With one day to spare, the Beijing Olympics have become the most-watched event in American television history.
NBC Universal reports its total audience for these Games hit 211 million through Saturday, pushing it past Atlanta 1996 as the all-time leader for Olympic viewership south of the border. The aggregate number 12 years ago was 209 million for 17 days. Beijing's total has yet to include today's programming, which included the men's basketball final and the closing ceremony.
Perhaps even more impressive: 86% of U.S. households tuned in to at least some part of Beijing 2008.
Audiences got a huge boost in the opening week of the Games, when American swimmer Michael Phelps made his historic charge to an unprecedented eight gold medals in a single Olympics. NBC Universal also spread its coverage over nine networks, with its cable outlets combining for a record 86 million viewers.
While Winter Olympics ratings tend to be stronger in Canada, the opposite is true for a neighbouring country that is traditionally a Summer Games powerhouse. Four of the five most-watched Olympics ever in the U.S. were summer affairs, with Lillehammer 1994 (carried by CBS) the lone exception. We don't need to get into why.
Showing posts with label Atlanta 1996. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlanta 1996. Show all posts
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
It's All About The Spin
When kayaker Adam van Koeverden emerged from the K-1 500 metre final with a silver medal early this morning at the Shunyi canoe/kayak venue, it signalled the final podium trip for a Canadian at the Beijing Olympics.
(although Gary Reed gave it his best shot in the 800 metres on the track at the Bird's Nest stadium, with the reigning world silver medallist finishing an agonizing fourth).
So the final medal count for Canada reads like this: Three gold, nine silver, six bronze. A grand total of 18, which rates six better than Athens 2004 and matches the second-best total ever for Canada at a non-boycotted Summer Olympics. We brought home the same number of medals from Barcelona in 1992; the number grew to 22 four years later in Atlanta.
Sports Illustrated predicted 15 Canadian medals at these Games. The majority of pundits probably weren't willing to go beyond that, given what transpired in Athens four years ago.
Were these Games a success for Canada? Based on the improvement over Athens, you'd have to give our gang in China a passing grade. Especially given the fact that the majority of amateur sport funding is being directed to winter athletes at the moment, with our country mere hours away from being officially on deck for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
The stated goal before Beijing 2008, according the Canadian Olympic Committee, was a top-16 finish in the medal standings. If one goes by the total medal count — and, as we've said here earlier, it should be that way — then the COC can boast about a tie for 13th with Belarus. The official Beijing Games site, though, ranks countries by golds won, which drops us down to a tie for 19th, and outside of the COC's target.
A successful Summer Olympics or not? We'll be interested to see how the powers-that-be in Canada spin this one.
(although Gary Reed gave it his best shot in the 800 metres on the track at the Bird's Nest stadium, with the reigning world silver medallist finishing an agonizing fourth).
So the final medal count for Canada reads like this: Three gold, nine silver, six bronze. A grand total of 18, which rates six better than Athens 2004 and matches the second-best total ever for Canada at a non-boycotted Summer Olympics. We brought home the same number of medals from Barcelona in 1992; the number grew to 22 four years later in Atlanta.
Sports Illustrated predicted 15 Canadian medals at these Games. The majority of pundits probably weren't willing to go beyond that, given what transpired in Athens four years ago.
Were these Games a success for Canada? Based on the improvement over Athens, you'd have to give our gang in China a passing grade. Especially given the fact that the majority of amateur sport funding is being directed to winter athletes at the moment, with our country mere hours away from being officially on deck for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
The stated goal before Beijing 2008, according the Canadian Olympic Committee, was a top-16 finish in the medal standings. If one goes by the total medal count — and, as we've said here earlier, it should be that way — then the COC can boast about a tie for 13th with Belarus. The official Beijing Games site, though, ranks countries by golds won, which drops us down to a tie for 19th, and outside of the COC's target.
A successful Summer Olympics or not? We'll be interested to see how the powers-that-be in Canada spin this one.
Friday, August 22, 2008
CBC's Run Almost Done
You've no doubt heard it said plenty over the past dozen years or so.
"CBC Sports. Canada's Olympic Network."
In less than 48 hours, the folks who run the Mother Corp. will have to retire that moniker for at least another six years. When the flame goes out in Beijing on Sunday, it's curtains for CBC's run as the Olympic broadcaster of record in Canada.
The world's athletes next gather in two years time in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games and we'll see coverage presented by a CTV Globemedia/Rogers Communications consortium that will put the Olympics primarily on TSN, Sportsnet and CTV. They'll have a second go at it again in 2012 for the London Summer Olympics.
CBC has avoided — so far, at least — getting all sentimental about the fact that they're losing the grip on Canadian Olympic broadcast rights that they've held since 1996 in Atlanta. Beijing 2008 marks the end of a five-Games partnership with TSN that has supplied Canadians with comprehensive Olympic coverage (further enhanced this year with hundreds of hours of online broadcasts).
Sunday at 6 p.m., CBC begins its Beijing swan song and it intends to include a retrospective of its Olympic coverage over the past 12 years. To hear the higher-ups there tell it, though, the public broadcaster intends to push hard to get back into the Olympic game in 2014 (there's a strong belief that its just-approved digital channel, CBC Sports Plus, will be a key weapon in a future bid to combat the CTV/Rogers group).
But that's for another day. If you're a fan of the way CBC presents Olympics (and there is a lot to like about their live-emphasis programming), enjoy what's left of Beijing. It'll going to be a little while before we see the likes of it again.
"CBC Sports. Canada's Olympic Network."
In less than 48 hours, the folks who run the Mother Corp. will have to retire that moniker for at least another six years. When the flame goes out in Beijing on Sunday, it's curtains for CBC's run as the Olympic broadcaster of record in Canada.
