The Olympics started this year on the side of Germany and Austria, while Austria leading the pack with it's skiing medals, Germany, the United States and Norway were not far behind.

Did it occur to the world that Canada could come up past Austria and Russia with it's record-breaking medal count? I'm not sure the world was ready for Canada to take it, but we did and congratulations to the Olympians who made the judging reform, the world think twice and the IOC know that we are not going to tolerate cheating and bribing.

The world started off with Salé (yes, that pronounced Sah-lay) and Pelletier (Pel-tee-ay) with their gold medal performance. Little did anyone know at the time that they were to reform the way ice skating will be judged and that a the deserved gold medal would soon to be awarded.

Marc Gangon, a force to be reconed with earned 5 medals, several of them gold in the Men's short track. Speed skating 500m, Catriona leMay Doan earned a gold medal through a superb performance.

The athletes this year in the winter Olympics games have made our country so proud. Especially when the men's hockey game closed the olympics with a gold medal for Canada and the anthem was played congratulating our hockey olympians. The USA was crushed with a score of 5-2 and the party started in downtown Toronto with Red and White all over the streets.

Our women in hockey made a giant step in making the game known to the world, beated by USA the previous 8 games as the women made thier presence known to Americans and the world, so much so that the american women's team walked all over our flag in the dressing room.

Canada's weakness and our strength has shown the world we can overcome the American influence and play a real game, a real sport and run a real marathon.