Olympics FanHouse

Michael Phelps Falls to Ryan Lochte

FanHouse Newswire — 2010-08-07T09:31:00+00:00

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) -- Ryan Lochte finally fended off Michael Phelps in the individual medley.

Lochte beat his rival for the first time in a long-course medley at a major meet, winning the 200-meter IM at the U.S. national championships on Friday night.

Lochte touched in 1 minute, 54.84 seconds, with Phelps second in 1:55.94. Their times were the two fastest in the world this year, while Lochte's time was fifth-quickest ever.

"Every time I go on the blocks I think I can win," Lochte said.

That mindset hasn't helped him in the individual medleys against Phelps, who has dominated at 200 and 400 meters in the Olympics, worlds and Pan Pacific championships.

Phelps is the two-time defending Olympic champion and owned the world record from June 2003 until last year, when Lochte took it away at the world championships in Rome.

They are the two fastest swimmers ever in the 200 IM. Lochte has shared the podium with Phelps, but he had never made the top spot.

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Marion Jones' Relay Teammates Win Back 2000 Olympic Medals

FanHouse Newswire — 2010-07-16T16:18:00+00:00

Filed under: Track & Field

American sprinters who were stripped of their 2000 Olympics relay medals because teammate Marion Jones was doping won an appeal Friday to have them restored.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of the women, who had appealed the International Olympic Committee's decision to disqualify them from the Sydney Games.The court said the IOC and International Association of Athletics Federations rules in 2000 did not allow entire teams to be disqualified because of doping by one athlete.

The IOC said the ruling was "disappointing and especially unfortunate for the athletes of the other teams who competed according to the rules."

In Sydney, Jearl Miles-Clark, Monique Hennagan, LaTasha Colander Clark and Andrea Anderson were part of the squad that won gold in the 4x400 relay. Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson were on the 4x100 bronze medal squad.

"The panel found that at the time of the Sydney Olympic Games there was no express IOC or IAAF rule in force that clearly allowed the IOC to annul the relay team results if one team member was found to have committed a doping offense,"
-- CAS All but Perry joined the appeal.

"The panel found that at the time of the Sydney Olympic Games there was no express IOC or IAAF rule in force that clearly allowed the IOC to annul the relay team results if one team member was found to have committed a doping offense," CAS said.

Both the IOC and IAAF changed their rules following the 2000 Summer Game, making these kinds of cases moot going forward.

"There was a hole in the rule 10 years ago," attorney Richard R. Young, who has represented the United State Olympic Committee and other organizations of the years, told FanHouse. "Since the World Anti-Doping Code has been adopted,the rules for the IOC and international federations are more sophisticated."

Now that the case is over, Richardson can relax, her medal safe and secure in a wooden frame at the home of her parents in Florida.

"It's been a long three years, a long hard fight," Richardson told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I wanted to believe they would do what was right, but there were some times where I wasn't as certain. Today, they did what was right."

Richardson spoke to Gaines and Miles-Clark and "everyone is extremely excited."

"Finally, the fight is over," Richardson said.

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Reward Offered for Return of Crosby's Olympic Gear

FanHouse Newswire — 2010-03-07T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Ice Hockey, Canada

TORONTO (AP) -- Reebok Canada is offering a $10,000 reward, no questions asked, for the return of the stick and gloves Sidney Crosby used to score in overtime in Canada's Olympic championship victory over the United States.

The equipment disappeared after Crosby tossed his stick and ripped off his gloves to celebrate. Hockey Canada says all of the equipment was collected and was being put into the players' bags when it was noticed Crosby's stick and glove were missing

"The stick and glove are priceless,'' Len Rhodes, vice president and general manager for Reebok Hockey CCM, said Saturday night. "There's absolutely no substitute for that exact stick and glove."

Reebok has set up an e-mail hotline for people to send in tips. Hockey Canada also is trying to figure out what happened and security officers are reviewing video that shows people leaving the rink with sticks.

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Vonn Wins Third Straight Downhill Title

FanHouse Newswire — 2010-03-06T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: USA, Alpine Skiing

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) -- Lindsey Vonn won her third straight downhill title Saturday and tied Bode Miller for the most career World Cup victories by an American at 32.

She defeated Johanna Schnarf of Italy by a mere 0.01 seconds in her first race since the Vancouver Olympics, where she won gold in the downhill. Vonn finished the Nationale downhill course in 1 minute, 35.26 seconds.

"It's been a great season and I'm really happy with everything that's happened,'' Vonn said. "I think of all the titles, I am most proud of winning the Olympic downhill gold - that was the highlight of the season for me.''

Vonn clinched the Crystal Globe for the downhill title by increasing her lead to 189 points over Maria Riesch of Germany with just one race left. Marianne Abderhalden of Switzerland was third, 0.38 seconds behind.