The world's athletes next gather in two years time in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games and we'll see coverage presented by a CTV Globemedia/Rogers Communications consortium that will put the Olympics primarily on TSN, Sportsnet and CTV. They'll have a second go at it again in 2012 for the London Summer Olympics.
CBC has avoided — so far, at least — getting all sentimental about the fact that they're losing the grip on Canadian Olympic broadcast rights that they've held since 1996 in Atlanta. Beijing 2008 marks the end of a five-Games partnership with TSN that has supplied Canadians with comprehensive Olympic coverage (further enhanced this year with hundreds of hours of online broadcasts).
Sunday at 6 p.m., CBC begins its Beijing swan song and it intends to include a retrospective of its Olympic coverage over the past 12 years. To hear the higher-ups there tell it, though, the public broadcaster intends to push hard to get back into the Olympic game in 2014 (there's a strong belief that its just-approved digital channel, CBC Sports Plus, will be a key weapon in a future bid to combat the CTV/Rogers group).
But that's for another day. If you're a fan of the way CBC presents Olympics (and there is a lot to like about their live-emphasis programming), enjoy what's left of Beijing. It'll going to be a little while before we see the likes of it again.
You Just Never Know
So you woke up this morning and heard Canada won a medal in canoe/kayak events.
Hell of a guy, that Adam van Koeverden, you no doubt thought. Soon enough, though, you realized you'd thought wrong. Very, very wrong.
While van Koeverden — considered the surest of shots among the Canadian contingent at the Beijing Games — faded badly to a shocking eighth-place finish in the men's K-1 1,000-metre final, it was the much more unheralded Thomas Hall driving to a bronze medal in the C-1 1,000 at the Shunyi Olympic venue.
There, in a nutshell, is what you typically find at an Olympic Games, especially when it comes to Canadian results. For every van Koeverden or Brent Hayden who doesn't quite match high pre-games expectations, you'll also find a Carol Huynh or Ryan Cochrane or Priscilla Lopes-Schliep who produces an unexpected trip to the podium.
"Some people can handle (the Olympic pressure) and some can't," Hall would later tell CBC's Scott Russell on Olympic Prime. "Some people can bring their 'A' game when it counts. The Olympics only happens once every four years. It's a big deal and there's lots of stress."
Add it all up, and Canada generally winds up about where you'd expect at the end of the day. We sit on 17 medals with one full competition day left in Beijing, one shy of matching Barcelona 1992 as the second most successful Summer Olympics for a Canadian team at a non-boycotted Games (only Atlanta 1996, with 22, ranks higher).
Van Koeverden might yet contribute to that total. He's back on the water at Shunyi at 3:30 a.m. ET, gunning to defend his Olympic crown in the K-1 500 metres. He was as stunned as everyone watching about what happened in the 1,000, a race in which he won the silver medal four years ago in Athens.
"I just didn't have it," van Koeverden told CBC's Karin Larsen after the race. "It's a hell of a time not to have it. It's the worst 1,000 metres I have put together in years."
He's hardly alone. The sprint relays were littered with disaster, with both the U.S. men's and women's teams disqualified in the heats because of botched exchanges. The same fate awaited a heavily favoured Jamaican team in the women's final.
All of which goes to show that at the Olympics, you just never know. It's a whole different Games.
*****
It didn't take long for the so-called "Canadian flagbearer jinx" to be trumpeted by the media in the wake of van Koeverden's finish this morning. In the last five Summer Games, only kayaker Caroline Brunet (silver at Sydney 2000) was able to climb on to the Olympic podium.
Van Koeverden, of course, isn't done yet in Beijing. And it's worth noting that in 1984 and 1988, Alex Baumann (Los Angeles) and Carolyn Waldo (Seoul) both struck gold.
We're sure the latter two didn't believe there was any sort of hex attached to the red maple leaf. Confident guy that he is, van Koeverden likely doesn't subscribe to such thinking, either.
Hell of a guy, that Adam van Koeverden, you no doubt thought. Soon enough, though, you realized you'd thought wrong. Very, very wrong.
While van Koeverden — considered the surest of shots among the Canadian contingent at the Beijing Games — faded badly to a shocking eighth-place finish in the men's K-1 1,000-metre final, it was the much more unheralded Thomas Hall driving to a bronze medal in the C-1 1,000 at the Shunyi Olympic venue.
There, in a nutshell, is what you typically find at an Olympic Games, especially when it comes to Canadian results. For every van Koeverden or Brent Hayden who doesn't quite match high pre-games expectations, you'll also find a Carol Huynh or Ryan Cochrane or Priscilla Lopes-Schliep who produces an unexpected trip to the podium.
"Some people can handle (the Olympic pressure) and some can't," Hall would later tell CBC's Scott Russell on Olympic Prime. "Some people can bring their 'A' game when it counts. The Olympics only happens once every four years. It's a big deal and there's lots of stress."
Add it all up, and Canada generally winds up about where you'd expect at the end of the day. We sit on 17 medals with one full competition day left in Beijing, one shy of matching Barcelona 1992 as the second most successful Summer Olympics for a Canadian team at a non-boycotted Games (only Atlanta 1996, with 22, ranks higher).
Van Koeverden might yet contribute to that total. He's back on the water at Shunyi at 3:30 a.m. ET, gunning to defend his Olympic crown in the K-1 500 metres. He was as stunned as everyone watching about what happened in the 1,000, a race in which he won the silver medal four years ago in Athens.
"I just didn't have it," van Koeverden told CBC's Karin Larsen after the race. "It's a hell of a time not to have it. It's the worst 1,000 metres I have put together in years."
