Saturday, January 19, 2002
Go Canada!
By CAMERON MAXWELL -- Calgary Sun
Canada is sending 156 athletes -- including 37 Albertans -- to Salt Lake City for what it hopes will be its best-ever Olympic Winter Games.
The Canadian Olympic Association announced the Canadian contingent competing in Salt Lake yesterday at the Pinebrook Golf Club, just west of the city, and also unveiled who will carry the flag.
Long-track speed skater Catriona Le May Doan will lead the Canadians and carry the Maple Leaf into Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium before 57,000 people on Feb. 8. to kick off the Games.
Le May Doan is favoured to bring home gold in the 500 metres, which could be one of a record-number of medals for Canadian competitors.
COA officials have set a target for Canada to finish third overall in the medal standings and if the Canucks hit the bull's-eye, the Salt Lake Games will likely produce the most-ever medals for Canada at an Olympic competition.
"The Canadian Olympic Association has set a goal of third place -- now that's not a prediction, it's not a promise, it's a goal," said Sally Rehorick, Canada's Chef de Mission for Salt Lake.
"We were fifth in Nagano (1998), seventh in Lillehammer (1994), ninth in Albertville (1992), so third place is reachable."
The best showing for Canadian athletes at a Winter Olympics came in Nagano, where 15 medals (6 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze) were brought home.
In determining the third-place goal, COA officials look at athlete results over the past year in World Cup and world championship competition as well as several other factors.
It stands to reason that if third place overall is achieved, Canada could very likely have a record number of medals. By way of comparison, Russia finished third at Nagano, hauling in 18 pieces of hardware.
But COA officials won't speculate on just how many medallions will be dangling proudly from Canadian necks when the Salt Lake Games wrap up on Feb. 24.
"It's all relative. I mean it depends on what the other countries do, so it's very hard to say 'this number of medals is going to do it,' " said Rehorick.
"We'll only know that on a day-to-day basis because it is relative."
For many athletes, the Salt Lake Games will be their first Olympic experience and the realization of a life-long dream.
Abbotsford, B.C., native Alanna Kraus, a member of the short-track speed skating team who makes her home in Calgary, got a taste of the experience that comes with representing her country for the first time yesterday.
"It feels pretty cool to be here. It really feels like you're more a part of the team," said Kraus, 24.
It'll be a busy couple of weeks at the Games for Kraus, who will compete in the 500, 1,000, 1,500-metre individual events and the 3,000-metre team relay as well.
For Kraus, who has been waiting for the Games since making the short-track Olympic team in November, the months in between Olympic trials and Feb. 8 have given her time for the Olympic dream to sink in.
"After trials it was kind of surreal, so now I'm starting to get excited and the atmosphere around the (Olympic) Oval is exciting as well," said Kraus, who finished seventh overall at the 2001 world championships.
Women's bobsleigh makes its Olympic debut in Salt Lake and for the team of Calgary's Christina Smith and Paula McKenzie of Brooks, the Olympic announcement was emotionally overwhelming.
As Smith spoke to members of the media about what it means to compete for Canada, McKenzie, who will be Smith's brakeman for the competition in the Canada 1 sled, got tears in her eyes.
No doubt the duo is hoping for tears of joy following what they believe will be the two best runs of their lives on Feb. 19, the day of the women's bobsleigh event.
2002 Games News Coverage
