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Some anxious moments during cauldron malfunction
Source: Agencies |
February 14, 2010, Sunday
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AFTER a malfunction prevented a section of the Olympic cauldron from rising out of the floor, all Catriona Le May Doan could do was smile and wave.
The two-time Olympic champion speedskater was supposed to light a section during Friday's opening ceremony, but the breakdown forced her to improvise in front of more than 60,000 people - and millions watching on television.
"I stayed really calm, and everybody goes, 'You were very relaxed,'" Le May Doan told The Canadian Press yesterday before heading to work as a television analyst for the men's 5,000-meter race. "My panic was our torches are going to go out.
"I'm thinking, this can't go on forever. I kept hearing in my ear, 'Keep the music going, keep the music going,' and I'm thinking it's fine about the music, what about the flame?"
Three of the cauldron's four pillars eventually rose and were lit by basketball star Steve Nash, skier Nancy Greene and hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Le May Doan considered walking over to join Nash, but was instructed not to.
"Then they said, 'Turn and salute,' so I was like, 'OK, that's good,'" she said. "I was thinking did I actually light the cauldron? Then I was like, yeah, because it was kind of a symbolic cauldron because then it was going out.
"It was entertaining because it added a little twist to everything. And how many millions of times had it been rehearsed? And that never happened."
Le May Doan had known since January 19 that she would be part of the ceremony but only learned Wednesday that Gretzky, Nash, Greene and wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen also were participating when they were brought into a room together. She was the first Canadian, along with triathlete Simon Whitfield, to receive the torch after it arrived from Greece on October 30.
Le May Doan was also Canada's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
"It's kind of neat now comparing different situations," Le May Doan said. "I got really emotional just as we were going to go out to our positions and Rick Hansen gave me a hug and said, 'I'm so happy to be doing this with you, kid.'
"I was just like, oh, and the music is playing and I walked by the Olympic flag and they're getting ready to go. That's what I love about the opening ceremonies, the symbolism of the power of the games."
The two-time Olympic champion speedskater was supposed to light a section during Friday's opening ceremony, but the breakdown forced her to improvise in front of more than 60,000 people - and millions watching on television.
"I stayed really calm, and everybody goes, 'You were very relaxed,'" Le May Doan told The Canadian Press yesterday before heading to work as a television analyst for the men's 5,000-meter race. "My panic was our torches are going to go out.
"I'm thinking, this can't go on forever. I kept hearing in my ear, 'Keep the music going, keep the music going,' and I'm thinking it's fine about the music, what about the flame?"
Three of the cauldron's four pillars eventually rose and were lit by basketball star Steve Nash, skier Nancy Greene and hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Le May Doan considered walking over to join Nash, but was instructed not to.
"Then they said, 'Turn and salute,' so I was like, 'OK, that's good,'" she said. "I was thinking did I actually light the cauldron? Then I was like, yeah, because it was kind of a symbolic cauldron because then it was going out.
"It was entertaining because it added a little twist to everything. And how many millions of times had it been rehearsed? And that never happened."
Le May Doan had known since January 19 that she would be part of the ceremony but only learned Wednesday that Gretzky, Nash, Greene and wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen also were participating when they were brought into a room together. She was the first Canadian, along with triathlete Simon Whitfield, to receive the torch after it arrived from Greece on October 30.
Le May Doan was also Canada's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
"It's kind of neat now comparing different situations," Le May Doan said. "I got really emotional just as we were going to go out to our positions and Rick Hansen gave me a hug and said, 'I'm so happy to be doing this with you, kid.'
"I was just like, oh, and the music is playing and I walked by the Olympic flag and they're getting ready to go. That's what I love about the opening ceremonies, the symbolism of the power of the games."
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