Canada's Winter Olympics champion
The Canadian team won 24 medals at the 2006 Winter Olympic games. This positioned them in third place (as decided by the most total medals, not by the most gold medals) behind Germany (29) and the USA (25).
Coming in only one medal behind the USA is pretty impressive, since the USA has ten times our population. Of course, we have ten times as much winter!
Cindy Klassen was the big story for Canada.
She brought home five speed skating medals: one gold (1,500 metre long-track speed skating); two silver (1,000 metres and women's team pursuit); and two bronze (3,000 metres and 5,000 metres).
Five races, five medals. Klassen is the first woman ever to win five long-track medals at one Olympic games. It is also the most medals ever won by a Canadian at a single Olympic games.
Klassen had a bronze in the games at Salt Lake city, so her lifetime total is six medals.
It was fitting that one of our female athletes should dominate. Canada sent fewer women than men to the games, but the women won 16 medals to the men's 8.
Many countries provide less funding for their female athletes than for their male athletes. Canada doesn't take sex into account in determining levels of funding, and it seems to have paid off in Turin.24 is the most medals Canada has ever won at an Olympic games, far more than our previous record of 17 at Salt Lake City.
posted by stc @ 4:49 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Canada doesn't take sex into account
With all that winter it must count for something. That raises an interesting question. Considering how much time you must be forced to spend indoors, the population is remarkably small. Hmm...
Nice stereotype Jack, don't you know Igloos melt because of too much physical activity. (-:
However - check out the stats
Canada 10.84 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 7.73 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pop Growth 0.9% (2005 est.)
US 14.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 8.25 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pop Growth 0.92% (2005 est.)
Given these stats it is curious why the US population is growing at a rate of about .02% higher than that of Canada.
Where are the extra 3.3 /1,000 going?
Some one call Mulder and Scully?
Well, we know they aren't going to Canada.
I think the 10 times more winter could have something to do with it:-)
It's all about opportunity. I have personally (for example) never had the opportunity to ski. If I am a natural ski-ing prodigy, then my country has missed the chance of a gold medal just because we don't have snow! the same applies to all sports. Canada has a good cultural interest in sport and a good social attitude to provision of sport, so you find a good proportion of talented sports people.
Countries where a lower proportion of people take part in sport, or where less sports are available will oviously find less talented people.
Of course, once identified, those talented people need the correct facilities, training, attitude and support to reach the top too.
Well done to Canada for bringing enough things together to do so well.
Mrs. Aginoth:
I still remember Eddie the Eagle with great fondness. And then there was the Jamaican bobsled team!
But I grant you, neither was a serious medal contender.
Good show, CA!
Sorry about men's hockey, and all that. Are you certain Bodie Miller wasn't on that team, too? No? I guess not. Too bad. Wasted opportunities in life, yada, yada.
I was wondering when someone would bring up the disappointing result for our men's hockey team. I deliberately didn't mention it because I didn't want it to overshadow the good results we achieved.
But I'm a big hockey fan. Getting shut out in three of the last four games?! It's incredible.
Finishing out of the medals?! - that hurts.
Finishing in 7th place - behind Switzerland, one of the teams that shut us out?! There are not words.
I guess I should be grateful we beat the Italians.
Canadian Women ROCK!! I have to say that I was totally shocked about how much more press the sucky men's hockey (Bertuzzi jinx is my pet theory.) got compared to the women's team and Klaasens clean up! Woo!
And I STILL think that the ladies should have played for the Stanely Cup last year during the lock out. Or was it a strike...I can't remember...nor do I really *care* to. Em EM. (I am a bit biased...sorry)
Glad to see this post!
Ditto what Heather said.
The Canadian women did indeed rock the Olympics. Great you had a post about them too.
• Heather:
Someone should have played for the Stanley Cup last year — either the women or one of the other leagues.
• Lynne:
Everyone in Canada should be proud of Klassen and the whole women's Olympic program.
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