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2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO YV Introduction

There is no other event like it. Every power was China, host of the next Focus four years, for two full weeks, athletes Summer Olympics, in 2008 at . This News in Re- from around the world come together to The Chinese national sports governing view module reviews the 2004 participate in a celebration of athletic bodies decided to invest heavily in Athens Olympic competition and fair play. In 2004, almost all Olympic sports, and their Games, with a 11 099 athletes from 202 countries took athletes were rewarded with 63 medals, special focus on part in the Athens Olympics. It is of which 32 were gold. Many commen- ’s participat- estimated that four billion television tators fully expect to see China in the ing athletes. It also viewers from around the world watched number-one position at the Beijing looks at some of the history of the at least some of the competition that Games. Olympic move- took place in 28 different sports. ment, ancient and Canada at Athens modern; sports The World at Athens For many , the Athens Olym- issues raised by the There are many reasons why the Olym- pics were a major national disappoint- Games; and the potential for pic Games attract so much attention. ment. Typical of the commentary is this Canadians to make First of these is the level of competi- statement in a column by Robert their mark in future tion; the Games really do bring together MacLeod in (Sep- competitions. the best athletes in each sport in head- tember 2, 2004): “The 2004 Summer to-head combat. Second, there seems to Games . . . were an abject failure for be something for every sports fan. Canadian athletes, who won only 12 YV Sections There are team sports like baseball and medals, the nation’s lowest total since marked with this basketball as well as individual sports winning 10 at the 1988 Seoul Olym- symbol indicate content suitable for like and track. Sports with pics.” He goes on to list the most dis- younger viewers. clear winners, like weightlifting, take turbing results: place side by side with judged sports • “. . . four world champions who failed like and diving. to win a medal in their specialty . . .” Most important to many viewers, • “. . . only three top-eight finishes in however, is the international aspect of swimming, its worst Olympic perfor- the competition. Some countries view mance in 52 years.” every medal won as a source of national • “In terms of total medals, Canada tied pride, and defeat as a source of national with Bulgaria for 19th place. shame. Many countries have initiated a Canada’s total of three gold medals practice of giving large cash rewards to was matched by Turkey, Thailand, their athletes who win gold, silver, or Poland, New Zealand, and .” bronze medals. Some even define the overall quality of their national sports Needless to say, these results will be program in terms of how well they do analyzed by Canadian athletes, sports in the medal count at the Games. officials, coaches, sport psychologists, The Athens “Top Three” were not and journalists for some time to come. unexpected. First was the United States, MacLeod’s article looks at the opin- with 103 total medals, 35 of them gold. ions of several psychologists. Many followed with 92 medals, 27 of believe that the disappointing results are them gold. But the emerging sports largely due to our best athletes not being psychologically prepared for the

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 30 stresses of competition at the Olympic • How can we best support our athletes Quote level. It is certainly true that an Olym- with the limited resources we have “There is some- pic gold medal has a prestige value available? thing about the Olympics that even beyond a world championship. For • Where should Canada make its major matters deeply to some, the competitive pressure might investment—elite or recreational Canadians. A prove overwhelming. sports? country that has As Canada looks to the future of • Are there some sports that mean more good relations with Olympic competition, and especially almost every other to Canadians or in which Canadians with the being nation in the world are best equipped to succeed? Should naturally believes held in and Whistler, B.C., we limit our support to those sports in ideas like peace, some very fundamental questions are we identify as “best bets?” and friendship, being asked: fairness and diver- • What should be the basic goals of a If Canadians expect to do well in the sity.” — Alexandre national Canadian sports program? 2008 Beijing Olympics, the answers to Despatie, Olympic these questions will have to come diver (The Bell • How important is Olympic competi- quickly. Summer Olympics tion to our national sports program? 2004 Viewing Guide) For Reflection 1. Did you watch any of the Athens 2004 Olympic competitions? What were the highlights in your opinion?

2. How important for you was Canada’s participation in the Games? Is it important for all Canadians that our athletes succeed in future Olympics, especially Vancouver in 2010?