Vonn earned her sixth win in seven World Cup downhill races this season. She extended her lead in the overall World Cup standings to 197 points ahead of Riesch, who was sixth.

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Crosby's Game-Winning Gear Missing

The Canadian Press — 2010-03-03T08:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Ice Hockey, Canada

TORONTO - Some very special pieces of Canadian Olympic hockey equipment are missing.

The gloves and stick used by Sidney Crosby to score the winning goal in Canada's gold medal victory over the U.S. at the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Sunday are unaccounted for, Hockey Canada said Tuesday night. Crosby flung the equipment into the air after his overtime goal in Canada's dramatic 3-2 win.

"After the game, with all the celebration and everything, the equipment was all collected and it was being put in the players' bags," said Johnny Misley, Hockey Canada's executive vice-president of hockey operations. "(It) was noticed that Sidney's stick - that he scored the winning goal with - and his gloves, were missing.

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NBC Doesn't Quite Step Up to Podium

Milton Kent — 2010-03-02T11:50:00+00:00

Filed under: USA, Sports Business and Media

So, another Winter Olympics are in the books, and the bobsleds, curling stones, skis, skates and rifles (and the athletes who use them) have been stored, to be dug out of the closet in roughly four years, for the next time we care about these sports.

Before NBC puts away the cameras and videotape machines to be unloaded in London for the Summer Games two years hence, let's take a moment to assess what we learned from Vancouver:

*It would be inaccurate to say that NBC stepped over Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili to present the happy, happy, joy, joy of the Olympics, but it's not that far off.

Once Bob Costas announced that the network would no longer show the horrific footage of Kumaritashvili's body leaving the track and colliding with an unpadded steel support pole, it seemed it gave NBC permission to ignore his death, and the ramifications from it.

That International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge and Josef Fendt, the head of the International Luge Federation didn't appear with Costas in prime time to explain what happened and why is inexcusable. The more than $800 million NBC paid to the IOC for telecast rights gave it the responsibility to act as more as silent partner.

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Best Olympics World Has Ever Seen: Harper

The Canadian Press — 2010-03-02T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Canada

When the 2010 Winter Olympics were officially declared closed, the near-capacity crowd at the ceremony reacted in a way completely unheard of in Vancouver for almost three weeks.

They booed.

"It was a real mix of emotions," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson on Monday of the moment in which he handed over the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next host city.

"I felt so much joy and pride for our city and country ... and not quite wanting to let go. You don't really want something this good to come to an end."

Nothing but raucous cheering in Vancouver and in Canada was heard for the 2010 Winter Games, with the joy so loud that even a belligerent international media eventually got caught up in the excitement.

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That joy may be tempered somewhat as the bills for the party begin to roll in.

Both the federal and B.C. provincial budgets will come out this week and it will be difficult not to associate expected cuts with the largesse associated with putting on the world's biggest show.

The various levels of government invested roughly $6 billion on the Olympics, including upgrades to the Sea-to-Sky Highway, a new rapid transit line and the completion of the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The corporate world spent millions more, both to help put on the Games and to create some of the buzz in the city that has left it with a hangover of Olympic proportions.

But through the haze of the morning after comes the question of whether the Games were just a defining moment in Canadian history or a tipping point, forever changing Canada.

The Games, suggested Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday, have elevated Canada on the world stage.

"Mark my words, some day historians will look back at Canada's growing strength in the 21st century and they will say it all began right here, on the West Coast, with the best Winter Olympic Games the world has ever seen," he said.

Certain legacies of government spending on the Games were already assured, like the venues that will convert to community centres after the Paralympics.

Others will take work, like converting the thousands of people who used public transit during the Olympics to full-time transit takers.

There are also strategies in place to convert TV viewers to tourist dollars and handshake deals into business contracts.

But the priceless legacy of these Games is the one that's the hardest to harness - national pride. Even those who aren't from the country found themselves head over heels.

"I'm unashamedly in love with the country," said David Atkins, the Australian-born producer of the opening and closing ceremonies.

"I've never been as emotionally connected to a job or a place."

The incoming president of the Canadian Olympic Committee says the way the country rallied around the Olympics must not be ignored by government.

Polls taken during the Games suggested the vast majority of Canadians believed the Olympics were uniting the country.

"Nobody would have thought we would accomplish this at that level," Marcel Aubut said in an interview.

"It's a very good argument to say well, there is an opportunity here for you ... it becomes an opportunity to keep the momentum."

Questions are already being asked about what the government will do with the $117-million Own the Podium program that helped give Canada more gold medals than any country has ever won at a Winter Olympics.

While polls suggested the medal count wasn't the factor behind Canadians' wholehearted embrace of the Games, there's no question it helped, said Charmaine Crooks, a former Olympian who sat on the board of directors for the Games.

"Everyone raised their bar of excellence in so many different ways," she said.

