Thursday, February 7, 2002
Unbearable
By STEVE SIMMONS -- Toronto Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- Four years and so much controversy later, Jean-Luc Brassard finally had his moment of peace with the Canadian flag in his hands.
The moment he wished he had in Nagano.
It came last night at a reception for the Canadian Olympic team, away from the public, away from any expectations, when he passed the flag in ceremonial style to Catriona Le May Doan, Canada's flag bearer for the Salt Lake City opening ceremony tomorrow.
"Obviously, I wish I could have another chance (at it)," said Brassard, looking back at the mistakes of Nagano, looking forward to his fourth and, perhaps, last Olympic Games.
"When you're young, you do things, you say things. Being a flag bearer was a privilege. I regret the way the entire story went out.
"The problem wasn't carrying the flag. That was a childhood dream. The problem was the proximity of carrying the flag to the event I was competing in.''
None of it worked out for Brassard, the freestyle skier who was picked to win gold in Nagano. But when he didn't win, and when the pressure and the expectations got to him, he blamed carrying the flag in the opening ceremony for a moguls run gone wrong.
It made him more villain than celebrity, made him a disappointment in French Canada and something of a disgrace in English Canada. It made him more infamous than famous. It made him change how he looked at sport, life, even himself.
"I had no idea that (the flag) would create so much demand and so many requests. I just wasn't ready for it. I had no idea all that went with it and what came afterward," Brassard said. "There were moments (in Nagano) when I couldn't think about my race. It was too much for me and I totally lost the focus.
"It's like you're not there and you're not part of the show and everyone is expecting you to win."
That was then. Then, when he walked around in his home town of Grand-Ile, Que., and talked to people on the streets the message rarely changed. Win or don't come home, the people would joke. But they weren't really joking.
"Everywhere I went, people would say 'Bring home the gold.' ''
The expectations were almost consuming for the three-time World Cup champion. "I was used to being in a low profile sport and suddenly I was getting high profile expectations," Brassard said. "I don't think I was ready for it. I don't think I was prepared.''
And now, not far from his 30th birthday, after finishing first when moguls was a demonstration sport in Lillehammer and fourth when all eyes were upon him, Brassard feels a sense of accomplishment strictly from coming this far back. Back from the life-altering experience of Nagano. Back from a knee injury that almost ended his career. Back from a season lost. Back to march on Friday night, the way he likes it now, as just another Canadian athlete at the Olympics.
"It has been so different at home," Brassard said. "Most (people) thought I was retired. They say to me, 'Oh, you're still skiing. That's nice.' Then they don't know what to tell me. They thought I was in a wheelchair or something.
"Nobody thought I had a chance to be here."
But there he is, living in the athletes village he stayed away from in Nagano, relishing the Olympic experience, all grown up. And happy to have no one predicting him for a podium finish.
"I think it's still possible," said Brassard, who had an excellent training day on Tuesday, an average training run yesterday. "Skiing is still the main love in my life. I keep skiing because I love it.
"I think it's possible for me to be on the podium, and I'm not just saying that. But thinking podium is not the right way to go. You have to think performance. I've learned that much from my past.
"I've learned to appreciate the privilege of being here."
2002 Games Columnists