He's hardly alone. The sprint relays were littered with disaster, with both the U.S. men's and women's teams disqualified in the heats because of botched exchanges. The same fate awaited a heavily favoured Jamaican team in the women's final.
All of which goes to show that at the Olympics, you just never know. It's a whole different Games.
*****
It didn't take long for the so-called "Canadian flagbearer jinx" to be trumpeted by the media in the wake of van Koeverden's finish this morning. In the last five Summer Games, only kayaker Caroline Brunet (silver at Sydney 2000) was able to climb on to the Olympic podium.
Van Koeverden, of course, isn't done yet in Beijing. And it's worth noting that in 1984 and 1988, Alex Baumann (Los Angeles) and Carolyn Waldo (Seoul) both struck gold.
We're sure the latter two didn't believe there was any sort of hex attached to the red maple leaf. Confident guy that he is, van Koeverden likely doesn't subscribe to such thinking, either.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Lamaze Class Of The Olympic Rings
Some stories almost seem too far-fetched to even fathom. Too far removed from reality to possibly consider.
If you're familiar with the story of Eric Lamaze, you had to think what transpired this morning in Hong Kong was one of those moments you'd never see. But there was the Canadian equestrian, wiping tears from his eyes on the top of the medal podium after winning the individual show jumping title at the Beijing Olympics.
Only Michel Vaillancourt, in 1976 in Montreal (the equestrian events were held in nearby Bromont that year), had brought Canada an individual medal (a silver) in the event in previous Olympic history. Until Lamaze, though, the colour had never been gold.
There was a time, not so long ago, when this seemed to be the most unlikely of possibilities. Lamaze was booted from both the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games for doping infractions. As he told CBC's Tom Harrington in a revealing pre-game feature, he contemplated suicide at one point as his life spiralled downward.
The Canadian Olympic Committee wouldn't let Lamaze compete at the Athens 2004 Games, even though a lifetime ban had been overturned. His Olympic dreams seemed as far away as ever but he arrived reborn at these Games as the fourth-rated rider in the field and with Hickstead, a jewel of a horse (some compare him to the legendary Big Ben, the famous mount of Lamaze's Canadian teammate, Ian Millar of Perth, Ont.).
It came down to a jumpoff between Lamaze and Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson. When Lamaze and Hickstead completed a clean round, the gold was theirs. And, it could be suggested, one of the great comeback stories in Olympic history. Vindication doesn't even begin to describe the hell that Lamaze endured and survived.
"When you give people chances and allow them to come back from their mistakes, great things happen," Lamaze told CBC's Erin Paul before accepting his gold medal. "I'm a great example that you shouldn't give up on people."
We can only imagine what was running through Lamaze's mind as the strains of O Canada played in his honour.
"There were so many days when you wouldn't dream this was possible," he said.
Olympic Morning host Diana Swain wondered if Lamaze "had his life flash before his eyes. There is a lot of history in that face." She also predicted — and probably not wrongly — that the story will be worthy of a movie someday.
It is an inspiring tale of redemption, indeed. Too many of us have asked for (and needed) second chances in our lives. Eric Lamaze reminded us today just how much a man can achieve when all he asks for is an opportunity to show he has changed for the better.
Sometimes, you see, faith really is the most special virtue of them all.
"He vowed to earn Canada's trust again," CBC anchor Scott Russell later said during a replay on Olympic Prime.
Consider it a promise kept, in just about every way possible.
If you're familiar with the story of Eric Lamaze, you had to think what transpired this morning in Hong Kong was one of those moments you'd never see. But there was the Canadian equestrian, wiping tears from his eyes on the top of the medal podium after winning the individual show jumping title at the Beijing Olympics.
Only Michel Vaillancourt, in 1976 in Montreal (the equestrian events were held in nearby Bromont that year), had brought Canada an individual medal (a silver) in the event in previous Olympic history. Until Lamaze, though, the colour had never been gold.
There was a time, not so long ago, when this seemed to be the most unlikely of possibilities. Lamaze was booted from both the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games for doping infractions. As he told CBC's Tom Harrington in a revealing pre-game feature, he contemplated suicide at one point as his life spiralled downward.
The Canadian Olympic Committee wouldn't let Lamaze compete at the Athens 2004 Games, even though a lifetime ban had been overturned. His Olympic dreams seemed as far away as ever but he arrived reborn at these Games as the fourth-rated rider in the field and with Hickstead, a jewel of a horse (some compare him to the legendary Big Ben, the famous mount of Lamaze's Canadian teammate, Ian Millar of Perth, Ont.).
It came down to a jumpoff between Lamaze and Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson. When Lamaze and Hickstead completed a clean round, the gold was theirs. And, it could be suggested, one of the great comeback stories in Olympic history. Vindication doesn't even begin to describe the hell that Lamaze endured and survived.
"When you give people chances and allow them to come back from their mistakes, great things happen," Lamaze told CBC's Erin Paul before accepting his gold medal. "I'm a great example that you shouldn't give up on people."
We can only imagine what was running through Lamaze's mind as the strains of O Canada played in his honour.
"There were so many days when you wouldn't dream this was possible," he said.
Olympic Morning host Diana Swain wondered if Lamaze "had his life flash before his eyes. There is a lot of history in that face." She also predicted — and probably not wrongly — that the story will be worthy of a movie someday.
It is an inspiring tale of redemption, indeed. Too many of us have asked for (and needed) second chances in our lives. Eric Lamaze reminded us today just how much a man can achieve when all he asks for is an opportunity to show he has changed for the better.
Sometimes, you see, faith really is the most special virtue of them all.
"He vowed to earn Canada's trust again," CBC anchor Scott Russell later said during a replay on Olympic Prime.
Consider it a promise kept, in just about every way possible.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Lightning Bolt Strikes Twice
So what did you do on your 22nd birthday?
