Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Canadian hockey players and a tragedy in training

The hosts won 14 gold medals, Nodari Kumaritasvili died in training before the opening, Marit Bjergen won five medals, and the Austrians, Russians and Finns returned bowed head. This is the shortest balance of 21st Winter Olympics in Canada


By RADOMIR ĐUROVIĆ (radomir.djurovic@wavemagazine.net)
from Belgrade, SERBIA
Translation: SLAĐANA JULOSKI


The 21st Winter Olympics in Vancouver are finished. Canadian city, according to the assessments of many, was an excellent host. Commendations to the organizer coming from all sides, from the International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge to the organizers of the next Winter Games, which are going to be hold for four years in Russian Sochi. There were participating 2,622 athletes from 82 countries. It is not recorded any doping scandal, which makes this game special. WAVE magazine briefly represent you main people and moments that have marked the 21st Winter Olympics.

Path of Death

Games in Vancouver are not yet even begun, and already the tragedy occurred. Several hours before the opening ceremony, Georgian luger Nodari Kumaritasvili died in training. He was at the speed of 143 kilometers per hour went over the track wall and struck an upadded steel pole. Although doctors immediately intervened, Georgian died in the hospital. That the Vistleru track is not at all naive also showed an example of the Romanian luger Violeta Stramaturaru, who was injured in training and some time was unconscious. Luckily, she wasn't seriously injured, but on the advice of doctors she withdrew from the competition. Immediately after that the Vistleru track is shorten, which caused the outcry of some athletes. There wasn't the end of their torment. Competition in the bobsleigh are marked numerous roll-over, and some athletes have given up because of fear of competition. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

Canadian leads in Hockey

Order of the first three teams in ice hockey is the same in the men's and women's competition. Canada has won "gold", U.S. "silver", and Finland, "bronze". Surprise was made by Slovaks, who won in the quarterfinals against the former Olympic champion, Sweden. They were tough nut and Canada (semifinals) and Finland (the fight for third place), but returned home without a medal. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) was named the U.S.A. goalkeeper Ryan Miller, and this is the second time in a row for goalkeeper to be the best in the tournament. Four years ago, it succeeded to Finn Antero Nittymaki.

Canadian hockey players admitted that they were under enormous pressure, because everything except the gold medal in men's competition, was a failure. Final was worthy of the Olympic Games. Golden goal in the eighth minute of overtime by Sidney Crosby brought to Canadians 14th gold medal in Vancouver, and so became the most successful nation at the Games. Most total medals won the United States (37), followed by Germany (30), Canada (26), Norway (23).

Marit Bjorgen - the most successfull

Heroine of the Games is Norwegian skier Marit Bjorgen, who won five medals. She won golden in the individual race, pursuit and relay 4 x 5 km silver at 30 km, and "bronze" at 10 km. Bjorgen is asthmatic, but it is the World Anti-Doping Agency allowed her to use the drug, which is on the blacklist. Norwegians won only two gold medals four years ago in Turin, and now have decided to break, and they managed it. Won nine.

Cross-country skiing brought another hero. Slovenian Petra Majdič injured in training for the sprint. She fell into a ditch and broke four ribs. This is not impeded her to participate in the qualifiers, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals and to reach the bronze medal. After passing through the finishing line Majdič collapsed to the ground and she was taken to the hospital. After that, world media were talking loud about an incredible 31-year-old Slovenian.

It was expected that the main role in the alpine skiing among women would have American Lindsay Vonn. She won the first race (downhill), but than, appeared the domination of German women. Maria Riesch won two gold medals (slalom and combination), and the real sensation was made by Victoria Resensburg, who won the giant slalom, and before that she climbed only once to the podium in the World Cup.

Russians return with tears

Russian athletes won only 15 medals (three gold, five silver, seven bronze) and took only 11th place. This caused sharp criticism, and during the Games the opposition has demanded the dismissal of the President of the Russian Olympic Committee. By the end of the Games the same request came from the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Russians were expecting the most from hockey players who came to Vancouver as a double world champions, but Canada crushed them in the quarterfinals 7-3. What hurts them more is that they lost their primacy in figure skating, where they won two medals, none of which is gold.

Austrians were bad, too, and they expected plenty of medals in alpine skiing. However, they won only four of which one is golden. Skiers such as Benjamin Raich (leader of the World Cup), Michael Valhofer and Kathrin Zettel remained without medals. Four years ago they took 14 medals in this sport.

Nothing better was for the Finns - they went home without a golden medal for the second time in a row. They won one silver and four bronze. Perhaps it hurts them the most that after many years they did not win a medal in ski jumping and Nordic combination.

Serbia in Vancouver

Serbia had 10 representatives at the Games. They were most successful in bobsleigh, where they took 18th place. Outstanding were also athletes Jelena Lolović and Nevena Ignjatović. We can expect more in the future from Ignjatović, because she's only 19 years old, and last year she was fourth at the Winter Universiade in China.



(Published: 10.03.2010.)