Olympics - Own the Podium - Backfires

IndifferenceIndifference Posts: 2,679
edited February 2010 in All Encompassing Trip
Canada's drive for gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics appears to have backfired. Not only is the host country 4th overall in medals at the half-way point, they may have ticked off the very country they need for future success.

In several sports, including luge, American and Canadian athletes have shared training facilities in an effort to cut into some of the built in advantage enjoyed by European countries. According to Sandy Caligiore, spokesman for U.S.A. Luge, the U.S. and Canada have always made deals when either was hosting the Olympic Games. For example, when the Olympics were held in Lake Placid and Salt Lake City, the Canadian Luge team was given extra training time on the U.S. track. Canada did the same when the Olympics were held in Calgary.

But when the Canadian Olympic Committee launched the "Own the Podium" program all the deals went away. Canada spent an extra $113-million on the effort and decided it would maximize its home turf advantage. It would adhere to I.O.C. requirements, but no more.

After the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a practice run, much was made about the amount of training time Canada gave the rest of the field leading up to the Games. Caligiore says Canada gave competing nations exactly what the I.O.C. required. The lack of flexibility has upset some luge teams. As for the relationship between the U.S. and Canadian luge teams, Caligiore says it has been hurt, but it's too early to tell how badly.

SHOW COUNT: (157) 1990's=3, 2000's=53, 2010/20's=97, US=116, CAN=15, Europe=20 ,New Zealand=2, Australia=2
Mexico=1, Colombia=1 

Upcoming:   Ohana x2  Aucklandx2, Gold Coast, Melbournex2


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Comments

  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    for sure!

    fucking bureaucrats ... i totally think the somewhat disappointing results is due to bad karma our bureaucrats created by doing shit like as well as other sports like speed skating ... our men long-track speed skaters used to train with shani davis until some suit decided it was a bad thing ...

    fuck "own the podium" ...
  • What up Charlestown?!
    "FF, I've heard the droning about the Sawx being the baby dolls. Yeah, I get it, you guys invented baseball and suffered forever. I get it." -JearlPam0925
  • RygarRygar Posts: 8,685
    They meant they're made in Canada. So technically, it's true.


    On the lighter side of things, it wasn't a smart program to begin with, and most people agreed with that.
    The restricted training complaints are BS. On the other hand we're tied for most golds :P
  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    Those Canadians... always so rude and hostile.
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  • What up Charlestown?!

    Chucktown for you locals. Though definately not a townie.

    SHOW COUNT: (157) 1990's=3, 2000's=53, 2010/20's=97, US=116, CAN=15, Europe=20 ,New Zealand=2, Australia=2
    Mexico=1, Colombia=1 

    Upcoming:   Ohana x2  Aucklandx2, Gold Coast, Melbournex2


  • Solat13Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    - Busted down the pretext
    - 8/28/98
    - 9/2/00
    - 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
    - 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
    - 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
    - 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
    - 8/2/07, 8/5/07
    - 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
    - 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
    - 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
    - 9/11/11, 9/12/11
    - 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
  • 8181 Posts: 58,276
    Canada owned the chocke in womens curling
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • hinxhinx Posts: 416
    81 wrote:
    Canada owned the chocke in womens curling

    Seriously! Bernard really choked the hell out of those last two ends. :?
  • 8181 Posts: 58,276
    hinx wrote:
    81 wrote:
    Canada owned the chocke in womens curling

    Seriously! Bernard really choked the hell out of those last two ends. :?


    if she was eating hot dogs, she would be blue in the face.

    in the 10th, just smack the piss out of sweden's stone...they can't win with only one stone, down two :lol:

    wtf was she thinking...
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    Well going into Saturday we are ahead in Gold and in some parts of the world he who wins the most gold owned the podium. My take, we are a small country of around 33 million citizens, to finish in the top 4-5 is respectable. As for the OTP program...it's a government program, most governments programs are flawed with to many rules. I am pleased with how we did, will be more pleased if we win mens hockey gold. To compete with Americans is tough because they have many more citizens than we do and more infrastructure to train the athlete's, plus huge corporate support. We also have to remember that a lot of these other winter sports take a back seat to hockey. Just my take.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • haffajappahaffajappa Posts: 5,955
    Just like Campbell's "best place on earth" slogan bullshit.
    Thanks a lot Gordo, making us look as arrogant as you.

