Star’s view
Canada’s golden week a reason to cheer,
Chalk it up to force of numbers, home-country advantage and a contagious gold fever. Halfway through the 2015 Pan American Games, Canadian athletes are soaring — already far exceeding this country’s gold medal haul from 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. And there’s a lot more hardware to come.
For much of this past week Canada topped all others in medals won, including the powerhouse United States. An up-swell of Pan Am passion has been the welcome result. Seeing this country actually owning the podium at a summer games has stoked the emotions of athletes and fans. And that boosts Canada’s prospects for racking up additional wins.
In world-level competition, the difference between a gold medal performance and a fourth-place finish can be just fractions of a second or a matter of mere centimetres. The emotional support of an enthusiastic home crowd is known to inspire athletes to dip deep and deliver just a bit more exertion. And sometimes that little extra is enough to win.
This, without doubt, is one factor contributing to the stellar performance of so many Canadian athletes in these games.
“You just heard masses of screaming,” cyclist Kate O’Brien said after she and teammate Monique Sullivan won gold and set a Pan Am record in the team sprint event in Milton.
“To have family and friends, and Canadians in general, out and being able to support us at home was special.” In addition to that, winning begets more winning. It can be inspiring to see a teammate excel, especially a star such as gymnast Ellie Black, 19, of Halifax. She scooped up five medals as of Friday, including three gold: more than any other Canadian at that point.
It’s a definite advantage to compete alongside champions of such calibre. Fellow gymnast Victoria Woo,17, from La Prairie, Que., won bronze on the balance beam and credited Black with helping calm her nerves. “It’s an honour to be up there with Ellie,” Woo said. Another reason we’re doing so well is simply a matter of arithmetic. The more than 700 athletes Canada has sent to these games represents the largest sporting contingent this country has ever assembled. It’s a talent pool that’s deep as well as broad, including up-and-comers and established stars: Olympians and future Olympians.
And it’s likely to float future victories. As reported by the Star’s Doug Smith and Kerry Gillespie, Pan Am success this summer might well lead to further triumph in years to come, especially in 2016, when Rio de Janeiro hosts the next summer Olympic Games.
A key function of the Pan Ams is to give rising athletes the experience of competing against international stars in a huge multi-sport event. It’s all the better if they also gain a taste of victory.
“Getting on the podium and learning to win is an important part of their development,” said Peter Cookson, Rowing Canada’s high performance director.
“That’s a really important part of why we decided to come here with our A-team.”
It’s likely that several of the Pan Am stars cheered by Canadians today will also be hearing the national anthem played from the podium in Rio, and feeling this country’s gratitude. It’s all the more reason to encourage them now and celebrate these golden games.
The emotional support of a home crowd is fuelling the stellar performance of so many Canadian athletes