ESTEVAN - It feels like just yesterday we had an Olympic Games.
Actually, it was six months ago. The Tokyo Summer Games – arguably Canada’s most impressive Summer Olympics ever, when you consider the number of medals our athletes won, the number of gold medals won, and the sports for those gold medals.
And in the Paralympics, Midale’s Keely Shaw won bronze in paracycling, and it was Canada’s first medal at the Tokyo Paralumpics.
Lots of reasons to celebrate. Best Summer Olympics ever, at least from my perspective.
So forgive me for not feeling as excited as I normally would be about the Winter Olympics. It’s hard to believe the opening ceremonies will be on Feb. 3.
There are other factors for my Olympic malaise.
For one, the Games are in China. It means a lot of the big events will be happening in the overnight hours. For the third straight Olympics, I’ll be waking up to find out the medals that Canada has won. Or I’ll have to stay up late to watch the competitions.
And China shouldn’t be hosting the Games. The International Olympic Committee, in its never-ending quest for a Nobel Peace Prize, has decided to overlook Communist China’s human rights record to award the Olympics to that country.
(Note: this is not an indictment of the people of China, most of whom are wonderful folks. It’s a criticism of the Chinese government itself and the way it treats dissidents.
There’s been a lot of talk about whether Canada should be sending athletes to China. I don’t think a boycott is the way to go; it’s not fair to the athletes and others who have spent four years preparing for the event.
But the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games by Canada and other countries isn’t exactly sending a strong message.
It’s worth noting that the only other bid for the games came from Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the Kazakh government hasn’t exactly been a beacon for the treatment of its citizens, either.
The lack of participation by NHL players also diminished my interest.
I was looking forward to watching the NHL’s best compete in the Olympics for the first time since 2014. Canada has won gold in three of the last four Olympics that featured NHL players. And a generation of gifted players would have been able to play in the Olympics for the first time.
The last time the NHL players were in the Olympics, Nathan MacKinnon was a rookie and Connor McDavid was 16 months away from being drafted.
The hockey would have been better than it was in 2014, when it was rather bland.
But due to all of the NHL games that were postponed due to COVID-19, the NHL decided it would be better off using the two-week Olympic break for makeup games than sending players to China.
And when you consider that an athlete who tests positive for COVID-19 will have to self-isolate for several weeks in China, even if they’re asymptomatic, it became a no-brainer for the NHL to pull out of Beijing.
It’ll be interesting to see who will be playing for Canada in men’s hockey at the Olympics. There will be a few young players who will get to showcase their skills for people on a large scale. And you’ll have players who are currently competing overseas in Europe, some of whom will be well-known to Canadian hockey fans.
It’ll be worth watching, but the interest won’t be there like you would see with the best players in the world present.
I’ll still get to enjoy the great women’s hockey, lots of curling, short-track speed skating, freestyle skiing and the other events that typically draw my attention.
I’ve always enjoyed the Winter Olympics over the summer counterpart. Canada traditionally does better in the Winter Games. It’s the reality of being a winter nation that puts a big emphasis on winter sports.
I’ll still cheer Canada’s accomplishments and the efforts of these athletes. I’ll be sure to check out the highlights. And I’ll marvel at the talent and dedication of those who represent Canada, and other nations.
One last thing: Vancouver and Whistler are expected to bid for the 2030 Games, and right now, they’re considered the favourite. We all remember the thrill of the 2010 Winter Olympics and Canada’s record setting performance.
While support for hosting the Games in Vancouver for a second time is certainly split, nobody can deny it would be a great event for Canada once again, and it would create new sporting memories.
