Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

A North American Perspective on the Olympics: From Then to Now and a Whole Lot of Weirdness in Between, Part II

The bronze is in the mail. How Canada did and didn't win a medal in men's hockey in 1964.G.D. Maxwell continues his irreverant look at North America in the Olympics.

The goal of Olympism, according to the Fundamental Principles of the Olympics, is to place everywhere sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to encouraging the establishment of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

But with the Cold War raging and the pharmaceutical industry innovating, the Olympics in the latter half of the 20 th century pretty much devolved into a battle of geopolitical proportions that laid waste to any notions of purity, fundamental fair play and, of course, the pursuit of amateur excellence. But it certainly got weirder and weirder.

1964

: The Winter Games at Innsbruck see the introduction of luge racing. Why? It was the sixties. Billy Kid and James Heuga win silver and bronze for the U.S. in slalom the first U.S. men’s alpine medals; Jean Saubert earns bronze in women’s slalom and shares silver in giant slalom. Their four medals constitute two-thirds of the U.S. total of six.

Canada fails to medal for the first time in hockey, finishing fourth to Czechoslovakia. But changes in the tie-breaking rules, after the competition, were to blame, as was the fact the Olympics were standing in for the World Championships and the European Championships in 1964. As late as last year, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced it would retroactively award the ’64 Canadian team the bronze. It got lost in the mail. But Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist any more; Canada does. Nyah, nyah, nyah.

Canadian Petra Burka, the first woman to land a triple jump, wins bronze in figure skating.

Medal count: USSR 25; U.S. 6; Canada 3.

1964

: Tokyo plays host. U.S. geostationary satellite Syncom 3 beams signals stateside, the first TV program to cross the Pacific. US sprinter Bob Hayes equals the world record in the 100 metres, ten seconds flat. Then he shocks the world with a 100-metre leg in the 4x100 by running it in less than 9 seconds. Don Schollander’s four gold medals in swimming give the U.S. the edge in gold, 36 to the Soviet’s 30. But…

Medal count: USSR 96; U.S. 90; Canada don’t ask.

1968

: Grenoble plays host as the Norwegians finally best the Soviets in the medal count, the first nation to do so since the USSR entered the games. Figure skater Peggy Flemming, 19, wins the U.S.’s only gold medal. And in the first year the IOC allows East and West Germany to compete as separate countries, it also orders the first-ever drug and gender tests of competitors, giving rise to the popular "Hey Fella" salutation directed at the East German women’s team.

Jean-Claude Killy wins all three alpine events, the first man to do so since Toni Sailer in 1956. And The Tiger, Nancy Greene wins gold in the giant slalom and silver in slalom, one season after becoming the first North American skier to ever win the World Cup title. The Canadian hockey team also won bronze… really, they did this time.

Medal count: USSR 13; U.S. 7; Canada fewer but truer.

1968

: The rarefied air of Mexico City leaves distance runners gasping. But U.S. jumper Bob Beamon shatters the long jump record by 21 inches, setting a world record that stands until 1991. Dick Fosbury changes high jumping forever with the Fosbury Flop and brings home gold. Debbie Meyer is the first swimmer to ever win three individual event gold medals. And U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200m, give the Black Power, raised-fist salute during the national anthem. They are banned from the Games for life and deported from Mexico. IOC officials say, "We’re shocked! Shocked to find politics entering the Olympics."

Medal count: U.S. 107; USSR 91… and we were winning the space race.

1972

: Sapporo, Japan hosts the Winter Games. Nothing interesting happens except retiring IOC head, Avery Brundage, has a conniption fit over the erosion of amateurism, threatens to disqualify 40 Alpine skiers for taking endorsement money from ski equipment manufactures. The IOC compromises and scapegoats Karl Schranz, Austrian World Cup champ, who reportedly earns $50,000 annually testing ski equipment. Schranz has harsh words about amateur "purity" but ends his career without an Olympic gold medal.

Canadian Karen Magnussen wins silver in figure skating but Canada refuses to send a hockey team to compete to protest the professional amateur teams fielded by Russia and other east bloc countries.

Medal count: Forget it.

