Watching the Olympic Games Heatstroke wonders aloud as to how often we catch ourselves thinking "what must it feel like to come fourth?" The years of preparation, the training and the sacrifice only to come one placing away from the Olympic podium. But what about those within Gymnastic Canada who too put for the effort, the sacrifice and the training only to never make it to the Olympic Games.
Sport is brutal. Either you win or you don't. There is no grey area. For that we love it. But there is a human component to it, and today Heatstroke can only imagine what those within Gymnastics Canada must be feeling.
Definetly heart break for the boys but nothing they won't be able to handle. In 2007 at worlds, essentially dealing with creating a completely new team from 2004, Canada's women ranked 14th missing an olympic birth by 2 spots. Yesterday the new team qualified ahead of France and they were sharp! Watching Kristina over the past few years she has become a technical beast just flawless, not to overlook Peng Peng Lee who time and again has proven that she is a rock to this team-just a solid contributor. With increased difficulty on vault (14.4 for Moore!) and floor who knows what they can do in the next couple months leading up to London-I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled out a new top finish for Canada ranking upwards of 14th in the individual AA. The addition of the second qualifying event has helped however I think their attitude has given them such strength-I couldn't help but smile while they interviewed as it really showed how they have taken the disapointments along the way and used them as motivators and that is what makes them unbeatable, the fact that they will not be knocked down by the daunting task and obstacles in aiming to compare themselves with the US and Chinese mega stars. With the men it seems they are in a similar place to the women in 2008 they have young talent with Jackson Payne and other up coming athletes but they need more time. I know the hardest part for the guys is that they didn't go out there and do what they had in the gym and in the last year but the point is not that they missed out it's that they didn't realize their potential. Like missing the high bar after a release move as it happens everyone watching twitches/closes their eyes/gets a bit jumpy, they face plant on the crash mat but as every guy learns to do they will pick themselves up, dust off, chalk up and jump back on. That is what is so exciting about sport and especially this one and the more experienced an athlete becomes the better able they are to recover from their mistakes. So I say congratulations to the women, we are proud and to the men keep your heads held high this is just one setback on your way to realizing this teams full potential.
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