If you're Usain Bolt, you run the fastest 200 metres of all time on the biggest stage in the world. And then have 91,000 of your newest admirers serenade you with renditions of 'Happy Birthday to you ...'
Some story to tell your kids someday about your Beijing Olympics experience, isn't it?
None of us will soon forget the scene that unfolded at the Bird's Nest stadium this morning, as Bolt, well, bolted through the final of the men's 200 metres in an astounding 19.30 seconds — chopping two one-hundredths of a second off the record set by American sprint star Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
(so much for that Games record book. Bolt, you'll earlier recall, earlier removed Canadian Donovan Bailey's name from the Olympics annals with a 9.69-second clocking for the 100 metres).
It's also the first time a male sprinter has completed the 100-200 double since Carl Lewis at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Nobody until now, though, has done it with two world records.
The latest jaw-dropping performance had CBC's crew scrambling for new superlatives.
"He does the impossible and makes the impossible look easy," said track analyst Dave Moorcroft.
CBC's Mark Lee, who's distinguishing himself rather well in his first go at Olympic track and filed, called the Jamaican sensation "totally unstoppable" (and did you even notice who crossed the line second and third?).
Track pundits, some of whom scoffed at Bolt for celebrating too soon at the end of the men's 100 (and perhaps giving away the chance to lower that standard even further), had wondered just what Bolt could do if he ran full out to the finish. They've got their answer now. With an exclamation point or three.
And the sport, and these Olympics, have a new hero to embrace, a joyful young lad who's had the time of his life in Beijing. So, too, have the adoring fans at the Bird's Nest and around the world.
"This is the new face of track and field and this sport can use a young man like Usain Bolt," said Lee. "He's put a friendly face on track and field. He has brought a fraternity to track and field."
Added CBC analyst Michael Smith: "He's still a boy. He's having fun."
Bolt wasn't about to let his critics spoil any of that.
"Come on, man," Bolt said when presented with some of the criticism by CBC's Elliotte Friedman. "If you see you're going to win, you're going to celebrate. If you see you're going to be Olympic champion, you're happy."
Wait until he gets home to Jamaica. We're guessing there's a whole lot of happy going on there.
*****
Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps?
The debate's already raging over at CBC's Olympics website about who's the biggest star of the Beijing Games. We know who wins south of the border ... and in Jamaica, for that matter.
If you're Usain Bolt, you run the fastest 200 metres of all time on the biggest stage in the world. And then have 91,000 of your newest admirers serenade you with renditions of 'Happy Birthday to you ...'
Some story to tell your kids someday about your Beijing Olympics experience, isn't it?
None of us will soon forget the scene that unfolded at the Bird's Nest stadium this morning, as Bolt, well, bolted through the final of the men's 200 metres in an astounding 19.30 seconds — chopping two one-hundredths of a second off the record set by American sprint star Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
(so much for that Games record book. Bolt, you'll earlier recall, earlier removed Canadian Donovan Bailey's name from the Olympics annals with a 9.69-second clocking for the 100 metres).
It's also the first time a male sprinter has completed the 100-200 double since Carl Lewis at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Nobody until now, though, has done it with two world records.
The latest jaw-dropping performance had CBC's crew scrambling for new superlatives.
"He does the impossible and makes the impossible look easy," said track analyst Dave Moorcroft.
CBC's Mark Lee, who's distinguishing himself rather well in his first go at Olympic track and filed, called the Jamaican sensation "totally unstoppable" (and did you even notice who crossed the line second and third?).
Track pundits, some of whom scoffed at Bolt for celebrating too soon at the end of the men's 100 (and perhaps giving away the chance to lower that standard even further), had wondered just what Bolt could do if he ran full out to the finish. They've got their answer now. With an exclamation point or three.
And the sport, and these Olympics, have a new hero to embrace, a joyful young lad who's had the time of his life in Beijing. So, too, have the adoring fans at the Bird's Nest and around the world.
"This is the new face of track and field and this sport can use a young man like Usain Bolt," said Lee. "He's put a friendly face on track and field. He has brought a fraternity to track and field."
Added CBC analyst Michael Smith: "He's still a boy. He's having fun."
Bolt wasn't about to let his critics spoil any of that.
"Come on, man," Bolt said when presented with some of the criticism by CBC's Elliotte Friedman. "If you see you're going to win, you're going to celebrate. If you see you're going to be Olympic champion, you're happy."
Wait until he gets home to Jamaica. We're guessing there's a whole lot of happy going on there.
*****
Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps?
The debate's already raging over at CBC's Olympics website about who's the biggest star of the Beijing Games. We know who wins south of the border ... and in Jamaica, for that matter.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Hurdling Into Her Own Spotlight
We first met three years ago at a much more quaint venue in Ottawa and instantly, I thought, this is an athlete Canadians everywhere should want to see succeed.
Priscilla Lopes (she hadn't picked up the Schliep yet) didn't win that day at the Canadian track and field championships, held on the Terry Fox Athletic Facility track that sits on the banks of Mooney's Bay. But there was just something about her that said 'winner.' And something else that made a neutral observer want to see it happen someday on the biggest of stages.
Lopes-Schliep, as she's now known, was just that charming with an attitude and personality that were nothing less than infectious, it must be said now.
I thought about all of that again this morning while watching the powerful runner from Whitby, Ont., dance around the track at the Bird's Nest with glee after learning a photo finish had declared her the winner of the bronze medal in the women's 100-metre hurdles. It was Canada's first Olympic medal in track and field since the men's 4x100-metre relay team blew away the vaunted Americans on their home soil in Atlanta in 1996.
