ON THE RUN — Close only counts in horseshoes. I want gold!

Sometimes Canadians can be so civil it's irritating.

Take, for example, public opinion about the Canadian sports program Own the Podium. Many kind-hearted Canadians are furious about this “boastful” slogan. Why, they ask, would the country brag about owning Olympic gold, silver and bronze? Especially when Canada is the host country. It's so not nice.

And how are athletes supposed to compete well with that kind of pressure on them?

Because they are champions, that's how. They are super athletes with nerves of steel. That's how they made it into world-class competition. Olympic athletes know how to focus and they know how to execute their skills under all kinds of pressure the rest of us would never be able to withstand. It's quite easy to figure out why they are in Vancouver and we are at home watching them on television.

But that's beside the point. It's the criticism by Canadians of Canadians daring to put forward a program that suggests this country might intend to come out tops at the Olympics.

Own the Podium was not a promise. It was not a commitment. It was first, a slogan to raise money and second, a goal. Show me a coach or a teacher and I'll show you someone who consistently preaches the importance of setting goals. It doesn't mean you are a failure if you don't reach the goal. Goals and objectives keep people focused in their efforts.

Own the Podium, which was created in 2005, and supported by government and companies, provides Canadian athletes with support, services and funding to help them train. It was established in response to past criticism that Canadian athletes get very little assistance from their country compared to other athletes.

Suddenly, at the Olympics, it's been turned into a tool with which to either bemoan or praise the athletes. “Well, he won't own the podium with that performance” or “And she will own the podium today.”

Those comments come from the sports commentators. On the other side of the debate are members of the public who think it was a disgraceful way to present our athletes, “How embarrassing, how boastful, so unsportsmanlike.”

A few people even say it's against the philosophy of the Olympics to emphasize winning. The Olympics are about participation, they said. Oh, please, if that's the case, I'll head on down to Whistler to take a run on the downhill course. That's participation, but I wonder how impressed the crowds would be with my performance.

Let's not pretend we don't expect our athletes to aim for gold. What the heck are they there for if not to win a medal? Canadian tax dollars go toward funding recreational sports, but specific amounts directed toward elite athletes are designed to help them represent their country.

They are not getting the dollars so they can merely develop their athletic skills for themselves. We don't have enough money to pay for every Canadian's athletic dreams. The bucks go to the best so they get a chance at “owning the podium,” thereby bringing national pride to all Canadians.

We don't have to be ashamed to admit that we want our athletes to win. That's not un-Canadian or even being a bad sport.

And, by the way, sports reporters are not a disgrace to the country because they are holding the athletes' toes to the fire. They know the money that has gone into the program for elite athletes and they have a right to want some answers on behalf of Canadians about what went wrong. It's called accountability.

And while some really good sports feel just showing up at the start line is good enough for our athletes, there are a whole bunch of other Canadians who are interested in knowing why the athlete didn't live up to expectations.

Having said all that, winning something less than a gold does not mean an athlete is a loser. I, too, on occasion during these Games have wanted to tell a sports reporter to button it with the questions about being disappointed in a silver medal. Second or third best in the world isn't good enough? Let's get a grip.

The fractions of a second that people lose a medal placing or even finish sixth or seventh just shows how easily the end result could change depending on the day.

Those finishings also demonstrate how totally stupid it is for anyone to predict a medal count before the Olympics even begin. A competitive showing is dependent on so many variables that anyone who thinks a medal is a certainty is foolish. Nothing is a sure thing in competition, particularly when the athletes are so closely matched.

The thing about the Olympics is that it is two weeks of great stories on and off the hill, the rink or the track. It's also a chance to watch fantastic athletes. It offers an opportunity for average Canadians to feel their hearts swell with pride in their fellow citizens whether it is an athlete who takes gold or one who gets up after a fall, composes herself and completes an astounding jump.

Winning medals are the best. That's why I watch the Olympics. I want to see Canadians excel. But the memories I'll take away are not from the podium.

They will be from the way each athlete competed.

Susan Duncan is city editor of The Daily News. Her column appears Fridays. Email her at sduncan@kamloopsnews.ca.

Comments