H.S.August 11, 2008 15:57 EST

Great article. I am a proud Canadian and I have fond memories of screaming with excitement and joy when our Canadian swimmers like Alex Baumann, Victor Davis, Mark Tewskbury, Mary-Anne Limpert, etc. won medals in the past. I agree with the author of the article. As I watch this year's Olympics, and listen to our athletes being interviewed however; I get the impression that most of them are happy just to "beat the CANADIAN record" or to "get a personal best". They seem to be competing within Canada, rather than adopting the mentality of taking on the rest of the world. How do we foster that competitive spirit - that hunger to be the best in the world? More training facilities can help, but the swimmers have to be more aggressive in their goals on a daily basis, and not settle for second (or 12th) best. Being the best within Canada doesn't mean much when you're at an international competition like the Olympics.

KaoriAugust 12, 2008 22:51 EST

Fantastic article. That's a really interesting point about Canadian culture and competitiveness.

Francesco SinibaldiSeptember 06, 2008 15:37 EST

Sand of an open sea.

The strong
sands of an open
sea give an
illusion to that
beautiful sunset,
while a gentle
delight reappears,
suddenly, where
a glimmer outshines....

Francesco Sinibaldi