The last Canadian to earn a Games medal in the women's hurdles? Try Elizabeth Taylor (no, not that one), way back in 1936 in Berlin (yes, the infamous 'Nazi Olympics.' The race was only 80 metres long back then, by the way).
That streak was supposed to end four years ago in Athens but world champion Perdita Felicien, sadly and incredibly, didn't make it past the first hurdle. Just when she was beginning to return to form, an injury knocked Felicien out of the Beijing Games, apparently ending Canada's hopes for the hurdles again.
But not enough people, it seemed, knew about the competitive fire that burns inside of Lopes-Schliep. Give a listen to this quote from her Olympians profile on CBC. "If you say you're trying for second or third, pack your bags and go home," she said. "I'm going out there to win."
She's never believed for a minute, either, that she's been running in Felicien's shadow.
"I'm not living somebody else's dream," she said. "I'm living my dream."
Still, the ironies — and the connections to Felicien's fall in Athens — were too rich to ignore. One of the top medal contenders, world champion Andrea Kallur of Sweden (daughter of former New York Islanders hockey star Susanna, if you're wondering), suffered the same fate as Felicien in the heats (see, it doesn't just happen to our athletes).
In the final, the gold favourite, LoLo Jones of the U.S., seemed en route to victory when she clipped the second-last hurdle, killing her momentum. Lopes-Schliep, meanwhile, kept chugging away like the runaway freight train she is on the track.
And there she was at the end, out from "under the radar" and bouncing with pure joy to a step on the Olympic podium. Living her own dream, nobody else's. Tell me it didn't make you smile right along with her, Canada.
Priscilla Lopes (she hadn't picked up the Schliep yet) didn't win that day at the Canadian track and field championships, held on the Terry Fox Athletic Facility track that sits on the banks of Mooney's Bay. But there was just something about her that said 'winner.' And something else that made a neutral observer want to see it happen someday on the biggest of stages.
Lopes-Schliep, as she's now known, was just that charming with an attitude and personality that were nothing less than infectious, it must be said now.
I thought about all of that again this morning while watching the powerful runner from Whitby, Ont., dance around the track at the Bird's Nest with glee after learning a photo finish had declared her the winner of the bronze medal in the women's 100-metre hurdles. It was Canada's first Olympic medal in track and field since the men's 4x100-metre relay team blew away the vaunted Americans on their home soil in Atlanta in 1996.
The last Canadian to earn a Games medal in the women's hurdles? Try Elizabeth Taylor (no, not that one), way back in 1936 in Berlin (yes, the infamous 'Nazi Olympics.' The race was only 80 metres long back then, by the way).
That streak was supposed to end four years ago in Athens but world champion Perdita Felicien, sadly and incredibly, didn't make it past the first hurdle. Just when she was beginning to return to form, an injury knocked Felicien out of the Beijing Games, apparently ending Canada's hopes for the hurdles again.
But not enough people, it seemed, knew about the competitive fire that burns inside of Lopes-Schliep. Give a listen to this quote from her Olympians profile on CBC. "If you say you're trying for second or third, pack your bags and go home," she said. "I'm going out there to win."
She's never believed for a minute, either, that she's been running in Felicien's shadow.
"I'm not living somebody else's dream," she said. "I'm living my dream."
Still, the ironies — and the connections to Felicien's fall in Athens — were too rich to ignore. One of the top medal contenders, world champion Andrea Kallur of Sweden (daughter of former New York Islanders hockey star Susanna, if you're wondering), suffered the same fate as Felicien in the heats (see, it doesn't just happen to our athletes).
In the final, the gold favourite, LoLo Jones of the U.S., seemed en route to victory when she clipped the second-last hurdle, killing her momentum. Lopes-Schliep, meanwhile, kept chugging away like the runaway freight train she is on the track.
And there she was at the end, out from "under the radar" and bouncing with pure joy to a step on the Olympic podium. Living her own dream, nobody else's. Tell me it didn't make you smile right along with her, Canada.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Eight Is Enough For Phelps
A few days back, as Michael Phelps marched inexorably toward Olympic history, CBC's Steve Armitage opined the following about the American swimming giant.
"We are running out of superlatives," said Armitage, whose booming voice Canadians have come to know so well over the past four Summer Olympics.
Everyone found a few more, though, on the final night of the Beijing Games swim competition, as the U.S. 4x100-metre medley relay team — with Phelps putting the Stars and Stripes ahead to stay with a crucial butterfly leg — maintained its spotless record in this event in Olympic finals.
Oh, yeah, did we mention it was gold medal No. 8 for Phelps, breaking the record set by another American swimmer, Mark Spitz, back in 1972 in Munich?
"Seventeen swims, eight golds," Armitage said in summing up the remarkable achievement he had witnessed all week at the Water Cube. "The great Michael Phelps. Now the greatest."
CBC Olympic Prime anchor Ron MacLean went further, calling Phelps "the eighth wonder of the swimming world."
To NBC, he's been the engine driving a massive ratings success story. With Phelps on almost every night during the first eight days of the Beijing Games, NBC Universal networks' total viewership had hit 185 million — on pace to be the most-watched Olympics ever in the U.S., even surpassing the 1996 Atlanta Games, which attracted the largest television audiences of any event in history.
NBCOlympics.com has already generated 628 million page viewers, more than the total for the entire Athens 2004 and the 2006 Torino Winter Games combined (561 million).
*****
With the swimming competition in Beijing now in the books, a much-deserved hat tip to Australia's Channel 7, which produced the host broadcast feed at the Water Cube.
The underwater camera shots, in particular, were fabulous, often showing us the minute difference between winning and losing. We also enjoyed the overhead views and the slo-motion replay close-ups of the race victors.
Of course, watching it all in high-definition format was just the icing on the cake.
