Canada had a truly amazing start to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Ten medals in the first five days of competition. To put it in perspective, we won 12 medals during the entire 2004 Games in Athens, which followed the 14 medals in Sydney in 2000.
And we’ve already surpassed the one gold medal we won in London in 2012. (Although we won a lot of silver and bronze medals that year).
Remember the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when we were shut out on the opening week of competition before going on a torrid medal run to finish with 20? The opening week slump wasn’t an issue this year.
The Olympics this year do stir up sentimental memories for me about the last time the Games were held in Japan – the Nagano Olympics of 1998.
I was in my sophomore year of university. With the exception of the semifinal in the men’s hockey competition, the two weeks of those Games were among the highlights of my university days, staying up until all hours of the morning (during mid-terms) to cheer Canada on.
We were thrilled when Sandra Schmirler won gold in women’s curling, and when Catriona Le May Doan won gold in her speed skating event.
A pal of mine bought a 27-inch rear projection, bulb screen television, which was pretty sharp back then, so we could watch the events. And since he bought it from a certain national retailer that had a no questions asked return policy, he returned it at the end of the Games.
I was surrounded by friends. I was young enough to stay up to 2 or even 4 a.m. to watch an event, and be up in time to get ready for class at 9 a.m.
Those days are over. I wish I could tell my 19-year-old self to enjoy those days even more.
I haven’t been able to watch these Games with the same vigour.
This is not an anti-Olympic rant. Do I have reservations about the Olympics happening this year, especially given the surge in COVID-19 cases in Tokyo prior to and during the Games? Absolutely.
But the screening and testing for everyone involved with the Olympics is very stringent, so they should be safe.
There other factors playing a much greater role in my lack of commitment to this year’s Olympics.
It’s just too damn nice out to be sitting inside and watching TV, regardless of whether it’s the greatest athletic showcase in the world or a rerun of an entertaining Simpsons episode from 1997. (You know, back when The Simpsons was great).
Give me a choice between sitting inside and watching TV, or sitting on my deck while I read a book or write stories, I’m going to be on my deck. Or out for a walk. Or out for a jog.
The timing of the broadcasts is also an issue. When I was 19, I could stay up all night and function on four or five hours of sleep. Not now.
Much of this year’s competitions will occur during the overnight hours. I’m pretty happy when I wake up to find out that Canada has added to its medal haul, but I won’t stay up to watch it.
Now, when Midale’s Keely Shaw is racing in the paracycling event at the Paralympic Games in a few weeks, I’ll likely stay up to watch it, even if she’s competing during my vacation.
I’ve never been into the Summer Games like I have been the Winter Games. The sports in the Winter Games grab my attention more, although I was pleased to see softball and baseball return for the Summer Games.
And Canada tends to do better in the Winter Olympics than the Summer Games.
I should note that I won’t be staying up until 2 a.m. to watch the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year.
I’m fiercely proud of our Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. You get to the Games by being the best in your country at what you do. And then you have to hope that your best is better than the best of the other countries.
They train incredibly hard for four years for a competition which is often finished relatively quickly.
You won’t hear me knocking our athletes, even if the results aren’t what they hoped for.
But I can think of other things I’d rather do in the evening when it’s 20 C outside and the beautiful weather is beckoning.