But the funding is now drying up, though a new Canadian Press/Harris Decima survey suggested 49 per cent of Canadians believe it should stay in place.

"I would hate to think we'll fall back," said Rusty Goepel, the chairman of the board of directors for the 2010 Winter Games.

"For the kids, for the overall health of the country, I don't think anyone should worry that it wasn't money very well spent."

While the Games may have left the country on a bit of a high, let's also not lose sight of where we've come from, suggested Steve Yzerman, executive director of the men's gold-medal-winning hockey team.

"Canada has shown the world that we are pretty good people. I hope we remain humble and gracious," he said after Sunday's game.

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Rochette Arrives Home to Cheering Throng

The Canadian Press — 2010-03-02T08:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Freestyle Skiing, Canada

Olympic hero Joannie Rochette finally arrived home Monday to a throng of proud, cheering fans and a family eager and ready to help her grieve the death of her mother.

A welcoming party of more than 150 fans, including two busloads of people from Berthierville, Que., were on hand in Montreal to see the Olympic star and other Quebec athletes return from Vancouver.

The ever-growing crowd, wearing Canada Olympic gear and waving flags, gave Rochette a roaring welcome.

"Today, I'm extremely proud of the battle I won in Vancouver," an emotional Rochette told the crowd, her eyes glistening with tears.

"I left having in mind I was going to war, to win a battle."

"That battle was obviously tougher than expected," she said, adding she was also proud to be the first Quebec figure skater to win a medal during the Vancouver Games.

Against the tragic backdrop of losing her mother just days before she was to compete, the 24-year-old from Île Dupas, Que., finished with a bronze medal.

Therese Rochette died of a heart attack soon after arriving in Vancouver. She was 55.

Rochette said she drew inspiration from many people around the world who rallied around her during a stressful and trying time, including her fellow Canadian athletes and people she'd never met before.

"Today I want to say that yes, I lost someone very important in my life, but she lives through me," Rochette said of her mother. "I know she'd want me to smile right now and enjoy this Olympic moment and it has taken a lot of strength to separate the athlete from the person, but I really want to do this so that 10 years from now, I can look back and say 'I did this fully.'"

Rochette said her mother was always discreet and reserved and raised her away from the media spotlight. In keeping with her wishes, she hoped to grieve in private over the coming week.

She also said she had doubts about carrying the Canadian flag at the closing ceremonies because a bronze medal seemed unworthy of the honour but accepted it with enthusiasm.

Rochette thanked her father and her coach for keeping her focused on the ice in the past week.

"I've been blessed with an incredible amount of love, empathy and affection," Rochette said.

"It really helped me, thank you."

She said she looks forward to getting back to competing in a few weeks and touring in the spring with Stars on Ice.

Among the other athletes on the flight with her was Olympic gold medallist snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson, who spoke about Rochette instead of his own feat.

"I congratulate her for overcoming the challenge she faced," Anderson said. "A great athlete is capable of overcoming any challenge and Joannie proved that she is a great, great athlete.

"In a way, my career just ended, I'm really nostalgic right now," said Anderson. "Obviously my heart goes out to Joannie and her family. She's a tremendous athlete, tremendous human being. Honestly that's what takes precedent right now."

Rochette said she was looking forward to being with family, with the people she loves. Among the family members at the airport was Rochette's grandmother, who was anxious to see her only granddaughter.

"I thought she skated really well," said Antoinette Laroche just before Rochette's arrival at Trudeau International Airport.

Laroche said she was proud of Rochette because getting on the ice under the circumstances was difficult.

"She cried and she was sad but I was really proud of her because she continued on and if she hadn't she would have regretted it," Laroche said.

She said she knew exactly what she would tell Joannie when she saw her for the first time.

"I'm going to tell her that I'm really happy she continued on and that I love her," Laroche said.

Louis-Pierre Helie, 24, a member of Canada's alpine ski team, was hoping to say hello to his childhood friend Rochette as he awaited a flight to Norway.

The two grew up together in rural Quebec and he remembered his childhood friend as tough and competitive.

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'A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience': Canadians React to Hockey Gold

Amanda Bloom — 2010-03-01T15:56:00+00:00

Filed under: USA, Ice Hockey, Canada

When 22-year-old Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal in overtime to defeat the Americans 3-2 it catapulted the Olympic host city of Vancouver, and indeed all of Canada, into hockey hysteria.

It was a hysteria that rippled throughout the country into a coast-to-coast celebration that Canadians described as the most memorable experience in the country's history.

When gauging the reaction of joyous fans Sunday night it became clear the sport of hockey is more than a pastime for Canadians.

"It's our religion," said Vancouver native, Greg Mulheart, adding it was "gold or nothing for us."

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Bernie LaRoux, who made the trip from Edmonton, Alberta to partake in the excitement of the Winter Games whispered emotionally, "Hockey means everything to Canada and this is the crown jewel."

