Olympic Memory
Selecting the top moment in Canadian Winter Olympic history isn’t easy. There are so many to celebrate. We’ve narrowed it down to our top 25 and want your help in picking the most memorable. Visit www. ottawacitizen.com/ olympics and vote for your favourite.
1998: ROSS REBAGLIATI, SNOWBOARDING
He won a gold medal, he lost it, then he got it back ... after several days of hand-wringing, headlines and reefer madness in Nagano. Snowboarding made its Olympic debut in Japan, an attempt by the IOC to appeal to a younger demographic, and it certainly received their attention after the inaugural gold medallist tested positive for marijuana. The IOC stripped Rebagliati of his medal, the Canada Olympic Committee appealed, and the decision was later reversed. While Canadians debated whether marijuana was really a performance-enhancing drug, Rebagliati claimed he hadn’t toked up in months — blaming instead second-hand smoke at a party in Whistler. “I may have to wear a gas mask from now on,” he joked after his medal was finally returned. The controversy overshadowed what was an impressive performance by the snowboarder. Rebagliati ripped off an amazing run in horrible conditions in the final, rising from eighth to first to give Canada its first gold medal of the Games.