Vancouver inspires Canada's London hopefuls
Updated: 2012-02-15 11:20
(Agencies)
|
|||||||||
TORONTO - Inspired by their chill-boned winter colleagues, Canada's Summer Olympic hopefuls are hoping to transfer the country's success from Vancouver to this year's London Games.
Canada won 14 gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, a record for any country at a single Winter Games, surpassing the previous mark of 13, jointly held by Norway and the former Soviet Union.
Canadian rower Tracy Cameron, a bronze medalist in double sculls at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was in Vancouver as a spectator and said the experience had motivated her for London.
"It was an energy that I can't describe," she told reporters at a Canadian Olympic media summit.
"You felt it, it was palpable and I really believe that that energy has carried over with us as the athletes."
While Canada's athletes know they will not have the advantage of competing in front of their home fans in London, other athletes also believe that support will carry over to the English capital.
"One of the great things that (Vancouver has) done is it's really gotten the Canadian public behind Olympians," said hurdler Perdita Felicien.
"Having a home games in Vancouver was just a great thing in the sense that people kind've got it for the first time, and so hopefully as summer athletes we can capitalise on a lot of that momentum and that excitement and that pride."
Diver Alexandre Despatie, a silver medalist in the 3-meter springboard at the last two Summer Olympics, took a break in his training to attend the Vancouver Games as a broadcaster and also left inspired by what he saw.
"The drive and the energy and the motivation that I got from Vancouver really affected my training, my season and I am going to carry that on to London," he said.
"We don't want to taper down the expectations, but at the same time we know what we are heading into ... and the athletes are very aware that we are a winter nation and the objectives are different for the summer Olympics."
At the last Summer Olympics in Beijing, Canada won a total of 18 medals, including three golds, and Despatie was confident they can do even better this time.
"I believe it's very realistic," he said. "We have a very strong team, lots of veterans, lots of people that have been there before that know how to perform when it's time to and lots of rookies to that are already established athletes."
- 'Taken 2' grabs movie box office crown
- Rihanna's 'Diamonds' tops UK pop chart
- Fans get look at vintage Rolling Stones
- Celebrities attend Power of Women event
- Ang Lee breaks 'every rule' to make unlikely new Life of Pi film
- Rihanna almost thrown out of nightclub
- 'Dark Knight' wins weekend box office
- 'Total Recall' stars gather in Beverly Hills
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Supplies pour into isolated villages |
All-out efforts to save lives |
American abroad |
Industry savior: Big boys' toys |
New commissioner
|
Liaoning: China's oceangoing giant |
Today's Top News
Health new priority for quake zone
Xi meets US top military officer
Japan's boats driven out of Diaoyu
China mulls online shopping legislation
Bird flu death toll rises to 22
Putin appoints new ambassador to China
Japanese ships blocked from Diaoyu Islands
Inspired by Guan, more Chinese pick up golf
US Weekly
Beyond Yao
|
Money power |