3. Should governments in Canada provide more funding for Olympic ath- letes? Explain.

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 31 ATHENS 2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO GREECE YV Video Review

While viewing the Part I video, try to answer 1. How long ago did the Olympics begin? ______the questions on this page. You 2. When and where were the first of the modern era held? might need a few minutes after viewing to confirm your responses with 3. How many athletes did Canada send to Athens? ______your peers. 4. What event marred the Games from the point of view of many Greeks?

Did you know . . . One Canadian, a 5. How many medals did Canada win at the 2004 Olympics? ______Calgary teenager, managed to place a 6. Which athlete represented Canada’s biggest disappointment of the “Lucky Loonie” Games? near the base of an ancient column at Olympia Greece? 7. Describe two security breaches that were of concern to Olympic officials. However, the luck that it may have brought Canada’s hockey teams at was 8. What ancient traditions were broken at Olympia in 2004? not so evident at Athens in 2004.

9. What are Kotinos? ______

10. Which country appears to be the next powerhouse in the Summer Olympics?

Part II Match the Canadian Olympian with his/her sport. Draw a line from the athlete to his/her sport.

Athletes Sports Perdita Felicien Kayaking Cycling Lori-Ann Muenzer Wrestling Hurdles Gymnastics

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 32 ATHENS 2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO GREECE YV Olympic History: Fact or Fiction

1. The five Olympic rings are an ancient Greek symbol for the Olym- T F How much do you pic Games. know about the history of the 2. The Greeks held a marathon at their ancient games to commemo- T F Olympic Games? rate a soldier’s 26-mile (41.8-kilometre) run to report victory of Try your hand at the Athenians over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 the true or false BCE. questions. Circle what you believe is 3. One of the running events in the ancient Olympics required T F the correct answer. athletes to run in a full suit of armour. The answers follow the last question— 4. The Pentathlon is a five-event competition common to both the T F but don’t peek! ancient and modern Olympics. Medals earned for correct responses 5. Drivers who won chariot races in the ancient games often re- T F include–Gold (9-10 ceived no recognition for their victory. correct), Silver (7-8) and Bronze (5-6). 6. Participation in the Olympics automatically brought great honour T F to an athlete.

7. The oval running track was invented at Olympia. T F

8. Even wars stopped for the ancient Olympic games. T F

9. The Olympic torch and the lighting of the Olympic flame are a T F modern development.

10. All the events at the ancient Olympics had rules that were strictly T F enforced.

11. Bonus! In the modern Olympics, every host country has always T F won at least one gold medal during the Games on its home territory.

The answers, please… 1. False. The five rings were a 1913 invention by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics. There were five rings for the five modern Games that had already taken place; a sixth would be added for in 1916; and one for each subsequent Olympiad. When the 1916 Games were cancelled because of the First World War, de Coubertin changed the meaning of the rings to repre- sent the five continents, which remains their meaning until today.

2. False. The race does commemorate Phedippides’ run between Marathon and Athens to report victory and warn of approaching ships, but it is an invention of the modern Olympics. Today’s distance was first run in in 1908, and became the standard in Paris in 1924. The 1908 length was set at 26 miles (41.8 kilometres), to cover the distance between Windsor Castle and White City Stadium. An extra 385 yards (352 metres) were added so that the race would finish in front of King Edward VII’s royal box.

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 33 3. True. Competitors ran between 384 to 768 metres in full sets of armour Further Research weighing about 27 kilograms. The race was believed to build the strength and For brief highlights endurance needed for military service. Other races, like most competitions, of the modern were held in the nude. Olympic Games, a good place to start 4. True. But the events are quite different. The Greeks competed in discus, is www.cbc.ca/ javelin, jumping, running, and wrestling. The Modern Pentathlon was a cre- olympics/history. ation of de Coubertin, who wanted a competition that would demonstrate For information on both the moral qualities and physical skills of the ideal athlete. It consists of the ancient Olym- pistol shooting, epée fencing, swimming, riding and cross-country running. pics, visit www.archaeology.org/ 5. True. The prize went to the owners, not to the drivers, in the equestrian online/features/ events. Many owners hired jockeys or drivers, and did not need to be present olympics and at the games to win. As a result, even a woman could be declared the victor of www.perseus.tufts.edu/ a chariot race, though women were not allowed actually to compete in the Olympics. games.

