Poignant moments in victory and defeat
The most important thing to remember when watching the Olympics is how exceptionally long and hard the athletes toiled to get ready for their fleeting moments on our televisions.
In contrast, I prepared for these Games by clearing some space on my PVR and moving the external monitor for my laptop into the family room. We all have to make sacrifices. At least that’s what I told my wife when she saw the setup.
Understanding the commitment of the athletes makes the poignant moments that much more precious, whether they are in victory or defeat. It was hard not to be moved by the tears running down the face of Justine Dufour-Lapointe as O Canada played at the women’s moguls medal ceremony.
Likewise, the jubilation of Christof Innerhofer of Italy, who shouted “Yeah, yeah, YES!” into the lens of a television camera after finishing second in the men’s downhill.
He could have been disappointed about missing gold by six-hundredths of a second but instead told an interviewer that a silver medal felt like 10 wins.
You had to respect the dignity of Erik Guay, who was disappointed with his 10th-place finish in the downhill but patiently and articulately answered the same questions in both French and English for Canadians at home.
And the exhaustion of skiathlon competitors was abundantly clear as they fell to the ground after crossing the finish line.
One cynic on Twitter compared it to the widespread affectation of grunting in tennis, but the fatigue was understandable after an event that felt gruelling just to watch.
CBC’s David Amber greeted viewers on Sunday morning by saying, “Thanks for waking up.” It was a good reminder that our part is easy.
TELLING GRUNT
“Hmm.” That’s what four-time world champion Kurt Browning had to say when the scores for American ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White appeared on the screen during the team figure skating competition. Davis and White were awarded a world record score for their performance, which set the stage for the next round of their battle with Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Given the rumours about vote-swapping deals, Browning seemed to be implying the score was suspect.
GOOD FOR RATINGS
The new team figure skating event was entertaining and the athletes seemed to enjoy working together rather than as individuals. Given the popularity of the sport, the move to have more figure skating at the Olympics will probably help ratings.
SITTING COMFORTABLY
Olympic speedskater medallist Kristina Groves has no regrets about covering the Sochi Games rather than competing in them.
“I’m not feeling any mixed emotions at all. I’m quite happy sitting here,” she said. “Do I want to be on the ice racing? No, not really.”