1972

: In Munich, Black September terrorists assassinate 11 Israeli athletes. Mark Spitz brings glory to the U.S. with seven gold medals and seven world records then gets out of Dodge when the West German government advises him to leave town before the terrorists figure out he’s Jewish. American runners Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett twirl their gold and silver medals and joke with each other on the podium during the national anthem. They too are banned for life. IOC spokesmen say, "We don’t appreciate black humour on the podium." For the first time ever, the U.S. basketball team loses… to the USSR, in what would later be called the most controversial game of basketball ever played. Look it up.

Medal count: USSR 99; U.S. 94; Fanatics 11; World Peace 0.

1973

: With Brundage gone, the American Athletic Union votes to reinstate Jim Thorpe’s Olympic medals. They forward their sentiments to the IOC.

1974

: The Olympic Charter is amended to remove the word "amateurism". The IOC says, "We’re shocked! Shocked to find anyone thought the Olympics were about amateur sport."

1976:

Innsbruck is the default host of the Winter Games when Denver residents reject a $5 million bond issue to finance the Games awarded to their city. Dorothy Hamill wins gold in figure skating, Cynthia Nelson wins bronze in women’s downhill and Bill Koch becomes the first U.S. skier to win a cross-country medal, silver in the 30km. Their efforts help the US finally best all those little Scandinavian countries in the medal count… which, of course, is won by the USSR with the Hey Fella team from East Germany right behind.

Canadian Kathy Kreiner wins gold in the women’s giant slalom and Toller Cranston takes bronze in men’s figures.

Medal Count: USSR 27; East Germany 19; U.S. 10, but with real women.

1976

: Montreal wins gold in the Olympic Cost Overrun event when the facilities for the Summer Games come in at around $1.5 billion. The budget was $310 million. Jean Drapeau, Montreal’s mayor, announces he’s six months pregnant. Some time this year – that’s 2006 – Quebec’s Olympic debt will finally be paid off. Be scared, Whistler; be very scared. It proves to be the only gold medal Canada wins, the first time the home country ever failed to win gold in a summer games.

U.S. boxers "Surgar" Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks and Michael Spinks, all future world champs, win gold in the ring.

USSR KO’s U.S. in medal count: 125 to 94. Ouch.

1980:

Olympics return to Lake Placid. Eric Heiden wins gold in all five speed skating races. And hockey gets politicized when the U.S. team, mostly college players, lay a world of hurt on the "amateur" Russians in the Miracle on Ice. The only downsides to the American victory are the popularization of the obnoxious "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chant and the belief among political commentators that the victory was a turning point for Ronald Reagan in the US presidential race.

Crazy Canuck Steve Podborski picks up the bronze in men’s downhill and Gaétan Boucher wins silver in 100 metre speed skating.

Medal count: USSR 22; U.S. 12 – but they won the big one for the Gipper.

1980:

The first communist Olympics are held in Moscow. The U.S. takes gold in pique, a new demonstration sport, when it leads a boycott of the willing over the Soviets’ invasion of Afghanistan. NBC cancels its Games coverage. Nobody knows what happens; nobody cares.

Medal count: USSR 195; U.S. 0

1981:

The IOC, under new Presidente for Life Juan Samaranch, gives international sports federations the right to determine athlete eligibility for Olympic competition. Provided athletes don’t actually receive money during the Games, the door is open to pros.

1982

: Righting an old wrong, the IOC pardons Jim Thorpe 29 years after his death and seven after Avery Brundage’s, who is reportedly spinning in his grave. Replica medals are awarded to his family early in 1983.

1983

: The IOC opens the Games to corporate sponsorship. The sun rises in the east.

1984

: Pre-war Sarajevo becomes the first communist country to host a Winter Games. Twins Phil and Steve Mahre win gold and silver in the slalom, accounting for a quarter of all the U.S. medals. Bill Johnson takes the downhill. The U.S. hockey team fails to qualify for the medal round.

Gaétan Boucher wins practically all of Canada’s medals with gold in the 1,000 and 1,500 metres and silver in the 400 metre speed skate.

Medal count: USSR 25; U.S. 8; Canada 4, but none in hockey.