The moment the winning goal was scored, Melinda Morbet, who was in fan-filled Robson Square, said she "was freaking out, I almost passed out, I couldn't breathe.

"Nothing compares to that moment, this is amazing, truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Berenika Kienc, a Polish-born naturalized Canadian, explains this country's obsession with the sport.

"Hockey is deeply ingrained in Canadian culture; it is the uniting factor for the country - a sport people of all nationalities in Canada can get behind."

Supporting Kienc's sentiment, Misha Harris, a Ukrainian-Canadian Vancouver resident, said, "Today is unlike anything I have ever seen in Canada, or may ever see again in my lifetime."

One of the many young men walking the streets in electric downtown Vancouver with a Canadian flag draped across his shoulders, hugging and high-fiving fellow Olympic celebrators exclaimed, "We've never experienced anything like this in our lives before!"

"Canadians are not usually a 'showy' nation, but this Olympics made us proud to be Canadian," said Rosanna Chipkin, another Vancouver resident. "I feel like we proved today with this win that Canada really did 'own the podium' at this winter games."

Rose Chase, with Rocky Mountaineer, the train company that transported athletes, fans and officials from Vancouver to Whistler, says the eruption of joy following the men's hockey gold medal victory was, "the pinnacle moment when it became clear what the Canadians had accomplished this Olympic Games - 14 gold medals and a new Olympic record. The best winter Olympics any country has ever hosted."

The Canadian reaction to the victory of the gold medal hockey game yesterday also revealed the strong sense of competitiveness with their American neighbors. The word "rivalry" was used repeatedly when talking about the win against Team USA.

Actor Michael J. Fox, a dual Canadian-U.S. citizen who grew up in B.C., put it best at the closing ceremony when he noted, "When watching the U.S. and Canada play hockey: I am wearing a maple leaf on my sweater."

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Torch Is Passed: Vancouver Marks End of Era for Some Winter Stars

Wina Sturgeon — 2010-03-01T11:56:00+00:00

Filed under: Bobsleigh, Figure Skating, Short Track

Goodbye, Bode. Farewell, Apolo. Godspeed, Clara. We loved you. And now you're gone.

Vancouver 2010 will be known as the biggest change-up in Winter Olympic history. Athletes who came in as young juniors during compelling Olympic times -- the introduction of snowboard, skeleton, women's bobsled; and it all taking place in North America -- are now full-grown adults. They are retiring either at the end of this Olympics, or before the next one. We won't see them again in the Games.

They are the athletes who have dominated for nearly a decade, and most went out with golden glory. Bode Miller, who has won more World Cups than any other American ski racer, won three medals in Vancouver, a bronze in the downhill, silver in super G and gold in the combined. Apolo Ohno retires with eight Olympic medals won during his career; two golds, two silvers, four bronzes. Of those, a silver and two bronze medals were won in Vancouver, and there's controversy about a DQ that many dispute, saying Ohno was disqualified simply to prevent him from winning another gold medal. Clara Hughes, one of only five athletes who've won medals in both the summer and winter Games, will be hanging up her speedskates.

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Russian President Blasts Sports Officials

The Canadian Press — 2010-03-01T10:42:00+00:00

Filed under: Russian Federation

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded Monday that sports officials step down over the country's dismal performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Russia, a traditional winter sports powerhouse, won just 15 medals - with only three golds - in one of its worst performances. Officials said before the games that 30 medals and a top-three finish in the medal standings was the target.

Russia placed 11th for golds and sixth in the overall medal count.

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In televised comments, Medvedev said if those responsible for preparing the athletes don't resign then the decision will be made for them. He did not mention anyone by name.

"Those who bear the responsibility for Olympic preparations should carry that responsibility. It's totally clear," Medvedev said. "I think that the individuals responsible, or several of them, who answer for these preparations, should take the courageous decision to hand in their notice. If we don't see such decisiveness, we will help them."

In post-Soviet history, Russia had never finished outside the top five in the medal standings and only won fewer medals once before, in 2002 at Salt Lake City. Russia was the top nation at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, garnering 23 medals - 11 of them gold.

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Vancouver Closing Ceremony

US skier Lindsay Vonn takes a picture backstage as she waits before marching during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

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Closing Ceremony Photos

General view during the closing ceremony of the XXI Olympic Winter Games, at the BC Place in Vancouver on February 28, 2010. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian Catherine O'Hara performs during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA (Photo credit should read TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian singer Alanis Morissette performs during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF (Photo credit should read DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Anatoly Pakhomov (R), Sochi's mayor, holds the Olympic flag as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge (C) and Vancouver's mayor Gregor Robertson look on during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. Sochi, in Russia, will host the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF (Photo credit should read DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L) applauds as Gordon Campbell, the Premier of British Columbia, waves a Canadian flag during the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO POOL / JIM YOUNG (Photo credit should read JIM YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (2nd R) looks out into the stadium as Gordon Campbell (R), the Premier of British Columbia, waves a Canadian flag during the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO POOL / JIM YOUNG (Photo credit should read JIM YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

US short-track competitor Appolo Anton Ohno (L) waits backstage with compatriot skier Lindsay Vonn for marching during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

US athletes wait before marching in the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

In nine Winter Olympics between 1956 and 1988, the Soviet Union failed to top the medal standings only twice, finishing runner-up on both occasions.

