Maybe it’s because no National Hockey League players will be there, maybe it’s because too many of the events will be played in the middle of the night (Canada time), maybe it’s because the Games are still over two weeks away, or maybe, it’s because the last thing any Canadian wants to see right now is a lot of snow on their television sets, given the winter it’s been north of the 49th parallel.
Likely, it’s some combination of all the above and we’ll see what happens when they get underway on Feb. 9, but the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea are–at least so far–not generating a lot of interest across Canada, excepting, of course, the families, friends and lovers of the dozens of athletes who will be competing.
The last time out, in Sochi, Russia in 2014, Canada won 25 medals, including 10 gold, including one each in men’s and women’s hockey.
Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby, centre, poses for a team photo after defeating Sweden to capture the gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. No National Hockey League players will be in South Korea for this year’s games, a fact that will very likely dampen Canadian enthusiasm for the Games.
(Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press)
The time before–in Vancouver in 2010–Canada won 26 medals including 14 golds–the most significant for most Canadians being gold won in men’s hockey on Sidney Crosby’s overtime golden goal to defeat the Americans before a delirious hometown crowd.
None of those players will be in PyeongChang, but Canada’s women’s hockey team–winner of four straight golds–will be there for a likely gold medal showdown against the USA.
So will a lot of other top-of-the-line athletes, including moguls skier Mikael Kingsbury, ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, snowboarder Mark McMorris, short-track skater Charles Hamelin, the freestyle skiing
Dufour-Lapointe sisters and Kaillie Humphries, winner of two straight golds in bobsleigh.
So things look good for Canada.
Canadian athletes to watch in PyeongChang
Last week, an international data analytics company projected that Canada will win 33 medals, including a gold in men’s hockey, good enough for third place in total medals behind Germany (40) and Norway (37) and ahead of the United States (29).
Gracenote analytics Olympic projections
The noted author, media personality, journalist and website host, Bruce Dowbiggin, is a long-time fan of all things Olympic, but these games are leaving him underwhelmed.
I spoke to him by phone at his Calgary home on Tuesday.
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