Not Owning the Podium, But Doing Just Fine

(Aired on February 22, 2010)

It is hard for me to come to grips with all the naysayers who are suggesting our athletes aren't performing up to par at the Winter Games. We said we were going to own the podium, but we're not, say the doom and gloomers.

And I say, we're doing just fine, thank you very much. We're fourth in the medal race, and while we aren't going to win more medals than any other nation on our home turf, we're doing pretty well. Some of our athletes haven't performed up to expectations. Maybe it's the pressure of the whole hometown fan situation, maybe it's the need to go 150% to win the gold that leaves us all open to errors that can take us from gold to nothing. But I think the Own the Podium campaign has worked well. We've invested some money in our high-end athletes, we've started developing programs that will give us strength in years to come, and we've made a good start for future world championships and Olympic games.

I think we've got a lot to be proud of. Our hockey team hasn't looked sharp, that's probably the biggest disappointment given the money these guys make, but when you give them no time to learn to work together, it's not an easy task no matter how good you are. To reach an Olympic podium or world championship takes as much luck as it does skill. Where one luge makes a bad turn and stays upright, another turns over. Where one inch either way can make or break a figure skating jump, when one wrong shift on a turn can take you out of contention in speed skating, or one bump can move you out of a medal in long track, the fickle finger of fate can lead to disaster.

But I believe we're on the right track, I believe our athletes are giving us everything they have. And I really don't think we can ask much more than that. Surely people didn't believe that Own the Podium really meant we were going to own it. It's a figure of speech. We're a small country and while some can argue we should be doing better, I think we're doing a great job.