Excuse me while I gush.
I’m not normally a hockey fan. Not what I would call a sports fan in any way, shape or form. Pretty much a total klutz and perennial bench-warmer when it comes to my own athletic abilities. But I have been glued to Team Canada’s progress throughout the 2010 men’s Olympic hockey games since the 1st American-Canadian game back in the whatever-round-that-was several days ago. The press has been saying all along that hockey is “Canada’s game,” but I’ve never really felt that way (I know, boo-hiss on me). For one thing, lacrosse is Canada’s official sport (I don’t even know why, as hockey is definitely the most-played sport). For another, in the NHL, Canadian hockey players play on American teams and American players play on Canadian teams. It’s like a big family reunion with talented cousins playing alongside equally talented cousins. But there’s something about the need to prove yourself on home soil. Especially when Canada doesn’t usually perform anything like Americans at most Olympics. But we did ourselves proud this Olympics. Winning the gold medal in men’s hockey during overtime was the icing on the cake.
Canada won 14 gold medals this Olympics—the most gold medals won in any Olympics by any country, regardless of whether the games were held on home soil or not. For most Canadians, I would think that’s pretty mind-boggling. We’re happy to win silver and bronze medals. Heck, we’re happy to be in the running. Overall, we placed third in total medal count, with 14 golds, 7 silvers and 5 bronzes. Total medals = 26. Germany beat us out with 30 medals, 10 of which were gold, 13 silver and 7 bronze. And Team U.S.A. won the medal count with 9 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze (total 37 medals). (If you’re wondering where I retrieved these stats, click here). But, ahem, we won 14—count ’em and weep!—14 gold medals! Us! Little ol’ Canada!
:::Cheering!! Waving the flag!!!:::
Go, Canada, go!
And now back to your regularly scheduled blog programming (excuse me for interrupting).