The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games ended on Sunday morning as Team Canada won the Men's hockey Gold the country expected them to win as a fitting close to a Olympics that even in Russia felt like one that our country played a part in from beginning to end as a major player in the story of the Games. From Regina's Mark McMorris being the biggest star in the first event of the Olympics despite only winning bronze in Snowboard slopestyle all the way until Regina's Chris Kunitz sealed the Canadians Gold medal over Sweden with a sniped shot in the third period Canada was a focal point of Sochi 2014 even if we fell slightly short of the medal count.
Here are the five things I will remember when I look back on the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
Anti-Sochi Media
Photos of uncompleted hotel rooms, gross food, stray dogs and talk about Russia's policies were massively overblown throughout the Olympic games. Yes, the Sochi 2014 Olympics were a massive symbol of Russia and Vladimir Putin's excess and thirst for political power and yes the facilities should have been prepared better, but every Olympics has its problems. The media took a lot of cheap shots at Russia from beginning to end at the Games and it will be interesting to see of the same type of scrutiny faces Brazil in 2016 when Rio hosts the Summer Olympics. Brazil have had clashes with their country over hosting the World Cup and have had similar problems as Russia in building venues on time for the summer's World Cup this year so the potential for similar issues to happen is very real. Hopefully the media will hold all host countries to the same standard as they did Russia.
Patrick Chan/Charles Hamelin Heartbreak
Olympic stars Patrick Chan and Charles Hamelin had to deal with a whole lot of heartbreak during the Olympic games final week as the two had perhaps Canada's toughest defeats in events they were favoured to win Gold in.
Hamelin fell in the 1,000 meter short track event after shockingly winning 1,500 meter Gold. Hamelin would have one last chance at redemption as he was set to defend his 500 meter Gold medal from Vancouver 2010 in his final event. Shockingly that event too ended with Hamelin falling in the first turn of the final lap of his qualification heat with a large lead. For Hamelin it was a tough pill to swallow as he was skating with speed all Olympics but could not avoid crashing two straight times and as a veteran it may be his last true shot at Olympic medals that went down with him. If so it would be a tough way to end a historically dominant men's speed skating career for Canada.
Patrick Chan's heartbreak was a little different as Chan simply won Silver in the men's figure skating competition. A medal is nothing to scoff at, but Chan who has been waiting since 2010 to win that Olympic Gold he so desperately needs to cement himself as an Olympic legend it was a letdown. Both Hamelin and Chan showed just how easily it is to fall short of your Olympic moment in an event where everyone is bringing their best and the margin for error can be so small.
Figure Skating Scandals
Would it really be the Olympics without figure skating scandals? Outside of wrestling I think Olympic figure skating is now the sport most people consider to be fixed. From Russia's ice dancing victory to Canadians being screwed out of a pairs skating Gold (again) a lot of countries pointed the finger at crooked judging once again. The sport will always be an Olympic staple, but each year its reputation takes another hit.
Hockey/Curling Double Gold
You think it would happen every year based on the way we consider ourselves as powers in our two favourite winter sports, but this was the first time Canada swept curling and hockey at the Winter Olympics. If Canada won just four medals I am sure nobody would have complained.
Canada Pride (The Rest)
Kallie Humphries, Alexandre Bilodeau, the Dufour-Lapointe sisters, and many other Olympic athletes all did Canada proud as our country once again finished amongst the best of the best at the Winter Olympics.
After 2010 we learned about Olympic Spirit and just how meaningful seeing our country win can be. Sports often are derided as meaningless distractions and that may be true, but the feeling I get staying up all night to watch my country represent what it means to be Canadian will always have meaning. Sochi 2014 showed that again.