Medvedev lamented that Russia "has lost the old Soviet school ... and we haven't created our own school - despite the fact that the amount of money that is invested in sport is unprecedentedly high."

The results leave Russia particularly red-faced as it takes the torch for the next games in its Black Sea resort of Sochi in 2014.

"Without messing around, we need to start preparations for Sochi, but taking into account what happened in Vancouver, we need to completely change how we prepare our athletes," Medvedev said.

In an interview with the newspaper Vremya Novostei, sports minister Vitaly Mutko blamed several factors for the Vancouver flop. New sports such as freestyle skiing that "no one takes seriously" in Russia have allowed other countries to race ahead, he said.

Mutko also claimed luck was not on the country's side, saying in several disciplines Russia lacked "a shot here, a second or a point there," singling out Evgeni Plushenko, who took silver behind Evan Lysacek of the United States in a closely fought men's figure skating competition.

Doping bans had also deprived Russia of several leading medal contenders, he said.

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Non-NHL Players That Impressed During Olympic Tournament

Adam Gretz — 2010-03-01T08:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Ice Hockey, Germany, Norway

The 2010 Olympics gave fans one of the finest hockey tournaments we've ever seen, including Sunday's thrilling 3-2 overtime win by Canada in the gold medal game. While many of the players taking place were NHL all-stars, some of them have never played a single minute at the highest level of professional hockey. Here are a few of those players that impressed during the past week-and-a-half and managed to go toe-to-toe with the best players in the world.

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Neil Young, a Mime and a Some Flying Moose Help Close the Games

Kate Reid — 2010-03-01T01:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Canada

Catriona Le May Doan finally got her chance to light the Olympic Cauldron tonight with a little help from a mime.

The mime set the tone of what was to be a tongue-in-cheek representation of Canadiana at the 2010 Closing Ceremony.

From oversized mountie statues and giant lumberjacks to several moose flying high above the crowd, tonight became a celebration of Canada's greatest export-humour.

William Shatner, Michael J. Fox, Catherine O'Hara and other Canadian greats helped showcase the lighter side of the Canadian spirit while musical acts like legend Neil Young, B.C. locals Hedley and international success stories Michael Buble and Avril Lavigne put on a great show for the millions of people watching at home.

Over 60,000 lucky fans present at Canada Hockey Place received a welcome from the chiefs of the four host First Nations.

The crowd then joined together to sing "O Canada" before the stars of the night, the Olympic athletes, marched triumphantly into the arena.

The city of Vancouver later gave thanks to the 25,000 volunteers who donated their time to make the Games a success and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson officially handed over the Olympic honours to Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov, who will host the Winter Olympics in 2014.

After the Russians gave us a stirring presentation of what's to come in 2014, IOC President Jacques Rogge declared the Games officially closed. But it was only after Neil Young's inspiring performance of "Long May You Run" that audiences watched as the Olympic flame was extinguished.

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Party on, Canada

Ariel Helwani — 2010-03-01T01:21:00+00:00

Filed under: USA, FanHouse Exclusive, Ice Hockey, Olympic Video, Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Feb. 28, 2010, may go down as the greatest day in Canadian sports history, and FanHouse TV was there to capture every minute of Sunday's thrilling gold medal men's hockey game between Team Canada and Team USA.

From Jonathan Toews' opening goal to Sidney Crosby's game-winner, with the roller coaster ride of emotions in between, it's all here, courtesy of the great fans at LiveCity Yaletown in downtown Vancouver.

Enjoy the video below.

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Top 5 Canadian Moments of the 2010 Games

Kate Reid — 2010-03-01T00:46:00+00:00

Filed under: Canada

After 17 magical days the Vancouver 2010 Games have finally come to a close. Now Canadians can begin to reflect on all the moving triumphs, unforgettable athleticism and international camaraderie that's garnered the attention of the world these past few weeks. Here are just a few standout moments from these monumental Games.

5. Jon Montgomery slid to victory for Canada's second straight gold medal in men's skeleton after Duff Gibson claimed the title four years ago at the Turin Games. Montgomery became a media favourite after he celebrated his win by downing a pitcher of beer and later appearing as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

4. Silver medal winner Marianna St-Gelais cheered her boyfriend Charles Hamelin to double gold victory in the 500 metres and men's 5000 metre relay.