    Long live Beautiful BC!
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • RygarRygar Posts: 8,685
    Leading in gold! (for now...)
  • BLACK35BLACK35 Posts: 22,697
    I think we have owed the podium. The IOC recognises the winner of the Olympics as the country that has the most Gold medals at the end. The way I see it at the moment, we have 10 and are leading, with the chance to get atleast 2 more Gold, men's hockey & men's curling. GO CANADA GO 8-)
    2005 - London
    2009 - Toronto
    2010 - Buffalo
    2011 - Toronto 1&2
    2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
    2014 - Cincinnati, St. Louis, Detroit
    2016 - Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Ottawa, Toronto 1
    2018 - Fenway 1&2
    2022 - Hamilton, Toronto
    2023 - Chicago 1&2
    2024 - Las Vegas 1&2
  • milarsomilarso Posts: 1,280
    BLACK35 wrote:
    The IOC recognises the winner of the Olympics as the country that has the most Gold medals at the end.

    Really? Is that true or did you just make it up to try to strengthen your argument?
    I've been trying to find out if it's accurate, and the only answer I keep getting is that there isn't, nor has there ever been, a "winner" of the Olympics.
    It wouldn't even make sense if they used the medal count to establish an overall winner. Guys like Bode Miller and Apolo Ono can win several medals in different events, but they would be weighted the same as an entire hockey team that only wins one?
    It doesn't make sense.
    "The dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' her easy for all us sinners."
  • BLACK35BLACK35 Posts: 22,697
    milarso wrote:
    BLACK35 wrote:
    The IOC recognises the winner of the Olympics as the country that has the most Gold medals at the end.

    Really? Is that true or did you just make it up to try to strengthen your argument?
    I've been trying to find out if it's accurate, and the only answer I keep getting is that there isn't, nor has there ever been, a "winner" of the Olympics.
    It wouldn't even make sense if they used the medal count to establish an overall winner. Guys like Bode Miller and Apolo Ono can win several medals in different events, but they would be weighted the same as an entire hockey team that only wins one?
    It doesn't make sense.[/quote

    I can't actually find it anywhere, but I heard it on TV and the radio on different days throughout this week.
    2005 - London
    2009 - Toronto
    2010 - Buffalo
    2011 - Toronto 1&2
    2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
    2014 - Cincinnati, St. Louis, Detroit
    2016 - Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Ottawa, Toronto 1
    2018 - Fenway 1&2
    2022 - Hamilton, Toronto
    2023 - Chicago 1&2
    2024 - Las Vegas 1&2
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    haffajappa wrote:
    Just like Campbell's "best place on earth" slogan bullshit.
    Thanks a lot Gordo, making us look as arrogant as you.

    Long live Beautiful BC!
    Yes I agree, on my list of must visit places, it looks so nice.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    milarso wrote:
    BLACK35 wrote:
    The IOC recognises the winner of the Olympics as the country that has the most Gold medals at the end.

    Really? Is that true or did you just make it up to try to strengthen your argument?
    I've been trying to find out if it's accurate, and the only answer I keep getting is that there isn't, nor has there ever been, a "winner" of the Olympics.
    It wouldn't even make sense if they used the medal count to establish an overall winner. Guys like Bode Miller and Apolo Ono can win several medals in different events, but they would be weighted the same as an entire hockey team that only wins one?
    It doesn't make sense.

    I don't see the IOC getting involved in setting criteria for who wins the olympics, they leave that up to individual countries to determine and many countries believe if you win the most gold you win. Somehow I think if the situation was reversed and we were ahead in total medals and you guys in Gold you'd claim victory. You can't have it both ways, but people want it both ways. For me I feel our olympic performance was a success, hell we're smaller (population wise) than the countries ahead of us and we're sitting 3rd.