6. False. The only athletes who were honoured at the ancient Olympiads were the winners. There were no second- or third-place awards, and the poet Pindar describes athletes who had lost their competition as having to slink home by back alleys. Winners received only a laurel wreath as their reward, but victory also brought them great fame throughout Greece.

7. False. The Greeks ran on a rectangular field with stone markers at either end. These were both starting markers and turning posts that competitors ran around before returning to their starting position to finish the race.

8. False. While an Olympic Truce was proclaimed every four years for the games, it only guaranteed safe passage to Olympia for athletes and specta- tors. Wars often continued in the region throughout the games.

9. True. The Greeks had no ceremony similar to the modern running of the torch and lighting of the cauldron. The first lighting of the flame took place at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, presided over by Adolf Hitler. It has become one of the best-known features of the Games. Thousands now participate in the carrying of the torch across the continents prior to each Olympic Games.

10. True. But those rules might be very few. For example, in the pankration, a combination of boxing and wrestling, only biting and eye gouging were prohibited. You could punch, kick, strangle, hit your opponent in the groin, or break his fingers.

The match did not end until one person surrendered or was unable to con- tinue to fight. Some matches even ended in the death of one of the partici- pants. Fighters were immune from punishment if the death was unintentional. Those who cheated by biting and eye gouging were flogged.

11. False. Sadly, Canada is the only country not to earn a single gold medal during the Games it hosted, and this happened twice: in 1976 and in 1988.

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 34 ATHENS 2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO GREECE YV Highs and Lows of 2004

As at every previous Olympics, there Muqimyar, wearing old track pants and Further Research were many stories that became identi- donated shoes, set a national woman’s Extensive informa- fied as highlights of the Games. Not all record and achieved her goal of not tion on the 2004 Games, including of these were happy stories, and some running last, by beating one other racer. news stories and a contained both positive and negative full set of results, is elements. Here are some, both Canadian 4. After a week at the Olympics, available at the and international, that received special Canada had managed to win only two official Athens 2004 attention. medals, a bronze in women’s synchro- Web site at nized diving and a silver in women’s www.athens2004.com. Their list of high- 1. The Olympics hadn’t even begun trampoline. In the face of constant lights is at when two of Greece’s most famous criticism, Diane Cummins, the Cana- www.athens2004.com/ athletes and medal hopes, Kostas dian champion 800-metre runner, en/highlightsof Kederis (gold medal winner at ) begged people back home to “just love thegames. and Katerina Thanou (silver medallist at us. We don’t want to fail,” she said, Sydney), failed to appear for a manda- “and if we fail, we don’t want you to tory drug test. They even apparently make us feel like we disappointed you. Further Research faked a motorcycle accident as an Nobody wants to disappoint anyone” Learn more about excuse for missing the examination. (Toronto Star, August 22, 2004). the Paralympics Ultimately, both withdrew from compe- and the Canadian Paralympic athletes tition before they were ejected by the 5. Like the Olympic Games, the at International Olympic Committee. Paralympic Games are held every four www.paralympic.ca. Greeks were horrified. years, and in the same venue. This year they will be held in Athens September 2. One of the most anticipated swim- 17-28. Two events, however, took place ming races in history took place on day as demonstration sports during the three of the Olympics. Australian Ian Athens Olympics: the men’s wheelchair Thorpe, Dutch swimmer Pieter van 1500-metre race, and the women’s Hoogenbrand, and U.S. swimmer wheelchair 800 metre. The women’s Michael Phelps met in the 200 freestyle. gold medal was won by Canada’s Thorpe came from behind to beat van , who also set a new Hoogenbrand by half a second, with Olympic record. Phelps third. Canadian Rick Say was sixth in one of the strongest groups of 6. On day nine came Canada’s first eight swimmers ever brought together. official gold medal, a gold on the In the overall medal competition, exercise in artistic gymnastics. It was Phelps went on to win six gold and two won by Kyle Shewfelt of Calgary. This bronze; Thorpe received two gold, a was the first Olympic medal won by a silver and a bronze. Canadian in this sport. However, as a result of a controversial decision by the 3. Judoka Friba Rayazee and runner judges in the competition, Robina Muqimyar made Olympic Shewfelt was denied a bronze medal history by being the first Afghani that many felt he deserved. This deci- women to compete in the Games. sion was one of many questionable ones

