The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (2021)

[W. K. Lis]

With Olympic gold, Sinclair and Labbé call for professional women's soccer team in Canada​

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Christine Sinclair and Stephanie Labbé say it's time to pay women to play here​

From link.

Captain Christine Sinclair and shootout hero Julia Grosso celebrate Canada's thrilling gold-medal victory in women's soccer. Sinclair told CBC that the team's goal throughout their journey was to 'change the sport of soccer in Canada.' (Francois Nel/Getty Images)

With a penalty kick in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic women's soccer finals, Team Canada won gold — raising hope that professional women's soccer will advance in their home country.

"We need to continue to push to have a professional league in Canada," goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé told Ian Hanomansing, host of Cross Country Checkup and The National.

"The fact that we're Olympic champions and we don't have any professional teams in our home country is pretty unacceptable."

Canada does not have any professional women's soccer teams, but the recently formed Canadian Premiere League is home to eight men's teams. There are also three Canadian men's teams that compete in Major League Soccer, a predominantly U.S. circuit.

Goal to change the sport of soccer in Canada​

But with Olympic gold in hand, both Labbé and captain Christine Sinclair say they will continue to push for professional women's teams.

According to Sinclair, "the easiest step" would be to create a few Canadian teams and put them in the National Women's Soccer League, the American league that's backed by both U.S. and Canadian soccer associations.

"In terms of longer-term goals, maybe a Canadian-only professional league."

Canadians from coast to coast watched the women's team take Olympic gold for the first time ever after beating Sweden 3-2 following a six-round penalty shootout.

Excitement on the pitch was palpable, with Sinclair letting out a celebratory scream and team members piling on kicker Julia Grosso who scored the gold-medal-winning shot.

"We are Olympic champions. It's a moment I never thought I'd experience," Sinclair told Hanomansing.

"Our goal throughout this entire journey has been to change the sport of soccer in Canada, and I think it's time we actually do that."

Inspiring the next generation​

Labbé admits that outsiders were doubtful that the Canadian women would top the podium, even if the players themselves have been "fighting for it from the day that we set that goal."

But she believes "anything is possible" for those who have a dream and work to achieve it.

"I hope that we can inspire young girls to really think about that, and I think at the same time, representation is key," she said.

"If we want those girls to continue to be inspired by us, they can't just see us on TV once every four years at a World Cup or an Olympics."

Canada is ranked eighth in the world in FIFA World Rankings, but there's one major difference between Canada and other top countries.

"We're the only team in the top 10 in world rankings that doesn't have a professional environment for young girls to aspire to be a part of, because only a small few actually make it to the national team," said Sinclair.

"Just because you don't make the national team, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to continue to play the sport you love."

'We all have different journeys'​

Thanks to the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics were unlike any other, something athletes of all stripes have acknowledged.

Labbé says challenges exist regardless of the pressures of the pandemic.

"The pandemic, first and foremost, I think had an effect on all of us in different ways, and coming here to the Olympics is something that we've all pushed and strived to do," she said.

"But once you get here, those challenges and the stresses that we've been through over the past year and a half, they don't just go away."

Labbé says she struggled with fatigue and recovery between matches, and applauded the decision by U.S. gymnast Simone Biles to withdraw from several Olympic events in order to prioritize her well-being.

"She's so courageous and brave to speak out about it and to listen to her body and her mind in terms of what she needs," Labbé said.

"There were some days I had to lock myself in a dark room and avoid all stimulation because it can get really, really hard to continue to manage that.

"We all have different journeys and we all have different experiences."

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The original Stanley Cup cost $48 ($1,449.05 today). It was purchased in 1892 by Frederick Arthur Stanley, 6th Governor General of Canada, May 1, 1888 – September 18, 1893.

Maybe the current 30th Governor General of Canada, Mary Jeannie May Simon, could donate a cup for a Canadian women's soccer league?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Weird NL moment.

I just can't help myself when I see statistical assertions to look into them.
So....we did grab our largest total of medals for a non-boycotted Summer Games - True.

However, there were more medals awarded than at the previous games where we topped out at 22.
We hit 22 medals in 1996 in Atlanta.
In that year, 842 medals were awarded.
This year 1080 medals were awarded.

Ergo, to match our percentage from 1996, we would expect to win 28% more medals.
Which would be 28.

So, yes, a record haul, but not our best performance if ranked by percentage of medals available, won by Canada.

****

I now return this thread to normal people who never would have bothered looking into that..............and would probably be correct in that choice.

LOL

You *might* want to look up 1908 London

AoD

 

[Northern Light]

You *might* want to look up 1908 London

AoD

In that year Canada won 16 medals out of 324 available.

If we used that number as a base (as opposed to using the commonly cited highest number of medals won)....
Then our medal count would need to go up by 3.33 times from that number to hold the same percentage of medals as our previous peak performance.
This would require 54 medals when rounding up to the nearest whole medal.

*****

Don't look at me like that everyone...........Alvin made me do it!

LOL

*****

Psst, that number would have given us Australia's spot in this year's standings at #6 as opposed to our standing of #11

 

[W. K. Lis]

In that year Canada won 16 medals out of 324 available.

If we used that number as a base (as opposed to using the commonly cited highest number of medals won)....
Then our medal count would need to go up by 3.33 times from that number to hold the same percentage of medals as our previous peak performance.
This would require 54 medals when rounding up to the nearest whole medal.

*****

Don't look at me like that everyone...........Alvin made me do it!

LOL

*****

Psst, that number would have given us Australia's spot in this year's standings at #6 as opposed to our standing of #11

It was with the 1936 Berlin Olympics that nations started using the Olympics as prestige events for their nations.

From link.

First, the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. The Nazi leader, Hitler, wanted to see German dominance in athletics. When an Afro-American athlete won, Hitler walked out of the stadium.

Later, the Cold War arrived and the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union began. Both nations for long dominated the medal tables. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in late 1970s, the American athletes didn’t show up at 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. In reply, the Soviets and their satellites didn’t show up at Los Angeles in 1984.

After the Cold War ended, the America dominated the world both economically and on the sport arenas. That was so until recently. The growing economic power of China became apparent on the sports arena during 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. China won the most gold medals. However, when it comes to the medal count, USA won with 110 medals, while China was second with 100.

Many commentators say that Chinese did unusually well because they performed at home. However, many Chinese Olympic athletes say that the enormous pressure in Beijing was difficult to bear and that it may be easier in London this year.

 

[W. K. Lis]

 

[AlbertC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1425904076408164354

 

[W. K. Lis]

Many of the curling teams have a drink of beer before and after the competition. Would that result in a suspension theses days?