Month: March 2010

Devon Kershaw – Own The Podium

Here’s a great example of why Canada’s “Own The Podium” is the right program, with the wrong name.

One of the great success stories is this guy …

Olympic News - February 28, 2010

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He was shattered after finishing with a personal best, Canada’s best ever 5th place in the men’s 50KM Mass Start cross country ski race.

… “My goal was to stay with the leaders, conserve as much energy as I could,” Kershaw explained. “It’s a marathon. It takes over two hours. You have to be so calm and collected. I accomplished everything I hoped for, and more. But to be 1.5 seconds from the gold medal in a race so long …… when I see my technicians, it’s going to be really hard. It’s the best 50K of my life. But, at the same time, it’s really tough to place fifth.” …

Vancouver Sun

Devon Kershaw really believed he could beat Petter Northug of Norway, the reigning World Champion.

That’s the psychology you should have to compete at the Olympics.

Kershaw is pysically, technically and psychologically ready to win. That’s what Own The Podium is all about.

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That’s the same race, by the way, where coaches decided not to compete the alternate, blind skier Brian McKeever:

… Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., and Ivan Babikov of Canmore, Alta., were the last skiers on the course to cross the finish line.

Harvey was 32nd and Babikov 33rd, which called into question the decision to sit alternate Brian McKeever, the legally blind skier who was seeking to become the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Harvey and Babikov didn’t appear to have anything left in the tank after a series of earlier races, whereas McKeever was fresh. The 50-km race would have been his only Olympic event. …

Johnny Weir on Johnny Weird

I’m not a figure skating fan. When I see Johnny Weir, I find it difficult to get past his appearance.

Figure Skating

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It’s too extreme. My inclination is not to watch him skate. I assume he’s more flamboyant style than substance.

And his antics play into many of the stereotypes about male figure skaters. Even gay pundits are asking: Is Johnny Weir “Too Gay” For Figure Skating? (VIDEO)

My respect for Weir climbed a notch or two after hearing him fire back at broadcasters Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg of RDS, a French-language sports channel in Quebec. Here’s that interview.

U.S. men’s figure skater Johnny Weir says he was ‘frankly, pissed’ upon learning that the two French-language commentators questioned his gender and made other jibes during his Olympic skating performances last week. (Feb. 24)

Click PLAY or watch his interview on YouTube.

Still, I’m more inclined to cheer (or at least smirk at) the macho antics of Silver medalist, Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko.

Plushenko and his coach want his competitors to man up and throw quad twists. I agree.

Comments? … Should I simply give up on Figure Skating completely?

Olympics hangover …

I’m sorry to see it end.

The greatest emotional moment for me was the reaction of Frederic when his brother won Moguls.

Canada’s first gold medal winner ALEX BILODEAU greets fans with his brother FREDERIC BILODEAU and sister JENNIFER BILODEAU outside the Pan Pacific hotel Tuesday evening during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Alex Bilodeau Greets Fans - Vancouver 2010

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… His older brother, Frédéric, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age and told that he would be unable to walk by the time he was 10. Frédéric is now age 28 and still has the ability to walk. …

Frédéric inspires Alex as much as Alex inspires Frédéric.

Some feel that American Bronze medallist Bryon Wilson, a former gymnast, had a better second run than Alex. Wilson was brilliant. Look for him in the coming years.