2010 Winter Olympics

[Robbie]

I had created a thread about the 2010 Winter Olympic mascots and I thought this is another interesting topic which about what can be a controversial decision. There are two questions that I'd like your opinion on. In the opening ceremony of any Olympic Games, the athletes march into the stadium and it must be a huge honour to be selected to be the flag bearer and lead your country in the procession.

Q1: Who should be the Canadian flag bearer for the 2010 Winter Olympics?

Here are Canadian flag bearers in the Olympic games since 1968. Since the flag bearer is usually an athlete participating in the games, I suppose it would help to find out exactly who would be representing Canada in the games and that is still two years away so it would be difficult to find out who should be selected.

Canadian Flag Bearers in the Winter Olympic Games
2006 - Danielle Goyette
2002 - Catriona Le May Doan
1998 - Jean-Luc Brassard
1994 - Kurt Browning
1992 - Sylvie Daigle
1988 - Brian Orser
1984 - Gaetan Boucher
1980 - Ken Read
1976 - Dave Irwin
1972 - Karen Magnussen
1968 - Nancy Greene

Canadian Flag Bearers in the Summer Olympic Games
2004 - Nicolas Gill
2000 - Caroline Brunet
1996 - Charmaine Crooks
1992 - Michael Smith
1988 - Carolyn Waldo
1984 - Alex Baumann
1976 - Abby Hoffman
1972 - Doug Roges
1968 - Roger Jackson

Q2: Who should be the final torch bearer who lights the Olympic cauldron?

Being selected for this should be the greatest honour of all in the Olympics. Tradition has dictated that the final torch bearer is an athlete who has represented the host country very well in previous Olympic games. Canada broke this tradition the last two times it hosted the Olympics. Perhaps the reason was because Canada never won too many medals at previous Olympics and it was really difficult to choose an athlete who really stood out, and another was to spare itself of the difficulty of having to pick one good athlete over another.

In 1976, Canada chose local teenagers Sandra Henderson (15) and Stéphane Préfontaine (16).
http://images.beijing-2008.org/20070505 ... 049254.jpg
http://www.olympic.org/common/images/pa ... eal_v1.jpg

And in 1988, Canada chose 12-year old schoolgirl Robyn Perry.
http://images.beijing-2008.org/20070416 ... 037725.jpg
http://www.culture.ca/showcase/200601/i ... g26-v6.jpg

It would also be an honour to be part of the torch relay. In 1988, the torch bearers who carried the torch for 1 km were selected in a contest run by Petro Canada. Did any of you participate in that relay? I went to see the torch as it passed through Richmond's Minoru Park in January 1988.

[Robbie]

I'll give you my opinion:

Flag Bearer: Cindy Klassen
Cauldron Lighter: Marc Gagnon

[sj-roc]

In 1988, the torch bearers who carried the torch for 1 km were selected in a contest run by Petro Canada. Did any of you participate in that relay? I went to see the torch as it passed through Richmond's Minoru Park in January 1988.

Two kids from my high school each ran a leg and we got the day off from school to watch it.

[Lions4ever]

My opinion:

Considering the Olympic Torch Relay was an invention for the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify the Nazis, here's a thought......

ABOLISH IT!!!!

[David]

Knowing VANOC's fixation with being all things to all people (seemingly except for white guys from B.C.), I have every confidence that an Asian female will push a transgendered, French-speaking Inuit in a wheelchair to light the torch for these (ahem!) Olympic and Paralympic games.

DH 8)

[Sir Purrcival]

Flag Bearer Pierre Luders and Teamate
Torch Bearer - Rick Hansen

[TheLionKing]

Who really cares at this point ? The Olympics is still two years away....

[notahomer]

Knowing VANOC's fixation with being all things to all people (seemingly except for white guys from B.C.), I have every confidence that an Asian female will push a transgendered, French-speaking Inuit in a wheelchair to light the torch for these (ahem!) Olympic and Paralympic games.

DH 8)

Nasty! You got me chuckling but the scary thing is how close to the mark you might be!

[Dan_Payne_fan!!]

Sid the Kid maybe?????

[Robbie]

And in 1988, Canada chose 12-year old schoolgirl Robyn Perry.

[youtube][/youtube]

That little girl is all grown up now.



http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... f9b149b6d2

[Hawkballer 14]

Good call on Sid. IMHO, it will be a member of one of the hockey teams.

If I had to take a guess, I'd say Roberto Luongo. The starting goaltender for the Canadian Mens Hockey team as well as his adopted hometown (hopefully he'll still be in a Canucks uni at that point).

Off-topic: Break the bank/give him the keys to the city, do whatever it takes to ensure that he retires in a Canucks uni.

[Dan_Payne_fan!!]

or maybe Trevor Linden

[Robbie]

or maybe Trevor Linden

I don't think so as he doesn't have much of Olympic history. He scored the tying goal in the 1998 semi-final, but Team Canada finished fourth in the end.

[West Coast Blue Fan]

I like Sid or Roberto as the flag bearer.

Wouldn't be surprised if Ken Read lit the big torch.

[Robbie]

I like Sid or Roberto as the flag bearer.

Well, that's only if Roberto Luongo is chosen as a member of the 2010 Men's Olympic Canadian Ice Hockey team to begin with.