Canada concedes medals race to U.S.

[UNHWildCats]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Canada has raised the white flag in the face of a U.S. juggernaut, conceding that it won’t achieve its bold ambition of finishing atop the medals table at the Vancouver Olympics.

“We are going to be short of our goal,” said Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, at the news briefing Monday — the start of the games’ final week.

Through most of the day’s competition, Canada was tied for fifth in the medal standings with nine, far behind the United States with 24.

Canada spent $117 million over the past five years — a mix of government and private funding — on its Own The Podium program, a plan to win the medals race by earmarking extra financial support for contending athletes.

“We’d be living in a fool’s paradise if we said we were going to catch the Americans and win,” Rudge said. “They are way out ahead at this point.”

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-feature ... s+race+u+s

[youngterrier]

USA!!!!!!!

beating communists since 1945

[ASUMountaineer]

Crazy Canucks. It was a valiant effort though...

[DJH]

pussies.

[dgreco]

the US has to watch out for Germany and Norway.

[youngterrier]

on a side note, why does China load up on summer Olympic sports that no one cares about to edge us out but they put little to no effort in the winter Olympics...or did they just do that in '08 because they were hosting it?

[93henfan]

Just because you "own the podium" doesn't mean you get to stand on it.

[BlueHen86]

on a side note, why does China load up on summer Olympic sports that no one cares about to edge us out but they put little to no effort in the winter Olympics...or did they just do that in '08 because they were hosting it?

China seems to be focusing on the events that get the most TV time here: figure skating and curling.

[BlueHen86]

the US has to watch out for Germany and Norway.

Sports Illustrated predicted that Germany would win the medals race.

[DukeJack]

the US has to watch out for Germany and Norway.

Sports Illustrated predicted that Germany would win the medals race.

Pretty safe bet. They've won the count every time since Lillehammer, when Norway last won it.

[UNHWildCats]

For what its worth SI predictions say another 13 medals for Germany and 6 for USA which would leave Germany with a 34-31 advantage.

However SI didnt have Mens hockey getting a medal and Bode Miller could add another medal he wasnt picked to win that could close the gap to 34-33.

Also the two mens aerials guys had good days on qualification today finishing 2nd and 5th, so there is a potential to pick up a medal there.

Theres a few other places where USA can pick up a surprise medal, as there probably is for Germany... In any case the overall medal count should be very close between them.

[UNHWildCats]

Germany has missed out on a few medals they were expected to win today, this boosts the USA chance of winning the overall medal count.

[93henfan]

Don't look now, but Canada has evened us (and Germany) up with seven gold medals. How cool would it be if the race for the gold all came down to the hockey game?

[BlueHen86]

Don't look now, but Canada has evened us (and Germany) up with seven gold medals. How cool would it be if the race for the gold all came down to the hockey game?

Wouldn't be cool for the Germans.

[BlueHen86]

In other news...

Custer concedes Little Big Horn to the Indians.

[youngterrier]

In other news...

the French concede to Germany again .

that seems to be a better analogy