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 35 in this year’s gymnastics competition live up to their expectations. In turn, Quote that led several commentators to sug- Canadians proved that they do love “This is what the gest throwing all judged sports out of their athletes by flooding her with e- Olympics is all about—to do the Olympic Games. mails praising her grace in defeat. She things that you remains “Canada’s darling,” and many can’t even imag- 7. Demonstrating once again that Cana- believe she will be on the medal po- ine.” — Nikos dians are usually good at emerging dium in Beijing in 2008. Pollas, Greek sports, Tonya Verbeek won a silver sprinter, Toronto medal in the first Olympic women’s 10. Kayaker Adam van Koeverden Star, August 7, 2004. wrestling competition. Verbeek had not surprised many observers by winning a found it easy to make the national team, bronze medal in the K1 1000-metre and it took two attempts before she race. He returned the next day to win qualified for Athens. Victory was Canada’s third gold medal of the Ath- sweet. ens Olympics in the K1 500-metre race. Van Koeverden, 22 years old, thus 8. Another first: Sprint cyclist Lori-Ann became Canada’s first multiple medal Muenzer, 38 years old and the oldest winner since the 1996 Games. woman in the competition, won Canada’s first-ever gold medal in 11. A record number of athletes—23— cycling. Muenzer says she knew it was were disqualified during the 2004 her competition to win: “It didn’t matter Athens Olympics for doping violations. if I was leading or I was following. This International Olympic Committee week, this is the fittest I’ve ever been, officials point to this number as proof the fastest I’ve ever been, the strongest that the new kinds of testing they have I’ve ever been and also the smartest instituted are finding the cheats and, in I’ve ever been. Today was the day to many cases, keeping them out of the put it all together” (Toronto Star, Games altogether. Critics say that it is August 25, 2004). only an indication of how important drug use is in elite sport. Several of the 9. Canada’s hopes for another gold athletes who failed their drug tests were were dashed when hurdler Perdita medal winners. These included the Felicien fell only 13 metres into her Russian woman who won the shot put, 100-metre final. A tearful Felicien a showcase event held at the site of the apologized to Canadians for failing to ancient Olympics in Olympia.

Activity: Read All About It! All of these highlights were feature stories in newspapers throughout Canada. The challenge for newspaper editors is to get people to actually read the sto- ries. One of the ways they do this is by creating headlines that grab the reader’s attention. Broadcasters often use the same technique at the beginning of newscasts. For the next 10 minutes, come up with as many attention-grabbing headlines as you can for each of these stories. Compare your headlines with those of other students in your class. What qualities do you think the best headlines have in common?

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 36 ATHENS 2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO GREECE YV The Elephant in the Room

With all the talk of peace and global • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organi- Did you know . . . unity, it is easy to forget that the 2004 zation, a military alliance of which In 1972, at the Olympics in Athens also represented Canada is a member) provided sur- Summer Olympics in , terror- the largest security operation in the veillance planes, sea patrols, and ists seized the history of the world. This was the first emergency response forces. Israeli wrestling Summer Games to be held after the • Security forces flew a 60-metre blimp team, and 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New equipped with high-resolution cam- athletes were killed York. While athletes competed and fans eras and highly sensitive chemical as security forces celebrated, nervous security officials attempted to free agent “sniffers” over Athens. them? watched their every move and prayed • Three AWACS planes (Airborne that no acts of terrorism would take Warning and Control System) pa- place. They had to prepare for the trolled the skies of Greece. These are unthinkable and make sure that it did the types of planes most recently used not happen. Fortunately, there was no in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. terrorist attack on the Summer Games. This does not negate the fact that the • Greek military units manned anti- events in Athens were watched by an aircraft missile sites outside Athens. army of soldiers, police, and security • The U.S. Sixth Fleet was close at agents supported by the most sophisti- hand, on standby. cated technologies available. • There were 1 500 security cameras In order to protect the Olympic constantly keeping an eye on the Games: events and sites. • Greece spent almost $42-billion on • The Athens airport, once noted for its security operations for the two-week loose security, is now one of the most event. secure airports in the world. • 70 000 police and soldiers were • Units specializing in weapons of mass assigned to patrol the Games. destruction were organized and set to • Officials used a $400-million commu- go. nication and surveillance system to • Some claimed that U.S. special forces link police, armed forces, and other were deployed under cover to protect services. U.S. athletes.

