By Ian Chadband, Chief Sports Correspondent, in Vancouver Published: 9:21PM GMT twenty-two February 2010
Flying the flag: mountainous skier Bode Miller celebrates after adding to America"s considerable series of medals at the Winter Games with feat in the men"s super-combined Photo: AFP Unfortunately for the hosts, their "Own the Podium" campaign, written to see them tip the award list at the Winter Olympics, appears to be next usually in charity Uncle Sam the possibility to put up with in both.
Before the Games, American snowboard cranky supplement Nate Holland was asked about the Canadians" C$117 million credentials programme written to put the hosts atop the award table. "They can own it," Holland said. "We"re usually going to rent it out for a month."
Canada"s honour easy Kim Yu-na the black in watchful Winter Olympics 2010: award list Canada hockey goalie savaged Skater Joannie Rochette to contest after mother"s genocide Bode Miller equals award jot down Canada in shock after ice hockey loss to the US Andre Lange creates story Sport on radio Tour de France 2009: Alberto Contador wins Stage eighteen time-trial forward of Fabian Cancellara The Apple Cart/ Home at Theatre Royal Bath - examination Helen Jenkins and Al Brownlee fervent for triathlon bullion pour out in London 2012If ever a bullion award ought to be awarded for prophecies you consternation either the Canadian inhabitant essence was built for such an assertive idea of tellurian sporting dominance, given America"s supremacy formidable is in the DNA.
As of writing, with the award measure Canada 9 United States 24, "Own the Podium" is commencement to see one of the majority ill-conceived pieces of tub-thumping devised in universe sport. Not the programme itself, you understand, but the appalling, provocative strapline. All it has finished is reap a PR difficulty and store some-more vigour on the athletes. So the fibre of alternatives here are flourishing by the day Groan the Podium, Own the Odium, Own the Opprobrium, Own Goal the Podium. Nobody likes it, solely joke pushers.
Certainly not those Canadians who can see a little athletes visibly wilting underneath suffocating expectation, with one bullion award favourite, Mellisa Hollingsworth, even marked down to a tearful, humbling but unconditionally nonessential reparation for "letting the complete nation down" after finishing fifth in the skeleton.
Nor those endangered at the strong win-at-all-costs genius that left the structure of the body champ Amy Williams, for instance, deeply unimpressed at since Canada should criticism about the legality of her steel sheet twenty-four hours after a near-identical censure from the Americans had been thrown out.
There was no element good to the Canadians in protesting, given Hollingsworth could usually be changed up to fourth, and it left Andi Schmid, British skeleton"s opening director, musing: "This "Own the Podium" programme was regularly something I was not unequivocally vehement about. It was usually the wrong summary to the universe to do it that way."
Even Canadian athletes are starting to confess to displeasure with the programme. When speed skater Denny Morrison became one of an augmenting fibre of home award hopes to flop, he complained one reason was that he had been forced, since of Own the Podium, to stop practising with his American precision partner, Shani Davis, and his form had subsequently deteriorated.
Davis, meanwhile, won silver. No warn there, for Canada"s annoy has usually fuelled American glee. Worst of all? What proposed here as "Super Sunday" finished with the title "Woe Canada" as Sid Crosby"s luminary hockey boys seemed not often cowed, notwithstanding near-evangelical await in Canada Hockey Place, whilst succumbing 5-3 to a immature American team.
"Our home, the game," review one banner. Nope. Their visit, their win. As the locals cried in to their Molsons, America distinguished "Miller" time; Bode mountainous in the plateau and Ryan down on the ice giving an sense of fortifying the Alamo with a good goaltending display.
Cue inhabitant hand-wringing. Time to dump the mythological goalie Martin Brodeur, Canadian commentators concurred. Talk about panic; wouldn"t that be similar to dropping Gordon Banks in the center of the World Cup?
Tonight, Team Canada need to kick Germany to have the quarter-finals and secure a illusive epic date with Russia. And if they lose that? Well, the programme might as well be rechristened "Blown the Podium".
