About four years ago Canadian national pride was at an all-time high. The Olympic Games had just concluded in Vancouver and Canada had emerged with 14 Gold Medals, a new record. Most importantly, the country had once again demonstrated its ice hockey prowess in the most dramatic fashion possible: an overtime victory against the United States. Nearly half of the Canadian population watched the Gold Medal game in its entirety, rendering it the definitive triumph of the games if not the decade for the country.
But a lot has changed since 2010, and the Canadian identity is no different. Especially from a political standpoint, Canada has not had the most inspiring year on an international scale. The senate scandal left a dark cloud over the Federal Government. That incident was only shaded by the even larger embarrassment that came with the circus surrounding Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Canada has been making international headlines for all of the wrong reasons.
Meanwhile, Canada was being accused of spying on other nations, further hurting the country’s international reputation. Athletically, Hockey Canada has yet to win a major men’s tournament since the glory of Vancouver, drawing a ton of questions about the state of the national game. Heading into the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia “Canadian Pride” is visibly less present from coast to coast.
There are perhaps only two things that can restore measurable levels of national pride on a short notice. One of them is victory in conflict, a solution that thankfully does not appear to be in Canada’s near future. The other is demonstrating sporting prowess at the international level, particularly in the country’s national game. With hockey lacking a World Cup type event in status if not title the Winter Olympics has become the measuring stick for Canada’s game.
To some degree, the perceived success of an Olympic games for Canada is dependent on the male hockey result. That is why Crosby’s overtime winner in 2010 was so important: it validated the historic Vancouver games as an athletic success. That isn’t to say the other Canadian athletes don’t have a significant role to play. They can also inspire a nation every bit as much as the Canadian hockey team. With every passing Canadian medal the Gold in hockey seems to mean that much more. Even without it, the hurt is significantly less painful if the country has still be impressively represented: think Cindy Klassen in 2006.
In 2014 Canada has a new cast of inspirational figures to mix in with those who are nostalgic from the Vancouver games. Mikael Kingsbury and Justine Dufour-Lapointe look poised to become the new faces of Canada’s mogul dominance, although defending champion Alexandre Bilodeau will have something to say about that. Mark McMorris is getting plenty of hype in the newly christened slopestyle snowboarding. Kaetlyn Osmond is only 18 but has become the queen of Canadian figure skating.
Meanwhile, the old guard continue to stand strong. Charles Hamelin has quite possibly never been better, an impressive statement considering the short track speedskater won two Gold Medals in Vancouver. Patrick Chan is back to try and claim his first Olympic medal, for him nothing but gold will do. Kaillie Humphries is also fully committed to an Olympic repeat performance, and heading into the games she has never been such a concentrated mix of intimidating and impressive.
All of these athletes know what they represent, and understand the immense degree to which national pride is on the line. It is part of the immersive pressure that makes the performances of these athletes, especially those favoured for victory, all the more impressive. In Sochi, as in Vancouver, Canada will be subject to athletic performances that will kindle a potentially dwindling love for their country.
The Olympic flame may no longer be in Canadian hands, but as the team heads to Sochi the fire lives on in Canadian hearts.
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