*****
Photo of the day: Debbie Phelps, mother of you know who, receiving heartfelt congratulations from Aussie swim legend Ian (Thorpedo) Thorpe after her son claimed his record-shattering eighth Olympic gold.
"We are running out of superlatives," said Armitage, whose booming voice Canadians have come to know so well over the past four Summer Olympics.
Everyone found a few more, though, on the final night of the Beijing Games swim competition, as the U.S. 4x100-metre medley relay team — with Phelps putting the Stars and Stripes ahead to stay with a crucial butterfly leg — maintained its spotless record in this event in Olympic finals.
Oh, yeah, did we mention it was gold medal No. 8 for Phelps, breaking the record set by another American swimmer, Mark Spitz, back in 1972 in Munich?
"Seventeen swims, eight golds," Armitage said in summing up the remarkable achievement he had witnessed all week at the Water Cube. "The great Michael Phelps. Now the greatest."
CBC Olympic Prime anchor Ron MacLean went further, calling Phelps "the eighth wonder of the swimming world."
To NBC, he's been the engine driving a massive ratings success story. With Phelps on almost every night during the first eight days of the Beijing Games, NBC Universal networks' total viewership had hit 185 million — on pace to be the most-watched Olympics ever in the U.S., even surpassing the 1996 Atlanta Games, which attracted the largest television audiences of any event in history.
NBCOlympics.com has already generated 628 million page viewers, more than the total for the entire Athens 2004 and the 2006 Torino Winter Games combined (561 million).
*****
With the swimming competition in Beijing now in the books, a much-deserved hat tip to Australia's Channel 7, which produced the host broadcast feed at the Water Cube.
The underwater camera shots, in particular, were fabulous, often showing us the minute difference between winning and losing. We also enjoyed the overhead views and the slo-motion replay close-ups of the race victors.
Of course, watching it all in high-definition format was just the icing on the cake.
*****
Photo of the day: Debbie Phelps, mother of you know who, receiving heartfelt congratulations from Aussie swim legend Ian (Thorpedo) Thorpe after her son claimed his record-shattering eighth Olympic gold.
Who's The Real King Of Beijing?
Leave it to the always outspoken Donovan Bailey to throw down this gauntlet.
The American media has been falling all over itself in trying to define the greatness of swimmer Michael Phelps, who's got a record-tying seven Olympic gold medals in the bank at the Beijing Olympics. With No. 8 on deck tonight at the Water Cube.
Greatest Olympian ever. Greatest athlete in the world. We've heard them all.
Wait till they all catch word of what Bailey had to say about Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who destroyed the field in the men's 100 metres at the National Stadium (a.k.a. the Bird's Nest) this morning in an astounding world-record time of 9.69 seconds.
"The 100 metres is still the biggest single event of the Games," said Bailey, the 1996 Atlanta Games champ in that event, who's in Beijing as a track commentator for the CBC. "Michael Phelps is the star of the Games but Usain Bolt is absolutely the king of the Games.
"You're crowned king when you win the Games. I know that."
Now, you might recall back at those Atlanta Games, when Bailey won the 100 for Canada on U.S. soil, that NBC made a rather feeble attempt to declare American Michael Johnson (the 200 and 400-metre gold medallist) the "world's fastest man" (a title that traditionally goes to the 100 winner).
We can only imagine how NBC will react to Bailey's boasts (you know, after they show the race on tape tonight). Bolt, however, wouldn't be drawn into the argument when interviewed by the CBC's Elliotte Friedman.
"I don't think I can equal that," said Bolt of Phelps' achievements. "That guy is great. I've been watching all his races. He's an inspiration (to me)."
Bailey might be more than a little biased, though. He's known Bolt for years and shares the new sprint king's Jamaican heritage. After the semi-finals, he had predicted "you are going to see something special" in the final from Bolt, who began celebrating his victory with 15 metres to go (Bailey believes he could have gone perhaps as fast as 9.58 seconds if he'd run full-out to the finish. CBC's Michael Smith suggested 9.40 was even possible).
Amazingly, Bolt became the first-ever Olympic 100-metre champ wearing the colours of Jamaica, a country with a strong sprinting heritage. Bailey knows what this will mean to the tiny island nation.
"At some point in the next few years, (this day) will be a national holiday in Jamaica," said Bailey, whose previous Olympic-record time of 9.84 seconds lasted for 12 years. "Usain Bolt is that special. Most 6-foot-6 guys are playing basketball, football, whatever. He's doing things no human being has ever done."
More than reason enough for an Usain Bolt Day back home, to be sure.
(Prime-time update: Bailey said he thinks Bolt's face will appear on Jamaican currency, too).
*****
Bad timing award: CBC's Mark Lee gave us an interesting look underneath the stands of the Bird's Nest, taking viewers into the area where track athletes wait before they're called into the stadium for their events.
The report was taped, which became even more obvious when Lee said "imagine what it will be like watching Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt sitting side-by-side here" before the 100-metre final.
A nice thought except for one thing: Gay, the reigning world champ and big American hope, had already been eliminated in the semi-finals. Oops.
Lee, by the way, hit all the right notes in calling the race. Here's the way he described Bolt's triumph: “Look at Bolt, holding nothing back now. Big strides, full speed, stopping the clock in a new world record — 9.68. No man has ever run that fast in the planet. Sensational.”
That about says it all, doesn't it?
(the 9.68 was later rounded up to 9.69, if you're wondering).
*****
Their homeland had three sprinters in the 100 final but Jamaica's television crew was relegated to working from a trailer outside the Bird's Nest for a race that no doubt had the entire island glued to its TV sets.
CBC gave us a look at their call of the event, in which the announcer — working off a monitor in the trailer — said "Bolt has destroyed the field." The pride in his voice was unmistakable and understandably so.