    On a side note, if we don't get the results in the hockey game we want tomorrow we'll still support our players, we may bitch and moan about what went wrong but we'll still support them.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • milarsomilarso Posts: 1,280
    lukin2006 wrote:
    Somehow I think if the situation was reversed and we were ahead in total medals and you guys in Gold you'd claim victory.

    Umm- I don't really care about claiming victory. I was just trying to figure out if what that other guy said was actually true, or if he just made it up... no need to get all defensive...
    "The dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' her easy for all us sinners."
  • BLACK35BLACK35 Posts: 22,697
    Don't get me wrong either. I think our Olympics have been a sucess. Weather we have the most Gold or not, I think we have had a great Olympics. Just think if some of our medal favorites had come through like expected, we would be challenging the USA for the top medal count.
    2005 - London
    2009 - Toronto
    2010 - Buffalo
    2011 - Toronto 1&2
    2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
    2014 - Cincinnati, St. Louis, Detroit
    2016 - Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Ottawa, Toronto 1
    2018 - Fenway 1&2
    2022 - Hamilton, Toronto
    2023 - Chicago 1&2
    2024 - Las Vegas 1&2
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    milarso wrote:
    lukin2006 wrote:
    Somehow I think if the situation was reversed and we were ahead in total medals and you guys in Gold you'd claim victory.

    Umm- I don't really care about claiming victory. I was just trying to figure out if what that other guy said was actually true, or if he just made it up... no need to get all defensive...

    In some parts of the world it is true, depending I guess if your happy with second and thirds. Sorry that I sound defensive. But the real winners are the people of Vancouver and city, I suspect they will tourism go up after. Kudos to Vancouver, got off to a rocky start but really pulled it together in the end.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • RygarRygar Posts: 8,685
    milarso wrote:
    lukin2006 wrote:
    Somehow I think if the situation was reversed and we were ahead in total medals and you guys in Gold you'd claim victory.

    Umm- I don't really care about claiming victory. I was just trying to figure out if what that other guy said was actually true, or if he just made it up... no need to get all defensive...
    I think what you said earlier is true, about there not really being a 'winner' of the Olympics. The total medal count and most gold arguments about winning the Olympics are just what happens when someone tries to make the Olympics about being a winner, when I don't think it is meant to be.
  • haffajappahaffajappa Posts: 5,955
    lukin2006 wrote:
    haffajappa wrote:
    Just like Campbell's "best place on earth" slogan bullshit.
    Thanks a lot Gordo, making us look as arrogant as you.

    Long live Beautiful BC!
    Yes I agree, on my list of must visit places, it looks so nice.
    It is an AWESOME place to visit!!!!!!!!!!
    Last week my boyfriend and I were sitting at the beach in Tofino watching the waves roll in, the next morning we were up on the slopes getting some snowboarding in, and in between a nice drive through thick old growth forest.

    Its awesome here! But we don't need a stupid arrogant slogan like "the best place on earth"... our old one was just fine, nice and subtle and true! That's politicians for you, especially our arrogant prick of a premier :roll:
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • haffajappahaffajappa Posts: 5,955
    lukin2006 wrote:
    milarso wrote:
    lukin2006 wrote:
    Somehow I think if the situation was reversed and we were ahead in total medals and you guys in Gold you'd claim victory.

    Umm- I don't really care about claiming victory. I was just trying to figure out if what that other guy said was actually true, or if he just made it up... no need to get all defensive...

    In some parts of the world it is true, depending I guess if your happy with second and thirds. Sorry that I sound defensive. But the real winners are the people of Vancouver and city, I suspect they will tourism go up after. Kudos to Vancouver, got off to a rocky start but really pulled it together in the end.
    They only thing that will go up for us is the massive bill :roll:
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • Solat13Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    Well Canada should set a record for most golds ever by a host country for the Winter Olympics so you have to say it's a been a very successful Olympics for them.

    http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/1002 ... y_newspage

    VANCOUVER, B.C. - Canada is poised to establish a new personal best for Olympic gold medals Saturday, as well as a new record for most golds claimed by a country at its own Winter Games.

