Canada will finish the 2010 Winter Games with 26 medals - 13 of which are guaranteed to be gold and this number could still increase to 14 dependant upon the results of the Men's ice hockey final on Sunday. Let the results show that Canada has had a very succesful Winter Games.
In reviewing the results by sport we see that many sports have increased their medal count from four years earlier in Torino. The results by sport are as follows:
2 (1 maybe 2 gold) medals in ice hockey
2 (1 gold) medals in curling
5 (1 gold) medals in long track speed skating
5 (2 gold )medals in short track speed skating
2 (1 gold) medals in moguls
3 (1 gold) medals in bobsled
1 (1 gold) in skeleton
2 ( 1 gold) medals in snowboard cross
1 (1 gold) in ski cross
1 (1 gold) in snowboard slalom
2 (1 gold) in figure skating
Many sports improved on their medal count from Torino including ice hockey, moguls, bobsled, snowboard cross, moguls, figure skating and snowboard slalom. Those that fell include cross country skiing, skeleton and long track speed skating.
In the years to follow much will be made of these results. The Own the Podium program will be scrutinized and or celebrated for Canada's success.
But after all the facts are analyzed and the pundits have put away their pens the following synopsis should be made.
1) The results from Vancouver confirm that Own the Podium program was succesful in turning potential silver and bronze medal performances into gold. How else can one explain a record 13 (and counting ) Olympic gold medals in Vancouver nearly doubling the number of gold from four years earlier. However, the Own the Podium program failed to turn potential fourth and fifth place performances into podium finishes. Canada failed in its goal of being the #1 medal winning nation in Vancouver despite having the games on home soil, access to venues earlier & more often than any other nation, and countless other advantages.
2) Alberta based athletes won 14 of Canada's 26 medals in Vancouver, down from 16 medals in Torino. The biggest fall was in Canada's long track speed skating program where Canada won 3 fewer medals in Vancouver than it did in 2006. The fall in medal productivity can be attributed in part to the financial woes experienced by WinSport Canada in 2009 which resulted in budget cuts and long term staff being terminated from their duties with the Olympic Oval. Should Canada wish to continue with its medal superority in Succhi it is imperative that WinSport Canada have the financial resources it needs to operate on a go forward basis.
3) Canadian athletes had a phenomenal games but there is evidence that the system is starting to show cracks. The facilities in Calgary that are used to produce Olympic athletes are getting older, WinSport Canada is facing some tough financial times and should this continue there is a possibility that Canada's medal haul could decline - I.E think Long Track Speed Skating.
This blogger's recommendation going into 2014 is to scrap the Own the Podium program and utilize the savings to invest into the infastructure and operations of WinSport Canada. Doing so would create a legacy of success into 2014, 2018 and beyond.
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