The American media has been falling all over itself in trying to define the greatness of swimmer Michael Phelps, who's got a record-tying seven Olympic gold medals in the bank at the Beijing Olympics. With No. 8 on deck tonight at the Water Cube.
Greatest Olympian ever. Greatest athlete in the world. We've heard them all.
Wait till they all catch word of what Bailey had to say about Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who destroyed the field in the men's 100 metres at the National Stadium (a.k.a. the Bird's Nest) this morning in an astounding world-record time of 9.69 seconds.
"The 100 metres is still the biggest single event of the Games," said Bailey, the 1996 Atlanta Games champ in that event, who's in Beijing as a track commentator for the CBC. "Michael Phelps is the star of the Games but Usain Bolt is absolutely the king of the Games.
"You're crowned king when you win the Games. I know that."
Now, you might recall back at those Atlanta Games, when Bailey won the 100 for Canada on U.S. soil, that NBC made a rather feeble attempt to declare American Michael Johnson (the 200 and 400-metre gold medallist) the "world's fastest man" (a title that traditionally goes to the 100 winner).
We can only imagine how NBC will react to Bailey's boasts (you know, after they show the race on tape tonight). Bolt, however, wouldn't be drawn into the argument when interviewed by the CBC's Elliotte Friedman.
"I don't think I can equal that," said Bolt of Phelps' achievements. "That guy is great. I've been watching all his races. He's an inspiration (to me)."
Bailey might be more than a little biased, though. He's known Bolt for years and shares the new sprint king's Jamaican heritage. After the semi-finals, he had predicted "you are going to see something special" in the final from Bolt, who began celebrating his victory with 15 metres to go (Bailey believes he could have gone perhaps as fast as 9.58 seconds if he'd run full-out to the finish. CBC's Michael Smith suggested 9.40 was even possible).
Amazingly, Bolt became the first-ever Olympic 100-metre champ wearing the colours of Jamaica, a country with a strong sprinting heritage. Bailey knows what this will mean to the tiny island nation.
"At some point in the next few years, (this day) will be a national holiday in Jamaica," said Bailey, whose previous Olympic-record time of 9.84 seconds lasted for 12 years. "Usain Bolt is that special. Most 6-foot-6 guys are playing basketball, football, whatever. He's doing things no human being has ever done."
More than reason enough for an Usain Bolt Day back home, to be sure.
(Prime-time update: Bailey said he thinks Bolt's face will appear on Jamaican currency, too).
*****
Bad timing award: CBC's Mark Lee gave us an interesting look underneath the stands of the Bird's Nest, taking viewers into the area where track athletes wait before they're called into the stadium for their events.
The report was taped, which became even more obvious when Lee said "imagine what it will be like watching Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt sitting side-by-side here" before the 100-metre final.
A nice thought except for one thing: Gay, the reigning world champ and big American hope, had already been eliminated in the semi-finals. Oops.
Lee, by the way, hit all the right notes in calling the race. Here's the way he described Bolt's triumph: “Look at Bolt, holding nothing back now. Big strides, full speed, stopping the clock in a new world record — 9.68. No man has ever run that fast in the planet. Sensational.”
That about says it all, doesn't it?
(the 9.68 was later rounded up to 9.69, if you're wondering).
*****
Their homeland had three sprinters in the 100 final but Jamaica's television crew was relegated to working from a trailer outside the Bird's Nest for a race that no doubt had the entire island glued to its TV sets.
CBC gave us a look at their call of the event, in which the announcer — working off a monitor in the trailer — said "Bolt has destroyed the field." The pride in his voice was unmistakable and understandably so.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
So What Else Is New?
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know this is CBC's Olympics swan song. Until 2014 at the earliest, that is.
A CTV Globemedia/Rogers Consortium (primarily CTV, TSN and Sportsnet) moves onto centre stage for the next two Games — the highly anticipated Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, followed by the next Summer Olympics in London in 2012.
No surprise, really, seeing the CBC bashers of the world (and they are legion) chortling with glee about the impending turn of events. The Hockey Night in Canada theme song fiasco, the curling mess of a few years back, the end of its hold on the Grey Cup after more than half a century ... yep, those bitter folks have had plenty of ammo in recent years (and, they might also remind you, how come we're not hearing Brian Williams or Chris Cuthbert from Beijing?).
At times, it's been like shooting fish in a barrel, it's been so easy.
In this case, at least, I find that whole tone humorous. You see, it wasn't all that many years ago the Canadians from coast-to-coast were cheering loudly when CBC got its hands back on the Olympic rings for the 1996 Atlanta Games. This was after CTV efforts in Barcelona 1992 and Lillehammer 1994 that were received rather coolly, to put it kindly, by the viewers and the critics back at home.
So what's the lesson here?
That's easy. Canadians like to bitch about what they see on television, no matter what the game is or who's showing it to them. You'd almost think it's a national sport. Some of them actually know what they're talking about, too (everyone's an armchair expert, right?).
In other words, be forewarned TSN and Sportsnet. While we trust the next two Games will be in good hands, someone out there figures to disagree. And they won't be shy about telling you so.
Hey, it's the Canadian way.
A CTV Globemedia/Rogers Consortium (primarily CTV, TSN and Sportsnet) moves onto centre stage for the next two Games — the highly anticipated Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, followed by the next Summer Olympics in London in 2012.
No surprise, really, seeing the CBC bashers of the world (and they are legion) chortling with glee about the impending turn of events. The Hockey Night in Canada theme song fiasco, the curling mess of a few years back, the end of its hold on the Grey Cup after more than half a century ... yep, those bitter folks have had plenty of ammo in recent years (and, they might also remind you, how come we're not hearing Brian Williams or Chris Cuthbert from Beijing?).