    Friday's two-gold haul by short-track speedskater Charles Hamelin - one in the men's 500 metres, the other in the four-man 5,000-metre relay - lifted Canada's golden total to 10, and tied the record for the most won by a host country in the Winter Olympics.

    The United States won 10 golds in Salt Lake City in 2002. Norway also won 10 in Lillehammer in 1994.

    Canada has only ever won 10 Olympic golds once before - at the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 1984.
    - Busted down the pretext
    - 8/28/98
    - 9/2/00
    - 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
    - 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
    - 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
    - 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
    - 8/2/07, 8/5/07
    - 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
    - 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
    - 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
    - 9/11/11, 9/12/11
    - 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
  • Solat13Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    Also in reference to the prior discussion, the IOC doesn't officially have a "winner" for the Olympics but when they rank the results they do it by gold medals and not total medals.

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1218562 ... free_today

    Pretty much just the US, Canada and Russia use the full medal table. The rest of the world ranks the medal standings by gold with silver and bronze as tiebreakers.
    - Busted down the pretext
    - 8/28/98
    - 9/2/00
    - 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
    - 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
    - 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
    - 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
    - 8/2/07, 8/5/07
    - 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
    - 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
    - 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
    - 9/11/11, 9/12/11
    - 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
  • RygarRygar Posts: 8,685
    Solat13 wrote:
    Also in reference to the prior discussion, the IOC doesn't officially have a "winner" for the Olympics but when they rank the results they do it by gold medals and not total medals.

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1218562 ... free_today

    Pretty much just the US, Canada and Russia use the full medal table. The rest of the world ranks the medal standings by gold with silver and bronze as tiebreakers.
    We're up to 12 gold today.
  • vedderfan10vedderfan10 Posts: 2,497
    You know, when that slogan "the best place on earth" started showing up a bunch of years ago...the first thing I thought of (and no offense indented) was "the Americans are gonna hate that"...and I remember not wanting to get Olympic plates on our car for that very reason...

    Personally, the "best place on earth" suits me fine...we're just not used to having such self-confidence. Like Haffajappa said, you can be at the beach and go skiing on the mountains in the same day...old growth forests, old wooden train trestles, beaches, eagles for neighbours, water to swim in, friendly people...like a million other places, it IS the best place on earth..

    Yeah - and now we have 12 golds, the most a host country has ever won...cool!!!
    be philanthropic
  • Solat13Solat13 Posts: 6,996

    Yeah - and now we have 12 golds, the most a host country has ever won...cool!!!

    Canada has clinched most golds won by any country for these Olympics. They have 12, Germany 10 and the US 9 with only 3 more golds left to be given out - men's curling, men's 50k cross country skiing and men's hockey.

    It's been a great Olympics for both the U.S. and Canada.
    - Busted down the pretext
    - 8/28/98
    - 9/2/00
    - 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
    - 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
    - 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
    - 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
    - 8/2/07, 8/5/07
    - 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
    - 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
    - 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
    - 9/11/11, 9/12/11
    - 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
  • Solat13Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    With the gold in curling tonight, Canada just tied the record for most golds by any country for a Winter Olympics with 13. They are now tied with the U.S.S.R. in 1976 and Norway in 2002.

    So I think the title of this thread is really wrong at this point ... ;) .

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9E4RJ900
    - Busted down the pretext
    - 8/28/98
    - 9/2/00
    - 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
    - 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
    - 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
    - 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
    - 8/2/07, 8/5/07
    - 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
    - 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
    - 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
    - 9/11/11, 9/12/11
    - 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
  • Solat13 wrote:
    With the gold in curling tonight, Canada just tied the record for most golds by any country for a Winter Olympics with 13. They are now tied with the U.S.S.R. in 1976 and Norway in 2002.

    So I think the title of this thread is really wrong at this point ... ;) .

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9E4RJ900

    Yay!!

    Whatever the final outcome may be, and ignoring the continuous debate, I believe that Canada has done extremely well these Olympic games, and I am very proud of our athletes' accomplishments!! It has been a very exciting Olympics!

    Well done!
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