Canada in the Olympics
1. Is Canada disgracing itself compared to other countries? Canada's population about 30 million, U.S. population about 280 million. Canada a bit more than one-tenth. Medals as of a few minutes ago: Canada 12, U.S. 94--a bit more than 10%. Golds: Canada 3, U.S. 30--10% exactly.
OK, there's Australia: less than 20 million people, 47 medals, 17 of them gold. But, but...I believe Australia takes no part in the Winter Games--maybe we're spread too thin.
2. If we are under-performing, why might that be? For one thing, we are a hockey mad country. Both Toronto and Montreal, our biggest cities, have NHL teams which sell out consistently and get good TV revenue as well--pretty well regardless of the product on the ice. Other sports can hardly sell tickets at all, even if they do well. You have to go to smaller cities such as Vancouver and Edmonton to find roughly equal support for more than one pro team.
In my days as policy advisor on science and tech, I was told we need to support science and tech with all ages of kids, just as we do hockey. Volunteers do much of the work, including coaching; families are willing to billet players in order to build talent; entire communities support arenas, etc. Besides hockey, does Canada do that for anything at all?
Our focus on hockey pays off. At least for the moment, we still seem to be No. 1 in the world, whereas (ahem) it has become questionable whether the U.S. is #1 in basketball. In baseball, the U.S. didn't even field a team at the Olympics. Presumably a "dream team" from the big leagues would win, but more and more big league players are "foreign born," just as in the NHL.
UPDATE Aug. 29: OK, so Canada didn't win any more, while the U.S. did. Finals: Canada 3 Gold, 12 total; U.S. 35/103. We're a bit under 10% in Golds; a bit over in total. Australia: 49 medals, 17 of them gold. Amazing.
I can't find the piece, but Professor Bercuson apparently took advantage of the wailing and gnashing of teeth about Canada's results to argue that this proves we love mediocrity, etc. The standard National Post line. But the usual golden comparison is: the U.S.
UPDATE:
2002 Winter Games, Salt Lake City: US 34 medals, 10 Gold; Canada 17, 7 Gold (50% overall, 70% Golds); Australia 2 Golds only.
Total 2002 Winter, 2004 Summer: USA 137 medals, 45 Gold; Canada 29 medals, 10 Gold: more than 25% total, 22.5% Golds. Australia 51 total, 19 Gold: say 40% of the US total, close to half of the golds.
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