Finally the medal drought end!

Now this is what I'm talking about!  Finally Team Canada medals and not with 2nd or 3rd but with Gold!   Now look at that smile, look at that pride.  Celebrate that medal because you just became the darling of Canada's Summer Olympic dreams of 2008.

And it didn't end there.  After 1 week of medal drought, Canada, who sent 300+ athletes to Beijing, in two days of competition is bringing back at least 7 medals.  Wrestling, a swimming pool medal(finally), and  rowing.  Lots of rowers.  8 men. 4 men. 2 women. 2 men.

Why are our rowers/paddlers so strong?  One of the commentaries on CBC's website made by Kelsey sums it up nicely.  

It can be argued that our National Team (men & women) have the WORST facilities of any national rowing program in the world - yet we still post these results. Why? Is it because the athletes currently in Beijing watched Derek, Darren, and Terry win Gold in '92 and thought "I can do that." Or maybe it was the story of Silken, or the raw desire-to-win of Marnie and Kathleen that gave them hope. 

Perhaps it is because the these particular athletes do NOT believe that just making the Olympics is a goal in itself... they believe that if you're going to go, you might as well aim for the highest and rarest prize in sport.

Go here for the complete comment.

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/story/2008/08/17/olympics-yourview-rowing.html#socialcomments

Finally these are soundbytes I wish I heard from all our athletes.  From the 8 men crew:

"We never stopped, we just kept on pushing, every stroke," said coxswain Brian Price.

The reigning world champions were seeking redemption for their crushing defeat in Athens in 2004, when they entered as medal favourites and finished fifth.

"In Athens, it was a very hard fought race. It was one where we were behind, and we had to fight back. Here we dominated, and that is such a testament to what a great crew this was," said Jake Wetzel.

I bet you each and every one of them are married to the prom king/queen.