Can Canada lead the medal count again in 2014?
Posted January 7, 2014 7:39 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – With only month to go until the Sochi Olympics, former VANOC CEO John Furlong says we shouldn’t expect Canadians to lead the medal count this time.
“Canadians, they weren’t supporting the Olympics like traditional fans. They were living it… it was theirs,” says Furlong of the 2010 Winter Games.
He says home ice advantage will be huge for the Russian team this time. “The Russians will realize some of that energy and it will have a similar kind of impact and the whole country will have a reason to cheer and celebrate at the end of their games.”
‘Own the Podium’ played a big role in Canada winning 14 gold medals in 2010 and Furlong says the Russians are training in a similar way.
“You can be absolutely sure that the Russians will go flat out at home to be a contender. Here in Vancouver, the top countries were Canada, the US, Germany, Norway, and Austria. Russia trailed most of the countries but this will not be the case this time.”
That doesn’t mean Canada isn’t going to do well, though.
“We’ve spent the last four years since Vancouver trying to build on that, trying to prepare our team to go to Russia and compete in an environment very different than Vancouver but still be able to perform at the highest level. So we’ve made significant investments in the team and we’ve prepared them well and we’re going over there very optimistic obviously but also cautious,” says Furlong.
He isn’t sure if he’ll be heading to Sochi, but says he looks forward to watching the games closely on TV, cheering on Team Canada.
“People should leave room for the possibility that the Russians are going to do a jaw dropping job of delivering a great experience for their own country and for the world. I think the Olympic Games in Sochi will be very special.”
