In short: The Olympics were entertaining and a great show of national pride and international unity.
For the past few weeks, people around the world have been captivated by the city of Vancouver. From skiing on Whistler Mountain to hockey at Canada Hockey Place, the most prominent city in British Columbia has been all over our TV screens.
The Olympics could have been rough. Even before the games opened, they were marred by tragedy and dysfunction. The death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili and the gaffe with the cauldron at the opening ceremony were a bad start, but the rest of the games were a dramatic success.
The games stoked a rivalry between the United States and Canada, with the United States setting a record for total medals in a Winter Olympics and Canada winning not just their first ever gold on home soil, but a record 14.
The rivalry culminated with a dramatic gold-medal game in men’s hockey that is perhaps best left not discussed. The path to the game, however, may help breathe new life into a sport that is often ignored south of the United States’ border with Canada. Players like U.S. goaltender Ryan Miller went from relative unknowns to stars, and the excitement around both Canada-U.S. games was unprecedented.
Elsewhere on the ice, American speed skater Apolo Ohno solidified American dominance by becoming the all-time leader in medals at the Winter Olympics. Paired with Michael Phelps’s effort in Beijing two years ago, the United States has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to produce transcendent athletes.
This wasn’t just about the United States, though. The Olympics are a way to see and experience other cultures and other sports. One of the best parts of watching the Olympics is seeing the sports that are never discussed during the intervening three years. Sports like curling become interesting because of their sheer novelty.
Overall, these Olympics were exciting and created a lot of great moments. The sense of unity was nice in a world that often lacks it, and Canada and the city of Vancouver proved to be great hosts with very enthusiastic fans.
The Olympics were a magnificent success for everyone. Well, everyone except maybe Bode Miller.
Our View is the consensus of The Crimson White’s editorial board.