1984

: Los Angeles hosts a Sovietless Summer Games when the Eastern Bloc nations retaliate for 1980 with a boycott of their own. With new sponsorship guidelines, the L.A. games make a bundle. American runner Carl Lewis wins four gold medals, a feat he probably would have done even if the Soviets had joined the party. Despite Romania ignoring the boycott, U.S. star Mary Lou Retton wins the all-around gymnastics title.

Medal count: U.S. 174, Canada 44; USSR 0. U-S-A! U-S-A!

1986

: The IOC changes the scheduling of the summer and winter Olympics. Instead of both Games happening in the same year, they will take place two years apart from each other after 1992.

1988

: Canadians finally prove they can host the Games and not lose their shirts when Calgary welcomes the Winter Games. The U.S. hits an all-time medal low point with only six and, once again, the host country is skunked gold medalwise. But the Games are highly watchable because of competitors like accidental ski jumper Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards and the Jamaican bobsled team, both of whom embody what’s left of the tattered Olympic spirit.

Elizabeth Manley momentarily gets her life together long enough to win silver in figures for Canada and Brian Orser matches her medal in men’s figures. Karen Percy bronzes in downhill and Super G. Canada claws its way back to a fourth-place finish in hockey.

Medal count: USSR 29; U.S. 6, a personal worst; Canada 5.

1988

: Seoul hosts the final Summer Games to be boycotted. North Korea boycotts, taking Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua with them; no one knows why for sure… or cares for that matter. American Carl Lewis is awarded gold in the 100m when Canadian Ben "Juice" Johnson tests positive for steroids after winning the race in new world record time. Florence Griffith-Joyner wins three golds and a silver in sprints while sister-in-law Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins gold in long jump and heptathlon, an event involving both sport and rhythm. Matt Biondi swims to five medals, Janet Evans three and Greg Louganis wins back-to-back diving events despite whacking his head a good one in the finals on the 3 meter board.

Medal count: USSR 132; U.S. 94; Canada 11, er, make that 10.

1992

: The U.S. hopes to finally win the medal race over the USSR now that the country’s exploded into Russia and a lot of little places all named Somethingstan. But the decision of former Soviet nations to compete in Albertville, France as the Unified Team snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. U.S. women prove their superiority to men – at least in winter sports – when they win all five U.S. gold medals. Speed skater Bonnie Blair wins two while teammate Cathy Turners wins one, as does figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Freestyle skiing makes its official debut with mogul skier Donna Weinbrecht wining America’s final gold. Aerials are a demonstration sport.

Kerrin Anne Lee wins gold in women’s downhill for Canada and, gasp, the country returns to glory winning silver in hockey. Canada further cements it’s image as a country of people who play well together when short-track speed skater teams win gold and silver in the 3,000 and 5,000 metre events

Medal count: Unified Team (not a real country) 23; U.S. 11; Canada 7, or 39 if you count everyone on teams.

1992

: IOC presidente Samaranch brings the Games to his hometown, Barcelona, Spain. The U.S. Dream Team, driving the final nail into the coffin of amateurism, kicks butt on the basketball court and offers to buy Barcelona from the Spanish with change they find in the sofas of their hotel rooms. Carl Lewis wins two more gold medals.

Medal count: Unified Team 112, or 9.33 medals for each of the 12 countries passing themselves off as a team; US 108; Canada 18.

1994

: Little Lillehammer, Norway, hosts the Games but all the real spectacle happens a month before they start when Tonya Harding’s ex, Jeff Gillooly, hires the world’s most inept hitman to club Nancy Kerrigan on the knee. Nancy goes on to win silver, Tonya breaks a lace and bawls her eyes out, and the Russians, even without the help of the other Unified countries, put the hurt to the U.S.

Meanwhile, Canadian hunters discover a new pin-up girl when Myriam Bédard wins twin golds in the 15km and 7.5km biathlon – a good looking French-Canadian woman who can ski and shoot. And Jean-Luc Brassard brings home gold in moguls while ever-so-close Elvis Stojko settles for silver in men’s figure skating.

Medal count: Russia 23; U.S. 13; Canada 13 (not a typo, ed.)

