The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
From The Toronto Star The critics can keep on carping. For Canadians, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics will be the Golden Games, thanks to stellar performances by athletes who did the nation proud. The "worst Games ever" have turned out to be a resounding success. Yes, there were glitches, including erectile dysfunction with the Olympic cauldron, tetchy weather and ticketing snafus. The death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a practice run was a tragedy. Some cringed, too, at the $6 billion cost. But that figure is misleading, as it includes Vancouver's new convention centre, transit expansion and improvements on the highway to Whistler Ð all projects that will provide benefits long after the Games. International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, a veteran of 20 Games, has pronounced Vancouver "absolutely fabulous." He cites the huge crowds, "sky-high" television ratings and world-class sportsmanship. Call us partisan, but we agree. Led by Canada's amazing women champions, our athletes mined gold as never before. Alex Bilodeau broke our at-home gold drought with his moguls skiing win, and an avalanche of women winners followed. Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse thrilled us with their bobsled triumph. So did Maelle Ricker and Jasey Jay Anderson in snowboarding, Christine Nesbitt in long track speed skating, Ashleigh Mc-Ivor in ski cross, Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue in ice dance, Jon Montgomery in skeleton, the Hamelin brothers and their teammates in short track speed skating, and the men's pursuit team on the long track. The Canadian women's hockey team, captained by Hayley Wickenheiser and with Shannon Szabados in goal, stole our hearts. To some, they could do no right. First they were jeered for winning by lopsided scores. Then they were criticized for celebrating with beer cans and cigars in hand. No one can fault them for their effort, however. And for sheer grit there was Joannie Rochette, who figure skated to bronze through a veil of tears for her mother. Sidney Crosby scored the gold medal goal in men's hockey over the USA in overtime Ð earning Canada's final medal of the games.