3. The golden floodgates seemed to open after Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada's first gold medal for freestyle skiing moguls. Bilodeau celebrated by embracing his older brother Frederic, who has cerebral palsy and has been Alexandre's inspiration.

2. There wasn't a dry eye in the house on February 23^rd when Joannie Rochette skated just two days after her mother passed away from a sudden heart attack. Rochette earned what is perhaps the most celebrated bronze medal of the Games and was given the honour of carrying the Canadian flag into the Closing Ceremonies for what Nathalie Lambert, the COC's chef de mission, has called her "gutsy and emotional performance."

1. Canadian hockey fans couldn't consider the Olympics a success without that game-winning, golden goal by Sid the Kid. Sidney Crosby and the Canadian men's hockey team pushed Canada's gold medal count to 14 and set a new record for most gold medal wins by a host nation and helped Canada surpass the previous record for most top-podium wins at a Winter Games.

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Olympic Closing Ceremony Celebrates Canada

The Canadian Press — 2010-03-01T00:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Canada

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The final word on the Vancouver Olympics? Excellent and very friendly.

As he declared the 2010 Winter Games closed, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge noted the friendly nature of the Games.

The Olympic flame went out in Vancouver on Sunday - but the Olympic spirit didn't.

In his final remarks, Rogge said the memory of a Georgian luger who died on the first day of the Games will always remain.

"We have shared the grief of an Olympic dream cut short," Rogge said. "The memory of Nodar Kumaritashvili will always be with us.

"We have shared the joy of dreams fulfilled. We have been moved by tears of elation and tears of disappointment.

"We have witnessed extraordinary acts of courage and exceptional determination by athletes who refused to give up."

He thanked Games organizers and volunteers for their warmth and their work. He then saluted the athletes, calling them worthy role models. And he paid tribute to Canada.

"Thank you to the people of Canada, for your generous hospitality, your warmth, and this unique and joyous celebration of Olympism."

Earlier in the ceremony, the Olympic flag was handed over to Sochi, Russia, the host city for the next Winter Games, in 2014.

The flag had flown over Vancouver's city hall since the close of the 2006 Games in Turin, an iconic moment where then Vancouver-mayor Sam Sullivan waved it from a special holder on his wheelchair.

Vancouver Games CEO John Furlong paid tribute to the athletes, the volunteers and the country.

"You did not just cheer," he said. "Rather, you lived every glorious moment."

And he thanked the IOC for granting Vancouver and Whistler the Games.

"It has been a great honour to host the world. Thank you for believing in our vision. We did our best. We hope you enjoyed these Games and the telling of our humble, Canadian story."

Russia gave the world a taste of what's to come with an eight-minute tribute to sport, song and dance that included the presence of hockey superstar Alex Ovechkin.

The closing ceremonies began with a light-hearted poke at a cauldron malfunction at the opening ceremonies.

There were 2,400 volunteer performers in the show, as well as several big-name Canadian acts. Neil Young performed as the Olympic flame went out.

While the opening ceremonies are a formal affair, the closing event is always a lot more relaxed.

The athletes did not march in a formal line, but came into an almost-packed B.C. Place stadium as a team.

Canadians were in Cowichan sweaters and some, like curler Kevin Martin, wore their medals around their necks.

The world may remember the 2010 Winter Olympics for the grief and glitches, but for Canada they were golden.

Not just for athletes who set a record for the number of gold medals - 14 - won at a Winter Olympics, but also for a country that approached these Olympics a little like the cauldron on the first night of the Games: not all there.

One of the four arms of the cauldron failed to rise from the floor as planned at the opening.

Producers had a little fun with the glitch in the first act of the closing ceremony, showing the structure still stuck in the floor with sparks flying out of it.

A clown emerged before the arm finally rose up, allowing original torchbearer Catriona Le May Doan to finally set it alight.

It was truly the end of the one of the most ambitious flame relays in Winter Olympic history - a 106-day, 45,000-kilometre event that would see the flame pass through 12,000 pairs of hands and in front of millions of eyes.

"The torch relay was superbly conceived and delivered and allowed a lot of people to get kind of a visceral feel for the Games," said Richard Pound, who sits on VANOC's board and is one of two Canadian members of the IOC.

"I don't think anybody in history has done something as effective as that."

While the athletes did not achieve the target of the most medals at these Games, they did set a Canadian record for most gold medals at any Olympics.

Polling suggested the number of medals, their colour or even the sports they're won in wouldn't matter to Canadians when it came to what would make these Games a success.

But polls also indicated that seeing the men's hockey team win gold - which they did Sunday - was important across the country.

While the Olympic charter says the Games are about athletes, not nationalism, that can't be said about hockey.