1996

: Hot ‘Lanta hosts the Games of Discontent. Allegations that the host city won the Games because of bribes to IOC members were never substantiated but gridlocked transportation, a smothering corporate presence and a pipe bomb in Centennial Olympic Park that killed one and wounded 111 culminated in El Presidente Samaranch, for the first time in history, failing to call the Atlanta Games the "best ever."

Michael Johnson makes his Olympic debut with golds in the 200m and 400m race. Carl Lewis wins his ninth gold, this one for the long jump. Andre Agassi wins tennis gold while Amy Van Kyken earns four golds in the pool and a hobbled Keri Strug leads the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to overall victory.

Canada’s Donovan Bailey keeps the U.S. sprinters from enjoying a clean sweep when he sets a new world record in the 100m – and the country holds it breath until he passes the doping test – and anchors the Canadian men to gold in the 4x100m relay.

Medal count: U.S. 101; Russia 63; Canada 22. Take that you un-unified Commie-Capitalists.

1998

: Nagano, Japan hosts the Winter Games – surprising many who didn’t remember Japan had winter – and puts on a display of weather so foul organizers had to run the men’s Super G, women’s downhill and women’s combined all in one day.

Snowboarding makes its Olympic debut and Whistler’s own Ross "Smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em" Rebagliati wins gold notwithstanding a cloud of secondhand marijuana smoke hanging over his head. Catriona Le May Doan nabs gold in the 500 metre and bronze in the 1,000 metre speed skating events and Elvis spins silver again.

U.S. figure skater Tara Lipinski, at 15, becomes the youngest athlete to win gold at the Winter Games and Austrian Hermann Maier rag-dolls down the men’s downhill course, crashes through two fences and still picks up two gold medals over the course of the next week.

Medal count: A Unified Germany 18; Canada 15; U.S. 13. Let’s see that one more time, shall we? Canada 15; U.S. 13. Who said pot wasn’t a performance-enhancing drug?

2000

: The Games return down under to Sydney; U.S. networks try mightily to keep audiences interested given the time differential. They lose. U.S. women’s softball defends it title as does Michael Johnson in the 400m. Marion Jones wins three golds in track and two more medals for a total of five.

Medal count: U.S. 97; Russia (or whatever they’re calling themselves this year) 88; Canada 14. Sydney?

2001

: El Presidente Juan Samaranch leaves a mess o’ corruption for Jacques Rogge to clean up as new IOC president.

2002

: Salt Lake City, among a firestorm of charges of corruption and bribery, hosts the Winter Games. Homeland Security, a new demonstration sport, takes center stage in the post 9/11 world. The Games’ other highlights include massive doping scandals and controversy over a French figure skating judge tossing the pairs’ medal to the Russians, who are later forced to share it with Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier who, everyone in the world agrees, legitimately won it.

Canadian Beckie Scott wins gold, finally, in women’s pursuit cross-country skiing because every Russian who finished in front of her was drugged to the gills. Veronica Brenner and Deidra Dionne take silver and bronze in aerials. And every single Canadian not at work is in a bar to watch the men’s hockey team finally, finally, after a 50 year span, reclaim long lost gold and whip the U.S.

On what’s proving to be a high note in a chequered career, Bode Miller wins silver in Combined and Giant Slalom

Medal count: Germany 35; U.S. 34; Canada 17; Russia 16 (or less, depending on how many they had to return for doping and whether you count the stolen one in figure pairs).

2004

: The Olympics return to Greece with Athens hosting the Summer Games. The host country wins gold for its opening and closing ceremonies. American men clean up on the track with gold in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x400m. Misty May and Kerri Walsh win gold in women’s beach volleyball (really, it’s a sport). Amid controversy, Paul Hamm takes – and keeps – gold in the men’s individual all-around gymnastics competition and Carly Patterson does the same, sans controversy, in the women’s.

Canada fields the fewest number of athletes, 200, since 1980… when it boycotted the games. The Canadian Olympic Committee decided to raise the qualifying standards to enhance the country’s chances at medalling. There’s a joke about decisions made by committees but we’ll just let that slide. Nicolas Gill sells out his separatist sentiments and agrees to carry the Canadian flag. Kyle Shewfelt wins gold in men’s floor exercises and, well, we’re a winter country; who cares about the summer Olympics?

Medal count: U.S. 103; Russia 92; Canada 12.



Comments