Responding 1. Given the high cost of security for Olympic events, do you think it is still worthwhile to hold these Games? Explain.

2. The 2004 Summer Games did not get the usual influx of tourists, possibly because of fears of terrorist acts. Would you personally go to an Olympics event if terrorism was still a concern? Explain.

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 37 ATHENS 2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO GREECE YV Drug Problems

A Canadian played a pivotal role in most important conclusion of the CBC Archives making the world aware of how perva- inquiry’s report was that the use of such Some important sive drug use was in Olympic sport. drugs had been common in Canada for historical moments in the history of Runner Ben Johnson, the “world’s years: Johnson had probably been using drugs in sport are fastest man,” thrilled Canadians by them since 1981. The reason more in the CBC Archives winning the gold medal in the 100 athletes were not caught was because at archives.cbc.ca/ metres at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. drug testing was done only at competi- IDD-1-41-1409/ Equally stunning was the stripping of tion, by which time all traces of the sports/drugs_sport. his medal a few days later when it was drugs had left the athlete’s system. A useful glossary of drugs is at revealed that he had tested positive for a What was needed was more out-of- www.cbc.ca/sports/ banned anabolic steroid. season testing. indepth/drugs/ As a result of the inquiry, by 1990 glossary/ A Bit of History Canada had become a world leader in dictionary.html. Doping, if one includes substances such testing its athletes for banned drugs, and as alcohol and cocaine, has been with a crusader in getting more nations to do us for many years. Athletes in sports so. Nevertheless, it was a full decade like boxing and cycling used these before its greatest international success. types of drugs as both painkillers and as The 2000 Sydney Olympics were the stimulants to give them a bit of an edge. first in which athletes took an oath that But it took a scientific approach to included “committing ourselves to a doping to demonstrate how effective it sport without doping and without could be. drugs.” Eleven competitors tested Olympics previous to Seoul had positive in those Games. included amazing performances by East ern European—and especially East BALCO, Athens, and Beyond German—athletes. Many observers In 2003, tetrahydrogestinone (THG), an suspected they were using drugs. After unknown (and previously undetectable) the end of the Cold War, information steroid, hit the headlines. The Bay Area came to light revealing that this was Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) was indeed the case. In East Germany, the accused of selling it as a “nutritional doping was systematic. Many of the supplement” to some of the top sports athletes did not even realize that they stars in the United States and other were being doped. Some of the athletes countries, including a number of poten- suffered serious, even fatal, damage as tial gold-medal winners in track at the a result. 2004 Olympics. Because of testing that By Seoul it was clear that not just the can now detect this substance, many of Eastern Bloc was using drugs to en- these athletes were forced to give the hance performance. Athletes from a Games a pass. Some have failed the variety of nations—even Canada—were new test and been banned from future failing drug tests. Canada responded by competition; others have been forced to creating a special inquiry, led by Justice return awards or have been removed Charles Dubin, into the use of perfor- from the record books. mance-enhancing drugs in sports. The The Athens Olympics saw the most

