The Martlet

What happens when you strip all the controversy, all the revenue issues, scandal and superficiality from the Olympics? You get a whole lot of talented athletes.

When the first games started millennia ago, it was all about the sport. These days, there’s a lot more baggage. But you can bet all that baggage was pushed aside on the final day of the Olympics, when 80 per cent of Canadians tuned in to watch the gold-medal hockey game.

But do athletes and spectators alike enjoy the games in the same way? UVic students have mixed opinions of who made up that 80 per cent.

“Some non-athletes view the games as a waste of funds that could be better put to use somewhere else,” said Kevin Underhill, UVic student athlete. “Athletes generally have more passion, although both recognize the significance of the games.”

Others believe that it all comes down to personal interests.

“Not every non-athlete is into sports, and so the Olympics fall into that category. They just aren’t interested, but that doesn’t mean they always are against them,” said UVic student Alex Kurial.

Some are certain that it’s not just about the sport, but about what comes along with it.

“I think both athletes and non-athletes will embrace the opportunity to take pride in their country when given the chance,” said UVic student Mike Hillian.

Can a person who has never participated in sports really feel the same kind of adrenaline as an athlete who is watching the same game?

Maybe it’s not the sport itself — maybe it’s the pride people felt knowing that the hockey won gold for all of Canada. Maybe it’s the fact that anyone who was in downtown Vancouver during the Olympics gave out hundreds of high-fives per day, and spontaneously sang the national anthem with strangers.

But this spirit was not only happening in Canada — it was happening all over the globe.

“I have a friend who is working as a midwife in the Philippines; she didn’t want to miss Canada make history at the Olympics, so she woke-up at 4 a.m. and painted her face with red and white paint,” said Hillian. “She found an online stream of the hockey game, and while watching it, ate crepes with maple syrup.”

Underhill had his own unique experience on game day.

“I was in the U.S. with our Ultimate [Frisbee] team during the gold-medal game. We listened to it on the radio at our hotel before moving to a fast-food restaurant to watch it. When we let out a big cheer at the end of the game, the Americans around us didn’t even seem to acknowledge what was happening,” said Underhill.

Kurial got to experience the excitement first-hand.

“I watched the game just outside of GM place, inside the Ontario House — it was the most amazing atmosphere I have ever been in. Afterwards, everyone just spilled out onto the streets,” he said.

After Canada won its final gold, protestors gathered in the streets of downtown Vancouver. The crowds, seeing this, began to sing “O Canada,” and many of the protestors joined in.

Although there will always be controversy over the Olympics, many countries were astounded by Canada’s national spirit during the Games. And there have never been so many people, athletes and non-athletes alike, in the streets of Vancouver — all cheering for the same cause.