Is Canada a Bad Olympic Host?
Tweet Posted by Mother Pucker on February 15th, 2010
Is Canada a good host for the 2010 Olympic Games? I just read an article where the UK press slams Canada’s hosting of the games. They concentrate on things such as allowing only limited access to facilities to non-Canadian athletes, especially the luge as their beef.
I think a more appropriate article would be slamming Vancouver, not the rest of Canada, as the selection. Don’t get me wrong, I love having the Olympics here and I’m looking forward to watching hockey at a decent time of day, but seriously Vancouver is probably the farthest thing from a winter city in Canada. Shouldn’t snow be a pre-req for hosting the Winter Olympics? Ok ok, I’ll stop. 
So what do you think of the UK press slamming Canada like this? Justified? Jealousy?
Where I come from, this is called “Making excuses.”
If it’s not wintery enough here, maybe they should give us the Summer Olympics too. Looks like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics is still undecided.
Vancouver is perfect for the games of any season.
Whistler – host of the major snow events – is known for their yearly average snowfalls hence their year after year awards and mentions in all major skiing magazines as world’s best resort for like, 10+ years now. Cypress Mountain was just caught on an El Nino year – which the IOC was well aware of when choosing Van as 2010 host. The other events don’t matter.
Besides, Vancouver is Canada’s (possibly the world’s) most beautiful city and Olympics in the Rocky mountains have already been done. Further East will never get a winter Olympics.
No, I don’t think it’s fair of the UK to slam Canada as host of the games but I don’t think Vancouver should be slammed at all … slam IOC. Seems they’ve taken to a US mentality though – lets be miserable, critical and negative about everything.
People like to complain and negativity sells. It’s rare to find people just interested in the sports anymore, regardless of where the competitions are held.
Who cares what the UK says? Canada is doing fine, can’t control the weather.
As someone from the UK – its not jealously but with Vancouver not being that wintery (especially when its colder over here!) its the not fairness we don’t like.
Remember we are very interested in the running of the games – with London 2012 oh so close
How dare the UK slam Canada!!!!!! The IOC and it’s divisions/partnershas created ANY unfairness or corruption, not Canada.
Jealousy, Jealousy!!!!!
I have family living in Vancouver & BC. As such, I’ve visited that part of the world on numerous occasions and was pleased to see Vancouver being chosen to host the Winter Olympics.
Naturally I therefore have an interest on more than one level and want to see a good Winter Olympics.
I was initially surprised when I heard the criticism in the UK press, yet recognised it as valid at the same time; because I could understand the frustration of non Canadian athletes and their coaching staffs, getting limited track time; thereby making it harder for them to get familiar with the track.
It’s worth remembering the Luge track is considered one of the most technically demanding in the world and therefore it is important for athletes to master it, before competing in a major event like the Olympics.
Whilst it’s accepted that Canadian athletes have home advantage, like any host country; what is being questioned is why a policy of limiting track access to other nations athletes has been adopted for this Winter Olympics, as that has not been a problem or issue, I’ve heard of relating to previous Olympics or World Cup events either.
As such, the limiting of track time to non Canadian athletes, is being perceived in the UK and other countries around the world, as giving Canadian athletes an unfair advantage.
The reason you’ve only heard of the UK press criticism is other countries news doesn’t have the same coverage in Canada as ours; where BBC News 24 is available via cable TV in Canada.
Do I like to see the UK press having a go at Canada?
The answer to that is no, however I do feel the criticism of limited track time is a valid one, as the Luge track is one of the most demanding in the world and it makes sense to give give athletes the required time to master it, purely on safety grounds.
I think Canada is doing a terrific job. I think that luge athlete died from inexperience. That is all.
The UK press is famous for criticizing everything!! The UK groupies, likewise. Good luck to all the athletes from all the countries that participate. Good luck to the UK when they host the Olympics…hope everything goes perfectly for you….we here in Canada are always happy to root for the “old country”.
(….”I was initially surprised when I heard the criticism in the UK press, yet recognised it as valid at the same time; because I could understand the frustration of non Canadian athletes and their coaching staffs, getting limited track time; thereby making it harder for them to get familiar with the track.”..)
EXACTLY!
My family members live in Canada so I LOVE Canada as a country and very much Vancouver too! I am not biased however or blind to when the running of things and dealing of issues have not been good enough.. (and I’m not refering to the weather).
This is not being personal to the Canadian’s, or blaming them for the weather (which is of course out of their control). Its about being FAIR to ALL the athletes, which, as even some of the athletes themselves have expressed, hasn’t been entirely so for everyone.
The Canadian’s have protested twice against athletes winning medals..(maybe more since).., with both protests being FIRMLY thrown out! It has been suggested that the Canadian’s this year are too keen to make everything about them and their athletes this Olympics …(maybe all down to the pressure of hosting).
I think its a horrible olympics and it should be in calgary but I think the Canadians are proving that they can’t handle it. Whether it was curling, hockey or speed skating the canadian crowd/fans have come across as childish and petty. I think the point is that second rate countries shouldn’t be included in getting the games. It should stay with Europe, Japan, China and your Pappy to the south. Why fix the track after the wreck, I thought it was fine? It’s raining on the slopes, why not hold it all at whistler and on the upper part of the mountain? Why didn’t they have a real Zamboni? Why is the glass behind the goal so uneven? Why all the delays? I know why, you can’t handle this responsibility, you’ve been living in a shadow and are finding it oh so difficult to step up and be on your own. Like a child who just left for college…..
There might have been a couple of glitches early, but things have gone pretty smoothly after those first few days. Not sure the UK should be doing too much talking though.
I can think of many ways that the London 2012 Summer Olympics could be the worst ever. Seriously, there is a very good chance that their games could be one big cluster f**k.