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 38 extensive testing in the history of the The World Anti-Doping Agency Quote Games. Before being allowed to com- Canada remains at the forefront of the “The human race is pete, the world governing body of every ongoing battle against drugs in sports. growing larger with each genera- participating sport had to adopt the The World Anti-Doping Agency tion. We’re just world anti-doping code created in 2003. (WADA) is located in Montreal, and its getting bigger and As a result, a single list of banned leader is Canadian Dick Pound. Pound, stronger and have substances and a single set of sanctions author of the book Inside the Olympics, better nutrition. for offenders now applied to all sports. sees both sport and the Olympic Games Eventually we’ll be All disputes are now to be resolved able to beat drug as providing an “ethical platform” for performances with through appeal to one organization, the young people. One of the ways in natural perform- Court of Arbitration for Sport. At which it will be able to do so is by ances.” — Dr. Brent Athens, a record 23 athletes failed their banning all doping from competition. Rushnall, professor drug tests or refused to provide samples. The drugs that WADA bans must meet of exercise and The effectiveness of the testing at at least two of the following criteria: nutritional science, Toronto Star, Athens would seem to be demonstrated they must be performance-enhancing, August 29, 2004 by the results in . Only be harmful to health, and be against the one world record was tied, and one spirit of sport. Pound is confident that broken. Many experts believe that many public opinion is very much on his side. of the existing records were set by The future holds real challenges for doped athletes, and the whole record those trying to prevent doping in sports. book should be thrown out. It is expected that, by the time of the The Games began with a huge scan- 2012 Olympics, the first athletes who dal. Two of Greece’s most famous have received genetic therapy to modify athletes, sprinters Kostas Kederis and their performance will be involved in Katerina Thanou, failed to appear for competition. At present, there is no way random drug tests, and then apparently in which such genetic modifications can faked a motorcycle accident as an be tested. excuse. Both withdrew from the Games to avoid being denied places by the IOC.

What Do You Think? Some sports authorities argue that it should be up to the athletes themselves in a particular sport to decide if performance-enhancing drugs are allowable. For example, athletes use training at high altitudes to increase their number of red blood cells just as those who take EPO, a banned steroid, do. Is one technique really better than the other? Should athletes themselves determine the rule?

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 39 ATHENS 2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO GREECE YV Funding Canada’s Future Athletes

At an interview with the CBC following athletes in Olympic sports. Rogge is Further Research the Olympics, , president especially concerned because The Canadian of the International Olympic Committee Vancouver will be the host city for the Olympic Commit- tee’s Web site is (IOC), expressed his concern over the 2010 Winter Olympics. The IOC al- www.olympic.ca. number of medals Canada won in the ways wants host countries to be com- 2004 Olympic Games. Clearly, Rogge petitive, because it generates more suggested, Canada is not living up to its interest in the Games. Canada, he medal potential. pointed out, has the dubious distinction Statistically, it would seem that there of being the only country ever to host is a problem with Canada’s Olympic an Olympics in which it did not win a effort. Canada’s total of 12 medals— gold medal—and this happened twice, three gold, six silver and three bronze— at Montreal in 1976 and Calgary in was the smallest since 1988. The three 1988. Summer Olympics previous to Athens had seen better results: The COC Speaks Out • Barcelona (1992), 18 medals, seven of Chris Rudge, the chair of the Canadian them gold Olympic Committee (COC), was quick • Atlanta (1996), 22 medals, three of to speak out. He had nothing but praise them gold for the sport funding programs of • Sydney (2000), 14 medals, three of and . But he them gold blasted , which had severely cut back its funding under previous govern- In Athens, Canada tied for 19th place ments. “The province of Ontario is a with Bulgaria in total medals won. If wasteland when it comes to high- only gold (first-place) finishes were performance sport and we all know counted, Canada was ranked 20th, in a that,” he told The Toronto Star on tie with Turkey, Thailand, Poland, New August 30, 2004. Many television Zealand, and Spain. commentators had made similar com- Four of Canada’s world champions ments during the broadcasts, pointing did not even make it to the medal out that the province seemed to be podium in their championship event. underrepresented numerically on the These included the men’s rowing Canadian teams. “We have to change eights, hurdler Perdita Felicien, and the sport system in this country dra- tower divers Émilie Heymans and Alex matically if we’re going to move for- Despatie. ward,” says Rudge. If Canadian Olympic officials had The COC’s executive director of been disappointed by the country’s sport is Mark Lowry. While he hopes to performance at Sydney, what would see more government money invested they make of the Athens results? in sport, he also talks about the need for Jacques Rogge was quick to identify a whole new national sports system. funding as a problem, and announced The new national model for high- that he would be coming to Canada to performance athletics would have urge increased government funding for strong leadership at the top, and would

