Wrong fit

There was something about “Own The Podium” that didn’t sit right even before the Olympic cauldron was lit nearly two weeks ago to open the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
The idea behind the program—to provide better funding for our elite athletes so they, in turn, had a chance to win more medals on the world stage—was not at fault. Rather, it was the silly choice for its name.
“Own The Podium” was brash, cocky, arrogant, brazen. And, in the context of the Olympic ideals of sportsmanship and goodwill, downright rude.
It was, well, un-Canadian.
And it backfired. The Canadian Olympic Committee had to wave the white flag Monday, finally admitting what everybody already knew: that Canada would not lead the medal race at our home Games. We had thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the world—only to retreat with egg on our collective faces.
It didn’t have to be that way. Canada is producing more and more first-class athletes with each Olympics, both winter and summer, who are very capable of winning medals without all the extra hype designed solely to whip national pride into a frenzy but which only serves to leave a bitter taste of disappointment when the high, even unrealistic, expectations aren’t met.
Ironically, any flag-waving on our part didn’t need an extra boost as we’ve cheered lustily for our athletes, whether they finish first or last. Sure, whose chest doesn’t swell seeing a red Maple Leaf next to the name of a medal winner or hearing “O Canada” during a victory ceremony? But national pride is equally strong for those who missed the podium by a blink of an eye—or had the courage to take to the ice in the wake of a devastating personal tragedy.
We used to relish our national identity of quiet confidence, perhaps even as the lovable underdog. Portraying ourselves as braggarts is out of character—and frankly just a wrong fit.
There’s nothing wrong with setting goals, and looking to improve at each Olympic Games, yet surely it can be done in a way that puts the emphasis on striving for excellence instead of thumbing our noses at the rest of the world. Medals are nice, but certainly not the only measure of success nor the sole reason for gathering every four years in friendly competition.
Federal funding has worked, and should not be dropped because we failed to “Own The Podium.” The only thing we need to ditch going forward is boastful claims of invincibility.