Tony Sam, 41, drove in from Chilliwack, about an hour's drive from Vancouver, with friends to watch Team Canada get the gold.

"Before this, Canada only seemed patriotic when there was a beer commercial on TV," he said.

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Olympics Should Be About the Athletes

Kevin Blackistone — 2010-02-28T23:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- In spring, the Olympic Village that was a temporary home to athletes will begin undergoing a conversion into an affordable housing community for at least 16,000 people, replete with child care centers, a school and green space.

The Olympic Oval in suburban Richmond that hosted speed skating will start to be renovated into a city recreation center, with two ice rinks, eight basketball courts, an indoor running track and an infield for more sports.

And in the tiny ski resort of Whistler, where the 2010 Olympic skiing and sliding events were held, Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed will look to follow through on his promise to erect a permanent memorial to Nodar Kumaritashvili, forever known as the Georgian luger who was killed on the eve of the opening of the Vancouver Winter Games.

Tragedy, unfortunately, will be as much a part of the legacy of the 2010 Winter Games as anything else. There can't be any denying it, and there shouldn't be.

What happened here to Kumaritashvili should be the starkest reminder to those who run our world's biennial global games -- Jacques Rogge and the International Olympic Committee -- that it is the athlete who is the gathering's most-precious resource and not the capital their exploits can mine.

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Sid the Kid Becomes Canada's Best Man

Lisa Olson — 2010-02-28T23:05:00+00:00

Filed under: USA, Ice Hockey, Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- At a mere 22, with rosy cheeks and a boy-band grin, Sidney Crosby now has an Olympic gold medal to keep his Stanley Cup ring company. His contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins pays him $8.7 million a year (to match the number stretched across his back), and while he might not be North America's most well-known sports stud, there is no doubt he is Canada's favorite son.

What more could Crosby ever want? What more does a wildly wealthy and successful athlete possibly need?

Silly questions, because the second Crosby grabbed the flag with the maple leaf adorned in its glorious center and began to carry it around the rink on this historic Sunday afternoon, it was apparent his charmed life hadn't been as complete as we might think.

Sometimes it seems like a trite cliché, this old-fashioned notion that the Olympics are meant to extend far beyond the playing fields. But there in the midst of megadrama and exploding fireworks were Crosby and his Canadian teammates, proving the Olympics at their core really do transcend sports. In the most magnificent hockey game in Olympic history, as 30 million souls (give or take a few) across the continent crammed into bars and parks and anywhere there happened to be a television, Crosby curled around the boards and wristed an overtime shot past Ryan Miller, the terrific American goalie who'd eventually be named tournament MVP.

Team Canada 3, Team USA 2. Bedlam in Vancouver's public squares, mayhem in Toronto's streets, ecstasy in Calgary, happy joy in tiny Cole Harbour. It's extraordinary that a flat, golden medallion the size of a fist has the power to spark celebrations that, sadly, surpass the merriment of soldiers coming home from war. That's the hold Crosby and Co. has on the populace. Outside of the states, destiny's child absolutely created the ideal finish to these Vancouver 2010 Games.

For two complicated and thrilling weeks, this country seemed to be struggling to identify who and what it is as a nation. How fitting that it was Crosby, lyrically nicknamed The Next One, who will forever stick in the public's psyche as the defining symbol of when all of Canada took a joyous, well-deserved leap and learned, once and for all, it's perfectly fine to stick out the chest and cry with pride. Canada opened the Olympics worried how the rest of the world would view its insecurities, its need to please (not a bad trait, mind you), and it closed the Games more united and patriotic and in love with itself than ever before.

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Canada's Games Went From Tragedy to Redemption

Paul Choi — 2010-02-28T22:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Canada

The start of the 2010 Vancouver Games couldn't have been more ignominious.

The tragic death of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili cast a dark pall over what should have been a celebratory opening ceremony - which itself was marred by an embarrassing technical glitch during the cauldron lighting.

The underwhelming opening party was panned coast-to-coast by Canadians, who launched barbs on the Internet aimed at the hokey ceremony. They hated the reworked rendition of "O Canada." There was too much lip-synching by the performers. There were too many dated stereotypes. There wasn't enough cultural diversity represented.

The "celebration" stumbled to a close, with hockey icon Wayne Gretzky standing awkwardly atop a truck in the pouring rain for several minutes as he was driven to the external cauldron.

The uncooperative weather continued through the first few days, sparking numerous rain delays and ticket cancellations en masse.

Long line-ups for services and a fenced-off outdoor cauldron only fermented public anger.

If that weren't enough, critics around the world attacked the 2010 Winter Olympics before they even properly got off the ground, questioning Canada's ability to host an international event of this scale.

The multitude of setbacks threatened to derail these Olympics completely. "Worst Games Ever?" was the question posed on the front page of London's The Guardian.

But then came a shift.

