The 21st Winter Olympics wrapped up Sunday night. The closing ceremony began with a moment that could only have happened in Canada. Uniquely able to poke fun at themselves, Canadian organizers allowed speed skater Catriona Le May Doan to light that fourth cauldron – the one that malfunctioned during the opening ceremony. Then, thousands of spectators and athletes opened their mouths and let patriotism come out.
O Canada
It took just three days, but when moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau rocketed across the finish line at Cypress Mountain, he broke the jinx. He gave his country its first golden finish on home turf. Fittingly Canadian, he shared the moment with his inspirational brother Frédéric, disabled by cerebral palsy. Said VANOC CEO John Furlong: “Thank you for giving us permission to feel and behave like champions.”
Our home and native land.
Not only did we discover this country is home to winners, but also extraordinary participants. Though she’s fifth best in the world in women’s skeleton, Melissa Hollingsworth felt compelled to apologize for her showing. Though she’s a medalist in women’s moguls, Jenn Heil felt she lost gold, not won silver. And no bronze medal will carry as much significance for Canadians as Joannie Rochette’s figure skating medal, earned perhaps as much as a badge of courage as for her on-ice performance.
True patriot love…
The call of the Maple Leaf brought home all its wayward NHL hockey heroes. Devils, Penguins, Sharks and other NHL expatriates dawned the red and white for these two weeks, long enough to win Canada a men’s hockey gold medal. As play-by-play sportscaster Chris Cuthbert put it when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime Sunday afternoon:
“These golden games have their crowning moment!”
In all thy sons command…
And daughters too. Though they played second-fiddle to the men’s hockey final, Hayley Wickenheiser and company prevailed over their traditional U.S. rivals. They were the real hockey players, the one’s who play for love not money. And they added to Canada’s gold totals too.
With glowing hearts…
When Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir embraced at the end of their long program, TV audiences could read his lips as he told his exhausted partner, “I love you so much.” Minutes later their scores indicated a gold, the first North Americans to win ice dance in the 30-year history of the event.
We see thee rise…
Few showed winning exuberance like speed skater Charles Hamelin. As he stretched his leg over the finish line to take first in the 500 metre, his girlfriend dashed through the stands and, rising to the occasion, the two embraced at the edge of the ice surface like reunited lovers.
The true north strong and free.
Typically Canadian, the real power of these Olympics came from volunteers, or “the blue jackets” as organizers referred to the 26,000, who worked for free behind the scenes to foster goodwill and ensure logistic success.
From far and wide.
It took 106 days and 45,000 kilometres, but the flame from Mount Olympus travelled farther in Canada than in any other pre-Olympic Games relay.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
The national anthem was played 14 times officially at the Games. Canadian athletes ended up “owning the gold podium.” In so doing, they set a record for the number of golds won by Canada and a record for any home nation during a Winter Olympics since the Games inception in 1924.
God keep our land glorious and free.
None seemed so glorious and free than bronze medalist Clara Hughes becoming the first athlete ever to win multiple medals in both summer and winter Games. Or John Montgomery who bounded into the streets of Whistler following his skeleton win. He hugged citizens, kissed tourists and chugged a pitcher of beer in victory.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
And, in fact, the anthem was sung a 15th time unofficially. It took place during the round-robin in the men’s curling. Kevin Martin and his team were taking on the reigning world champions David Murdock from the U.K. Suddenly the 5,000 spectators in the stands spontaneously rose and sang O Canada to spur the men on. It worked. Martin and company won Canada’s 13th gold.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
In typical Canadian apologetic fashion, when tourists complained about the security fence blocking the view of the Olympic cauldron in downtown Vancouver, VANOC said, “Sorry,” and tore down the fence. But that’s not all that the Olympics tore down.
“The Canada that was and the Canada that now is are vastly different,” Furlong said Sunday night.
The country’s cliché humble pride and restrained patriotism took to the streets and showed their colours – red and white … and gold.