Golden Canada on top of the world
Source: Agencies |
March 1, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CANADA bagged another three golds on the penultimate day of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver on Saturday to ensure it will finish top of the standings, triggering wild celebrations across the country.
It is the first time Canada has topped the medal standings at the Winter or Summer Olympics and followed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Just a week ago, the hosts were facing public demands for a full probe into their failure to win more golds, but they have piled up nine in six days to soar past their rivals and ignite a wave of patriotism.
"Everyone was worried that we weren't going to get a gold medal on home soil. To come out with the most number of gold medals is the complete opposite," said Lucas Makowsky, a member of the Canadian men's speedskating pursuit team that struck gold.
Snowboarder Jasey Jay Anderson won the men's parallel giant slalom and Canada's men also won the curling final to lift the home nation's golden tally to a record-equaling 13 with just two events left before the closing ceremony.
Germany won the women's speedskating team pursuit final to remain second on the table with 10 golds and the United States won its ninth, in bobsleigh, to be assured of finishing the Games with the most overall.
Italy and Poland both won their first golds.
Giuliano Razzoli, who grew up admiring Italy's skiing great Alberto Tomba, prevailed in the slalom on a tricky course where poor weather in the first leg tripped up nearly half the racers, including Bode Miller.
The 25-year-old Razzoli, who had clocked the fastest time in the first leg through fog and sleet, became the first Italian man to win the title since Tomba 22 years ago in Calgary.
"I told him, have your eyes open and be fast and ferocious. He handled it the way he had to," said Tomba, who was at Whistler Mountain to watch the race.
Poland won its first gold in the women's 30-kilometer cross country race as Justyna Kowalczyk sprinted to the finish to deny Norway's Marit Bjoergen her fourth gold by less than a ski's length.
Germany's Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle won the bronze while Bjoergen's consolation silver gave her a fifth medal from five events, the most by any athlete at these Games.
The German women won their speedskating pursuit final following a bizarre semifinal in which Anna Friesinger-Postma belly-flopped on the ice in the final straight and paddled across the line in the nick of time. The Germans replaced Friesinger-Postma for the final, where they beat Japan for the gold. The bronze went to Poland.
Saturday's outdoor events were plagued by inclement weather.
"Pretty hard to beat, eh? Olympic gold at home," said Anderson, who beat Austria's Benjamin Karl in the final at Cypress Mountain.
The Americans won gold when their so-called "Night Train," the four-man bobsleigh team led by Steve Holcomb, earned the US its first triumph in the event since 1948. Germany was second and Canada third.
Canada beat the US in the men's speedskating pursuit final with the bronze going to the Netherlands.
The host nation then defeated Norway in the men's curling final, with Switzerland claiming the bronze.
Canada would set a new mark by winning either of the two golds on offer on the last day, the men's 50km cross country skiing and the men's ice hockey final.
It is the first time Canada has topped the medal standings at the Winter or Summer Olympics and followed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Just a week ago, the hosts were facing public demands for a full probe into their failure to win more golds, but they have piled up nine in six days to soar past their rivals and ignite a wave of patriotism.
"Everyone was worried that we weren't going to get a gold medal on home soil. To come out with the most number of gold medals is the complete opposite," said Lucas Makowsky, a member of the Canadian men's speedskating pursuit team that struck gold.
Snowboarder Jasey Jay Anderson won the men's parallel giant slalom and Canada's men also won the curling final to lift the home nation's golden tally to a record-equaling 13 with just two events left before the closing ceremony.
Germany won the women's speedskating team pursuit final to remain second on the table with 10 golds and the United States won its ninth, in bobsleigh, to be assured of finishing the Games with the most overall.
Italy and Poland both won their first golds.
Giuliano Razzoli, who grew up admiring Italy's skiing great Alberto Tomba, prevailed in the slalom on a tricky course where poor weather in the first leg tripped up nearly half the racers, including Bode Miller.
The 25-year-old Razzoli, who had clocked the fastest time in the first leg through fog and sleet, became the first Italian man to win the title since Tomba 22 years ago in Calgary.
"I told him, have your eyes open and be fast and ferocious. He handled it the way he had to," said Tomba, who was at Whistler Mountain to watch the race.
Poland won its first gold in the women's 30-kilometer cross country race as Justyna Kowalczyk sprinted to the finish to deny Norway's Marit Bjoergen her fourth gold by less than a ski's length.
Germany's Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle won the bronze while Bjoergen's consolation silver gave her a fifth medal from five events, the most by any athlete at these Games.
The German women won their speedskating pursuit final following a bizarre semifinal in which Anna Friesinger-Postma belly-flopped on the ice in the final straight and paddled across the line in the nick of time. The Germans replaced Friesinger-Postma for the final, where they beat Japan for the gold. The bronze went to Poland.
Saturday's outdoor events were plagued by inclement weather.
"Pretty hard to beat, eh? Olympic gold at home," said Anderson, who beat Austria's Benjamin Karl in the final at Cypress Mountain.
The Americans won gold when their so-called "Night Train," the four-man bobsleigh team led by Steve Holcomb, earned the US its first triumph in the event since 1948. Germany was second and Canada third.
Canada beat the US in the men's speedskating pursuit final with the bronze going to the Netherlands.
The host nation then defeated Norway in the men's curling final, with Switzerland claiming the bronze.
Canada would set a new mark by winning either of the two golds on offer on the last day, the men's 50km cross country skiing and the men's ice hockey final.
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