Jumping on the Olympics Bandwagon

I’ve never been a huge Olympics person. I wasn’t against the Olympics or what they represent; I just never really got into watching the games. Like many polite Canadians who remain subdued until provoked, I wasn’t super-excited about Canada hosting the Games. That is, until other countries starting attacking the 2010 Games. Call it delayed-patriotism, call it hopping on the bandwagon– I am now fully on board with the Olympics, albeit, a little late.

It’s disappointing that so many people throughout the world are being incredibly negative about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The British media have labelled these games “the worst ever,” a statement that is not only an insult but also a gross exaggeration. No Olympic Games is without glitches or unforeseen mishaps. To paraphrase one VANOC official, no event this big can run smoothly. The Winter Olympics in particular, during which so many events need to take place outside, can offer harsh or pleasant surprises in terms of weather and conditions. Yes, Vancouver is rainy. I think the Olympics committee knew that fact going in when they chose Vancouver as the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I’m sure no one at VANOC guaranteed perfect weather for every event; the only one who can keep a promise like that is God and I haven’t seen him on the weather channel lately. While the weather has not always been ideal during the Vancouver games, it has not dampened the athletes’ spirits.

I can see why media from other countries want to pick on us. I’m sure most other countries assumed Canada would take the insults lying down. Oh, Canadians, they’re so polite. They would never complain about our complaining, no matter how rude it may be. We can talk trash about their games and they’ll take it. Their coffee may be good and their hockey players great but is Canada really capable of hosting the Olympics, eh?

The Games have not been perfect; no one is pretending they have been flawless. There have been obstacles from the very beginning. We could have done without that equipment malfunction during the opening ceremonies. But the rest of the opening ceremonies were energetic, vibrant and entertaining.

Yes, there have been many obstacles at the Vancouver games, perhaps more than some years. The 2010 games started off tragically with the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili Friday during a training run on what has been called the fastest luge track in the world. The death of this 21-year-old luger is without question an absolute tragedy and should not be forgotten. However, this tragedy is not unique to the Vancouver 2010 games. In total, four athletes have died during training runs at various Winter Olympics. While Kumaritashvili’s death caused a cloud of sorrow to settle over this year’s games, the tragedy does not make the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics the “worst ever.” Instead, Kumaritashvili’s death reminds us all that the Olympic Games are not only about athletic excellence but also about perseverance and overcoming unthinkable obstacles and terrifying odds, even in the face of tragedy.

It’s easy to complain about what has gone wrong during the Olympics. It’s easier to find fault than it is to praise something that most of us are separate from. We watch the Olympics at home on TV and we think we know what it takes to organize the Olympics or compete in an event with the whole world watching. We don’t. Most of us have no clue what it takes to put on the Olympics or participate in an Olympic event. The athletes are under such pressure. I watched the final ice dancing competition with bated breath, knowing that Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were facing unbelievable pressure to win gold at home. When they pulled off a flawless ice dance routine the pair became not only the first Canadians to win gold in ice dancing but also the youngest pair to do so. That moment was only one of the amazing Olympic moments that brought a country of individuals together. Alexandre Bilodeau won the first Canadian gold medal on home soil with an entire nation united behind him. As the Olympics go on, there will surely be many more moments that unite us all as a country; moments that, as cheesy as it may sound, cause us to believe. These moments, the ones that bring not only Canadians but citizens around the world together, if only for a brief time, should be the focus of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.