Draped in Gold

Martin Scorsese could not have written a better script for a final weekend of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.  A most dubious start two weeks ago with rain (not snow) pouring down on Wayne Gretzky as he was driven from BC Place to the outdoor Olympic cauldron, moments after a mechanical issue failed to raise one of four arms on the indoor Olympic cauldron.  Earlier in the day the death of a young Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili loomed large in the minds of the billions watching the opening ceremonies to kick off the 16-day spectacle.  But as a testament to those working and participating in the games, and to the millions of locals who did open their arms and offered a smile along with a hand in friendship, the world went from being overly-critical of the games to fully embracing the city for the outstanding show of competitive spirit and first-class hospitality that has been found among our Canadian community.

It didn't take long before the medal count began as defending Women's moguls Olympic champion Jenn Heil captured a slightly disappointing Silver medal behind a run by Hannah Kearney that was nothing less than perfect.  It would raise questions of whether or not no matter how well we did, were we going to get that elusive Gold medal on home soil?

We didn't have to wait long as Alexandre Bioldeau would climb the mountain himself edging Canadian-turned-Australian Dale Begg-Smith in what some would consider an upset to not only capture our country's first Gold medal, but would open the doors and release some of the pressure for other Team Canada hopefuls to climb the podium.  Alex already has become somewhat of a folk hero in this country and you can guarantee that the whilwind ride, which included a visit to our EA Canada office in Burnaby, wont end anytime soon!

We would continue the Gold Rush taking numerous medals in Speed Skating and Ice Dancing.  There would be disappointments on the slopes with medal hopes dashed in downhill and individual slalom races.  All the while, team sports such as hockey and curling kept us on edge game after game leading the charge towards elusive Gold Medal matches.

Rain would part to sunny skies and bring record warm temperatures adding to the party atmosphere in Vancouver.  The downtown core has been absolutely nuts and while employees in many companies took extra sick days to take in the events from zip-trekking downtown to partying it up at the Heineken House, there has been one event that is the pinnacle of these games that has been at the center of the Olympic conversation:  the Gold-Medal Men's Hockey game. 

After a shocking seventh-place finish in Turin, the pressure for the Canadian team to finish in the medals at home has been more than overwhelming.  In a city desperate for a hockey Championship, two early wins over Switzerland and Norway set up Act One in a USA-Canada match-up that also saw USA come into the game undefeated.

Canada would out-play and out-hustle the Americans.  But our neigbours would win the one stat that matters most, upset the Canadians, and force them to play a get-in game against the Germans just for a chance to play in the Quarter-Finals against a highly touted Russian team.  Funny though that even after that loss, the city still continued to party in the streets and celebrate the games as if we had won that game.  Maybe we were in shock or maybe we knew that it was not yet the end of this hockey story.

Meanwhile, the medal rush would slow down compared to the haul other countries were beginning to take in.  There was no stopping the Americans as medals in half-pipe, figure skating, and speed skating pushed the powerhouse to the top of the leaderboards.  Germany and Finland along with Norway, Austria, and Russia picked up medals to round out the top countries.  Canada, relegating to the fact that it would be nearly impossible to catch the Americans continued to keep its collective head held high.  We would admit that the pressure on our athletes to Own the Podium may have been setting the bar a little higher that we should have and we should not forget to be proud of our accomplishments no matter where our athletes finished.

And no better athlete exemplified this better than Canadian figure skater Joannie Roachette who lost her mother only days after arriving to Vancouver to watch her skate in the Olympics.  The six-time Canadian Champion chose to remain in the competition and skate for her mother, no doubt full of emotion which released following her perfect short-program.  She would follow up with a near-perfect long program and won a bronze medal behind Canadian-coached Kim Yu-Na and win the first medal for a Canadian woman in figure skating since Elizabeth Manley won a bronze medal in the Calgary '88 games.

Though it wouldn't matter if she won a medal, she would say, it was a moment this country won't soon forget when she received her's wearing her heart on her sleeve throughout the entire competition.  Along with Bronze-medalist Petra Majdic from Slovenia, who continued to compete in a cross-country event after breaking a rib and puncturing her lung, Rochette would also receive the special Terry Fox Medal which recognizes individuals who embody the same spirit at Fox did as he attempted to run cross-country as an amputee for Cancer research in 1980.

The Canadian Women's hockey team would defend their Gold medal and shutout the Americans while the Canadian men would survive a mini third-period comeback to follow up on USA's semi-final win over Finland to set the stage for the Gold Medal game that everyone in the world can now hardly wait to see.  It's the reason I'm writing this blog...I can't sleep.

If there wasn't enough pressure on the guys, after a couple of days of solid performances earning our country a total of 13 Gold medals going into Sunday, one more Gold medal would eclipse the existing tie with Russia who also took home 13 Gold medals in the 1976 Winter Games.  One more Gold would put us in that place of elite standing that we originally thought only came with the most medals.  Well, Canadians now look to a new definition and proudly claim the honour of Quality among our athletes and at the very least owning the top step of that podium and the Gold & Glory that comes with finishing in first.

Regardless of today's Gold medal hockey game, we should be content with our performance.  Not only with our athletes but with the thousands of volunteers and performers that worked and performed for the throngs of people in the city and those that took in the games around the world.  We have overcome adversity in so many different ways during these games and have won over critics many times over setting the bar for future games. The city alone deserves a Gold medal for hosting an unforgettable Olympics experience.

Win or lose this afternoon, these games will end, and Monday will come after Sunday.  We will miss the fever of the Olympics and look to live with this new spirit we've built and help those in need like our Chilean brothers and Asian sisters devastated by recent earthquakes and tsunamis.  Whether it's in these games or outside these games, we have proven that this Canadian spirit lives through us and is shared through us to all in the spirit of humanity.  These past two weeks plus have been the illustration to the world of how and what we all can be, achieve, and exemplify. 

Nice work, eh, Canada? 

Now let's head out there this afternoon, go FTW, and close the book on the Olympics with an ending we all can be proud of.