At times, it's been like shooting fish in a barrel, it's been so easy.
In this case, at least, I find that whole tone humorous. You see, it wasn't all that many years ago the Canadians from coast-to-coast were cheering loudly when CBC got its hands back on the Olympic rings for the 1996 Atlanta Games. This was after CTV efforts in Barcelona 1992 and Lillehammer 1994 that were received rather coolly, to put it kindly, by the viewers and the critics back at home.
So what's the lesson here?
That's easy. Canadians like to bitch about what they see on television, no matter what the game is or who's showing it to them. You'd almost think it's a national sport. Some of them actually know what they're talking about, too (everyone's an armchair expert, right?).
In other words, be forewarned TSN and Sportsnet. While we trust the next two Games will be in good hands, someone out there figures to disagree. And they won't be shy about telling you so.
Hey, it's the Canadian way.
Friday, August 8, 2008
It's A Whole New Games
Looking back now, it almost seems laughable.
Twas back in 1996 when your humble blogger, employed by the Ottawa Sun at the time, was handed what he thought was the sweetest of gigs. Watch the Atlanta Olympics every day and write about what you see.
For someone who developed a serious love affair for the Olympics at a young age ... well, it just didn't get any better than that. I was a couple of years into a lengthy run as the paper's sports TV columnist and going from once a week to a daily spot for 16 days seemed like sheer heaven.
Just to make my life easier, they positioned two 17-inch televisions on my desk: One to monitor the CBC's coverage, the other to follow NBC. To a one-TV guy, this seemed like the next closest thing to luxury.
Fast forward to Beijing and the 2008 Summer Games. Now I can watch every second of coverage on either CBC or NBC in stunning high-definition format. My television has grown to 37 inches and it's a whole lot thinner (and probably lighter).
Options? I've even got more of those. I can flip over to TSN (again in HD) or Bold (alas, only in standard def) for more Olympic coverage. You've gotta love having that kind of choice.
Away from my HD beauty? No problem. I can fire up CBCSports.ca and watch up to nine live streams of Games action. Bell Mobility customers have a further way to stay in touch with the Games, with highlights available for download on video-enabled cellphones.
While my time at the Sun ground to an abrupt halt last fall (my choice, in case you're wondering), the fascination with the Olympics remains — and, as you can see, the interest level in how the five-ring circus is presented to the world by the broadcast types.
When this blog was first launched, I'll admit I wasn't quite sure about the direction it would take. Sometimes, though, your instincts take over. So here I am again, writing about the Olympic TV coverage for a seventh straight Games.
For the time being, at least, that'll be the focus here, though we might stray into other areas every now and then. I've also rounded up loads of links to various Olympic information sites and blogs, with the thought of making it a bit of a one-stop shop for all your Beijing 2008 needs.
Oh, and those two 17-inch boob tubes? Something tells me they still might be in use somewhere in that newsroom. Just a hunch.
Anyways, back to the Games ... hope you're enjoying the view, too.
****
Nice touch on NBC's part in deciding to dedicate its Opening Ceremony coverage to Jim McKay, the late, great sportscaster whose name became synonymous with ABC's Olympic coverage for so many years.
We all owe a lot of the way we view the Games to the biggest pioneer of them all. Somewhere, though, we're certain McKay is looking down on these Games, marvelling at the sights and sounds of it all.
And we've only just begun.
Twas back in 1996 when your humble blogger, employed by the Ottawa Sun at the time, was handed what he thought was the sweetest of gigs. Watch the Atlanta Olympics every day and write about what you see.
For someone who developed a serious love affair for the Olympics at a young age ... well, it just didn't get any better than that. I was a couple of years into a lengthy run as the paper's sports TV columnist and going from once a week to a daily spot for 16 days seemed like sheer heaven.
Just to make my life easier, they positioned two 17-inch televisions on my desk: One to monitor the CBC's coverage, the other to follow NBC. To a one-TV guy, this seemed like the next closest thing to luxury.
Fast forward to Beijing and the 2008 Summer Games. Now I can watch every second of coverage on either CBC or NBC in stunning high-definition format. My television has grown to 37 inches and it's a whole lot thinner (and probably lighter).
Options? I've even got more of those. I can flip over to TSN (again in HD) or Bold (alas, only in standard def) for more Olympic coverage. You've gotta love having that kind of choice.
Away from my HD beauty? No problem. I can fire up CBCSports.ca and watch up to nine live streams of Games action. Bell Mobility customers have a further way to stay in touch with the Games, with highlights available for download on video-enabled cellphones.
While my time at the Sun ground to an abrupt halt last fall (my choice, in case you're wondering), the fascination with the Olympics remains — and, as you can see, the interest level in how the five-ring circus is presented to the world by the broadcast types.
When this blog was first launched, I'll admit I wasn't quite sure about the direction it would take. Sometimes, though, your instincts take over. So here I am again, writing about the Olympic TV coverage for a seventh straight Games.
For the time being, at least, that'll be the focus here, though we might stray into other areas every now and then. I've also rounded up loads of links to various Olympic information sites and blogs, with the thought of making it a bit of a one-stop shop for all your Beijing 2008 needs.
Oh, and those two 17-inch boob tubes? Something tells me they still might be in use somewhere in that newsroom. Just a hunch.
Anyways, back to the Games ... hope you're enjoying the view, too.
****
Nice touch on NBC's part in deciding to dedicate its Opening Ceremony coverage to Jim McKay, the late, great sportscaster whose name became synonymous with ABC's Olympic coverage for so many years.
We all owe a lot of the way we view the Games to the biggest pioneer of them all. Somewhere, though, we're certain McKay is looking down on these Games, marvelling at the sights and sounds of it all.
And we've only just begun.
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