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 40 target specific athletes and specific On the other hand, Canada’s federal Did you know . . . programs. The funding of 28 Olympic and provincial governments often talk According to Summer Games sports is seen as not of more funding for sports at the non- economists Andrew Bernard and very realistic. It might be far more elite levels, especially in schools, to Meghan Busse, a effective to concentrate on eight to 12 encourage more participation by all country with as Canada prepares for Beijing in 2008. young people. Those who advocate this Canada’s popula- Priority would always be given to those type of funding are also quick to point tion and gross with the most practical chance of suc- to , where, they say, recre- domestic product cess. A COC panel is already at work ational sport has suffered. Indeed, the should be in the mid to high 20s in assessing Canada’s Winter Olympics country has recently conducted studies medals? — The sports, trying to identify those in which that show an alarming increase in Globe and Mail, Canadians are best able to win medals. obesity among children. September 4, 2004 When seeking Olympic models, Cana- Not everyone thinks more funding dians often point to Australia, a smaller and centralization is crucial to Olympic country that has achieved great success success. , the last in the Summer Olympics through a Canadian swimmer to win a gold centralized program. The features of the medal, is recommending that an outside Australian program that COC officials expert be called in to examine the think would most benefit Canada are: sport’s governing body, Swimming • a central agency to co-ordinate high- Canada. Tewksbury believes that performance sport centralizing swimming in sports centres • a system to channel money to targeted may actually have weakened competi- sports tion, and that the old club system was • more technological and scientific likely far superior in developing a study of sport larger number of potential medallists. (For the first time in decades, Canadian • the hiring of more coaches and sport swimmers failed to win a single medal experts in Athens. Most were even unable to register best times.)

Discussion Gather into groups of three or four to discuss the following questions. Be prepared to share your group’s findings.

The future of Canada’s Olympic hopes is bound to generate a great deal of discussion in Canada over the next few years. How do you feel we should pre- pare for the Beijing Games? Are Canada’s Olympic results so important that we should revamp Canada’s sport governing bodies to attempt to win more med- als? Will an emphasis on elite sport deny funding and support to recreational sports? Are some sports more valuable than others because Canadians are likely to be stronger in them?

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 41 ATHENS 2004: THE GAMES RETURN TO GREECE YV Why Sport Matters

Christie Blatchford is a writer for The their limits, and how to either raise Globe and Mail who spent the two them through hard work, or to circum- weeks of the 2004 Olympics watching vent them with experience.” and reflecting on the efforts of She quotes wrestler Laura McDougall Canada’s athletes. Blatchford wrote an of Calgary: “Athletes learn what it is to article for the August 28, 2004, issue of set goals and how to work toward them the newspaper in which she tried to . . . how to be coached and accept make the case for increased government feedback and process that information and public support for Canadian Olym- . . . how to be organized, prepared and pic athletes. In it, she singled out diligent . . . [how to look] at the smallest kayaker Adam von Koeverden as an of details while keeping the big picture in exemplar of what makes a great athlete mind. . . .” McDougall continues: “All and Olympian. these things help in sport, but they also set Athletes like von Koeverden, says you up for facing all aspects of life. They Blatchford, “learn to share, strive and make you a better employee, student, succeed; that failure one day doesn’t daughter, mother, and friend than you mean failure the next; they discover may otherwise have been.”

Your Response Do you share Christie Blatchford’s enthusiastic promotion of sport as a builder of better people who will likely “make for a better community”? At a time when there is demand from so many different areas for government, corporate, and private funds, should we single out athletes for increased support? If we do, what kind of return should we expect on our investment: more medals, increased national pride, or simply better citizens?

In your notebook, prepare a brief letter—no more than 200 words—as a reply to Blatchford’s ideas. Can sport play the social role that Blatchford feels it can? Are there other areas—music and the arts, for example—that can also teach the lessons she has cited? Are the majority of Canadians really interested in the sports that make up the Olympics? Be specific as to why Canada should or should not aggressively support its potential Olympic athletes. Extension After editing your letter, consider sending it to The Globe and Mail Letters to the Editor page via e-mail: letters@globeandmail or fax: 416-585-5085. Letters must be less than 200 words and include your name, address, and daytime telephone number.

CBC News in Review • September 2004 • Page 42