Related:
Carol Huynh: Finally, A Gold for Canada

Related:
Video: Carol Huynh’s Gold Medal Bout

Photo sources: beijing2008 and CBC Olympics

I must say that their Olympic uniform is an improvement from the much criticized outfits they released a few months ago.

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Canada’s Olympic Pajamas, Part II
Canada’s Pajama Looking Olympic Outfit

Photo credit: sina.com

Adam Van Koeverden, world and Olympic kayak champion, is having none of it: “I respect Stojko and his opinion but I think he would have moderated his comments if he was headed to the Olympics to win a gold medal.” [cbcsports.ca]

Clearly, Adam is against an Olympic boycott as he wrote the following in his blog:

To suggest that participation in the Beijing Olympics is somehow ignorant of human rights violations or the situation in Tibet is ridiculous to me. I’m not pledging my support or choosing sides by going to China to compete, if anything I think a high profile event of this magnitude will draw attention to, and potentially lead to solutions to the problems that exist. The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama doesn’t support an Olympic Boycott, citing that the people of China aren’t to blame for the situation; I don’t think athletes from around the world should be either.

Unless Elvis comes up with a strong comeback — like saying something like “Adam dude, figure skating is much more popular than kayaking, so shut up will ya” — we are putting the score at Adam: 1 vs. Elvis: 0.

And people say Canadians are boring? Go on with the dude fight, Adam and Elvis!

RELATED:
Dear Elvis Stojko

If you will say something like that, we will be happy to include you in our honor list of people (Archbishop Desmond Tutu, etc) and institutions (Amnesty International, etc) who have an admirable human rights record.

If you will not say anything in 2010, we will include you in our list of poseurs who are bashing China’s human rights record but who were silent about the human rights violations committed by former Olympic host countries. You will be in good company. Our list currently includes Hillary Clinton (who will say anything to get elected), Angela Merkel, and other wannabe human rights advocates whose advocacies are cheapened by their selectiveness.

Will you rise up to the challenge, Elvis?

*****

The context for the above note: Two-time Olympic medallist Elvis Stojko says Canadian athletes should “make a stand” for human rights and think twice about heading to the Beijing Summer Games. Stojko made the comments during a rally protesting China’s human rights record outside the Ontario legislature. From CBC.ca

To understand why, here’s a list of things you should know about Ari Taub:

1. He is a Canadian wrestler who qualified for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He, however, lost his spot when he agreed to a wrestle-off with another wrestler.

2. Doctors told him that he developed bone spurs in his neck and that he was at risk of being a quadraplegic if he continues to wrestle. His dream crushed, he then goes to law school. Eight years later, it was discovered that he was misdiagnosed and that he can actually wrestle.
3. He returned to wrestling in 2004 and won the Canadian open. He was on the verge of going to Athens but was told that he is not eligible because he lacked international matches.

4. In 2008, he got a spot for the Beijing Games but he has to finance his own training, his trip to the Olympics and other international competitions. Odd, no? Here’s why according to our reliable source: For some inexplicable reason, freestyle wrestlers are funded athletes but Greco-Roman wrestlers are not.

5. When he goes to Beijing Ari Taub, at 37 years old, might be the oldest wrestler in the competition.

Whew. His story is an inspiring example of the Olympic ideal of “not to win but to take part”, isn’t it? So because of Ari Taub, I promise to never again poke fun at whoever uses that quote again. [But in my defense, I was teasing sports officials not athletes.]

Anyways, good luck Ari. You’ve got us in your corner.

Outside reading: Canada.com and Globe and Mail
PHOTO SOURCES: wrestling.ca and leitor.com

From a woman quoted by the National Post: “It looks like your pyjamas. It’s pretty busy. Usually, women like men in uniforms, but I don’t think this one cuts it.”

Meanwhile, over at CBC the Olympic uniforms, not just the unfortunate pajama-looking one which caught our attention, are also being dissed by commenters. A sampling of the comments:

Just my opinion, but these have got to be the ugliest uniforms I have ever seen! If you are going to use other colours besides red and white, then they need to pop. These are dull and faded, not bright and vibrant.

It may just be me but one of the biggest turn offs of these new outfits is that they don’t look new. The outfits look like they have been through the washing machine a 100 times and look faded.

Maybe it is the photos or maybe it is just me?? But the shirt that Krista is wearing looks faded and not new and fresh. The same goes for the “PJs” the red all looks like it been washed a 100 times.

Yikes!
I saw the new uniforms earlier on the morning news and thought it was a joke…guess not. Words cannot accurately describe how dreadful these clothes are. Not even Don Cherry’s suit jacket designer could have come up with awful stuff like this!

We must say that we pretty much agree with the comments. Head over here if you want to read what Canadians are saying about their athlete’s uniforms.

Fortunately for the athletes, they won’t actually be wearing the pajama looking suit as we originally feared. According to the National Post, the actual uniforms the athletes will wear in the opening ceremonies and medal ceremonies will be unveiled at the 2008 Games.

RELATED: Canada’s Pajama Looking Olympic Outfit
PHOTO SOURCE: cbc.ca

So did Canada and New Zealand agree to release their Olympic uniforms in the same day? You can read the story about Canada’s launching of its Olympic uniforms here. But here’s the part that interests us most at The Olympian Blog.

Each Olympic team member will receive 25 items, including jackets, pants, shorts, hoodies, T-shirts, shoes and luggage, as well as “team only” products such as the opening ceremony outfit and medal podium jacket.

By the way, the second picture features Canadian Olympic rower Krista Gulien. We don’t know the people in the first picture but we are wondering why one of them is wearing something that looks like a pajama. Do Canadian athletes want to be seen wearing that during the parade of nations? Seriously, it looks like the pajama that a blogger we know loves to wear.

Edited to add: As a commenter pointed out, it’s Krista Guloien not Gulien. Thanks for the note, anonymous

Update: More reactions to Canada’s Olympic pajamas.

PHOTO SOURCE: CBC News.

Olympic gold-medal-winning snowboarder Ross Rebagliati has settled a lawsuit over a television series that he had accused of defaming him.

The Canadian snowboarder reached the out-of-court settlement with CTV Television network and producers of the series, “Whistler,” according a statement released by his spokesman on Friday. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

What was the lawsuit about?

Rebagliati said he was defamed by a character in the syndicated series named Beck MacKaye, who was portrayed as a former Olympic snowboarder and resident at the Whistler, British Columbia, ski resort whose death was linked to alcoholism, womanizing and blackmail.

Rebagliati, who lived in Whistler when he won the gold medal at the Nagano Winter Games in 1998, alleged the “reprehensible” character was so similar physically and in sports history that people thought the character was modeled on him, or created by him.

Haha. Those lazy producers. They should have created a less obvious character. But then again, maybe they were asking to be sued.

Rebagliati, in case you forgot, was originally stripped of his gold medal because he tested positive for marijuana. He got back his medal when it was pointed out that the Olympic rule book doesn’t say you can’t smoke dope.

CanFund then distributes the donations to athletes who apply for funding. Pretty neat, eh?

By the way, if you’re wondering what those “eights” are about, the “$8 for 08.08.08″ its a summation of the campaign’s goal which is to ask Canadians to donate $8, and tell eight friends to donate $8 as well.

Of course, 08.08.08 or August 8, 2008 is also the opening date of the Beijing Olympics.