Enrico Fabris -- Bronze in 5000m
Originally uploaded by Points North.
Some criticize Canadians for being too medal-focussed; others criticize our athletes for chronically underperforming at crunch time and coming up short. We have this idea that Canadian athletes are the only ones who disappoint. But today proved that myth wrong.
Here Enrico Fabris won a bronze in the 5000m long track speed skating -- a surprise medallist in an event in which the Norwegian pegged to win a gold placed 10th. 10th people! Earlier in the day, the Finn considered to have a slam dunk gold in the Nordic Combined was nowhere to be seen in the second half -- he completely crumpled during the cross country portion of the event, after doing well in the ski jump portion, and at one point the commentators wondered if he'd even be able to finish the race.
And so if a Canadian crumples in his/her event, don't think of it as being a typically Canadian thing to do, think of it as a human thing. And just maybe we have progressed enough in our national psyche to aim high, as the COC is doing, that our athletes have caught that mindset and will outperform like Fabris here.
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Update: Jennifer Heil won gold in freestyle skiing! Fantastic and such a smooth run! Yay!!!
Comments
_Those 'Home Gold' goose eggs sure seem like a century ago. But yeah, it's healthy to gain a wider perspective at times.