is better at putting sports images and music together. Heck, I still watch montages he made over 10 years ago. They are that good. They are that beautiful. They bring the love of sport out of me every single time.
In total, there were about 18,000 volunteers at the Olympics. As much as you need facilities and athletes for sports to take place, you need volunteers. Without them, you cannot possibly pull off an event this large. They deserve a ton of credit, especially to do this during a pandemic.
One thing that stood out to me was the volunteers’ never-ending energy at the Opening Ceremony, as well as the Closing Ceremony. They were jumping up and down, waving their arms, for a long, long, time. The Parade of Nations is an hour, easily. To maintain that level of enthusiasm and cardio – I was in awe. Trust me, I tried to find the volunteer who looked tired. I could not find them.
As this post winds to a close, I almost do not want it to end. Initially, I had intended to write it and post it the day after the Closing Ceremony. It did not happen because I made a list of all the athletes I wanted to mention and decided that if I was going to do this right, then I had to take my time with it.
The Olympians I wrote about will never read this, but I wanted to do them justice.
It may not seem like it, but a lot of thought and research went into this. I have grown to be extremely proud of the words I have written here, even if no one reads each and every one.
I know many of you may not have followed the Olympics closely, so if this post taught you something new, or made you aware of some of the good things that occurred, then I am happy.
I want to end this by telling you about one final Canadian Olympian. She is a freestyle skier and two-time medallist (gold in 2014; silver in 2018) in the moguls event.
She is, Justine Dufour-Lapointe.
If the name rings a bell, it may be because her two sisters – Maxime and Chloé – competed with her at the Olympics in 2014. Chloé was also there in 2018, as well as this year in Beijing.
Midway through Justine’s first run in the moguls final, she fell. After taking a moment to collect herself, she finished her run. Her sister, Chloé, was there to console her.
Justine gave an emotional interview, in which she said:
“Over the winning, over the bad days like this, the only thing that is important is to never give up.”
That line gives me chills every time I read it.
It sums up what it means to, “Think Olympic”.
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