Playing nice at the games

Canadian athletes were expected to do well at the Sochi Olympics. 

Worldwide, the opinion was that this would be our year. After all, it is the winter games and Canada is the great white north. 
But medals weren’t enough. Once again, we had to prove that we truly are far and away the nicest country – even at the world’s most cutthroat sporting competition.

Time and again, we’ve been the bigger country. Did we mock the opening ceremonies when the fifth ring failed to open?  Of course not because nobody except the official sponsors are allowed to show the five Olympic rings anyway.

Did we take pictures when the Austrian athlete did a face plant during the parade? No. We carefully stepped over him.

Did we laugh and point when Russia’s speedskater Olga Graf unzipped on the ice as she celebrated her bronze medal finish – only to remember later that she was naked underneath? 

No, we simply shared our team, our sportsmanship and our beer with the world.

When others just gaped at a Russian cross-country skier as he struggled to finish after a spectacular fall, it was a Canadian coach who ran out with a spare ski so that he could finish the course “with dignity.”

Canadian Dara Howell may have won the very first gold medal in women’s slopestyle skiing, but she shared it with Sarah Burke, a pioneer in the sport who died while training.

After winning his second gold in freestyle moguls, Alexandre Bilodeau raced over to the spectators to lift his brother, who has cerebral palsy, over the fence so they could celebrate together.

And only a Canadian champion like Patrick Chan would apologize for a silver medal in figure skating. 

Canadians’ goodness and mercy are boundless. After the events, Canadians have been scanning their passports at the Molson beer fridges and sharing free brews with passersby. 

We’re even influencing other countries to be nicer.  American skier Gus ­Ken­wor­thy is taking home some of the stray dogs that keep popping up at the events before Russian officials can shoot them. 

But the guy who will forever be the nicest Olympian to not compete is speedskater Gilmore Junio who let his teammate Denny Morrison skate in his place in the 1,000-metre event.  Now, many want Junio to carry Canada’s flag at the closing ceremonies – an honour usually bestowed on the team’s most medalled athlete.

Hopefully, his family is just as nice.  They supported him through four years of training, then paid thousands to fly to Russia and stay in hotels with questionable toilets and yellow water only to discover someone decided not to play.

If nothing else, Junio can sleep easy knowing that “giving up your spot so that your teammate can bring home the silver” means never having to pay for a beer in Canada again. Maybe Molson will move one of those fridges into his home.

At previous Olympics, nice guys might finish last. But this year, they finish in Canada.