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Alexandre Bilodeau captured gold in freestyle skiing, giving Canada its first gold medal on home soil. With the biggest monkey off our backs, we let out a huge collective sigh of relief and finally began to cheer.

A slew of others followed in Bilodeau's footsteps.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir wowed audiences and made history with a flawless ice dance performance that garnered Canada's first ever gold medal in the event. They also became the first North American ice dancers to win Olympic gold.

Skeleton star Jon Montgomery showed the rest of the world not all Canadians are prudes as he took a victory stroll with a pitcher of beer in hand after his gold-medal run. The show of unfettered exuberance was enough to land him on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

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Closing Ceremony Photos

VANCOUVER, BC - FEBRUARY 28: Actress Catherine O'Hara (C) performs during the Closing Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at BC Place on February 28, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Catherine O'Hara

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Haralds Silovs of Latvia, right, and Shigeyuki Dejima of Japan skate during the 5,000 meters race at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

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German Magdalena Neuner arrives for the zeroing ahead of the women's 7.5 km sprint event at the Biathlon track at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Jin-man Lee)

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WHISTLER, BC - FEBRUARY 13: Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria wins the bronze medal in the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gregor Schlierenzauer

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VANCOUVER, BC - FEBRUARY 13: Denny Morrison of Canada competes in the men's speed skating 5000 m on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Richmond Olympic Oval on February 13, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Denny Morrison

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WHISTLER, BC - FEBRUARY 13: Adam Malysz of Poland wins the silver medal in the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Adam Malysz

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VANCOUVER, BC - FEBRUARY 13: Roger Schneider of Switzerland competes in the men's speed skating 5000 m on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Richmond Olympic Oval on February 13, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roger Schneider

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WHISTLER, BC - FEBRUARY 13: Simon Ammann of Switzerland competes during the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual 1st Round on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. Ammann won the gold medal (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Simon Ammann

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WHISTLER, BC - FEBRUARY 13: Simon Ammann of Switzerland performs his final jump to win the gold medal in the Ski Jumping Normal Hill Individual on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jumping Stadium on February 13, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Simon Ammann

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VANCOUVER, BC - FEBRUARY 13: Robert Lehmann of Germany competes in the men's speed skating 5000 m on day 2 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Richmond Olympic Oval on February 13, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Robert Lehman

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The resounding victories confirmed that we were finally champions.

And then there was Joannie Rochette, the Canadian figure skater who suffered the loss of her mother Therese, who suffered a massive, fatal heart attack just days before she was to watch her daughter perform.

Joannie could have packed it in then and nobody would have blamed her. But there she was, two days after her mother's untimely death and barely holding it together, skating her heart out and inspiring millions through her brave performance.

Her show of mettle that day seemed to spur on her fellow Canadian athletes in the latter part of these Games.

A veritable Canadian gold rush followed in the final weekend, with medals in speed-skating, curling, snowboarding and men's ice hockey.

The final push put Canada over the top as the nation finished the Games with a record-setting 14 gold medals, 26 in total (seven silver, five bronze). While Canada didn't own the podium - a lofty goal set before the Olympics - the dominance in first-place finishes was a resounding success and sets the bar high for the next host country, Russia.

The biggest triumph, Team Canada's thrilling hockey win, was a suitable finish to these Games - the exclamation mark on the host nation's remarkable Olympic turnaround.

And if Canadians seemed understandably subdued at the start of these Games, there was no stopping the show of national joy after Sidney Crosby secured gold for Canada.

"Before this, Canada only seemed patriotic when there was a beer commercial on TV," said Tony Sam, 41, who drove to Vancouver with friends from Chilliwack, B.C., to watch Canada defeat the U.S. 3-2 in overtime.

"This is the most exciting thing that's happened in Canada, maybe ever."

An Olympics that had been prematurely written off earlier this month has more than redeemed itself.

The last 17 days have been a showcase of national pride, perseverance, and triumph over tragedy - a watershed Games for a long-suffering country.

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Obama Owes Harper a 24 of Molson Beer After Losing Olympic Hockey Bet

The Canadian Press — 2010-02-28T22:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Canada

VANCOUVER, B.C. - It seems U.S. President Barack Obama owes Prime Minister Stephen Harper a few cold ones.

The two leaders had a friendly bet on the outcome of Sunday's gold-medal Olympic hockey game.

Team Canada came out on top, so Obama will have to pick up a 24-pack of Molson Canadian for the prime minister. Harper would have had to buy Obama a case of Yuengling beer if the U.S. had taken the top honour at the tournament.

Team USA beat Team Canada in the first match-up between the two countries in the preliminary rounds, but Canada came out on top in a heart-stopping overtime round on Sunday.

Harper was at the game in Vancouver but Obama did not make an appearance at the Olympics.

The prime minister met with the gold medal winners in the locker room after the game to congratulate them.

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