Canadian Olympic dream: cash.

L'important n'est pas de gagner, mais de participer. (The important thing is not to win, but to take part.) - Baron Pierre de Coubertin

What ever happened to that famous motto? For me--a former athlete, sports fan and a huge phys-ed buff, going to the Olympics just to participate, is a dream that'll never come true. I know many athletes who train for 4 years just for the chance to go and compete. The norms to qualify for the Olympics are usually so high that just getting there is enough of an honor. But, not for the Canadians! Canadian Olympic team is getting ready for the trip to Beijing, where the Summer Olympic Games start on August 8. This year they "turned the page" and boast about "going to win". The reason? The Olympic sports need more cash, and cash follows the medals. I hate to think what will happen when all the boasting doesn't produce the expected result, when the athletes who went to China to win a medal return empty-handed. I don't think it's fair to put such expectations and pressure on the athletes. The Olympics should primarily be the celebration of sport.

As with everything else, the pressure to make money takes over the sports. In Canada, where "sports" means ice hockey, and the plural comes from different hockey leagues, there's precious little interest for any other form of sweating and competition, save the beer-drinking contest. And although contemporary Olympic sports may be threatened at the moment, their long-term popularity is guaranteed even in Canada. With the global warming soon there'll be no ice to keep the beer mug on, let alone to skate on it. The beer drinkers will have to turn to the summer sports for their dose of sportsmanship from the TV screen, and what's better to go with beer and popcorn than the Olympic games?