'Games on' for Canada By Rob Longley

BEIJING - Pierre Lafontaine, the overly-energetic head coach of Canada’s rebuilding Olympic swim team said it best here on Thursday: Game On.

Better yet, “Games” on, those being the much-anticipated Games of the XXIX Olympiad, a predicted spectacle that has had the rest of the world’s eyes trained on China for months.

On the eighth hour of the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth year this century, the Games will officially be declared open.

With a revamped emphasis on excellence and what it believes is a better system than the one which produced a disappointing 12 medals in Athens, Canadian officials are brazenly optimistic.

They are predicting a top-16 finish, up three positions from last time despite a team that has been dinged by injuries lately and will have to face the expected medal rush of the host Chinese.

“Whether it takes high teens, mid teens or low teens, what happens on the field of play will determine that,” Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers said at the Canadian team’s pre-Games state of the union address. “We probably have more possibilities in a broader range of sports than we’ve had in many Olympic Games.

“In the past, it’s been medal potential in spotty places. Now we’ve got medal potential all over the place. We’ll see what happens.”

The world will see plenty over the next two-plus weeks, though not all the prospects are rosy. There inevitably will be protests against the Chinese, with millions wondering how hard-line authorities will handle any insurrections.

“The position of the IOC is very clear,” the group’s president Jacques Rogge said yesterday. “When in a country, you have to respect the laws of that country.”

The polluted air, as thick as fog this week when blue sky has been but a rumour, is a dual threat when mixed with the stifling humidity.

Contrary to a group of American cyclists which walked off a team bus wearing masks the other day, Canadian officials aren’t worried.

“There wasn’t an impact on ventilation as a result of being here for a couple week period,” said Dr. Jon Kolb, Team Canada’s resident physiologist. “There really isn’t a concern. It’s a much different situation long term.”

As for the heat, the Canadians will use cooling vests and ice towels in an attempt not to overheat.

“Everything we are doing at these Games has been well tested,” Kolb said. “The last thing we want to do is have a knee-jerk reaction and introduce new strategies at these Games.”

“I like the heat,” added flag-bearer Adam van Koeverden. “I race in it all the time. If I wanted cold I’d go for the winter Olympics.”

There will be a renewed emphasis on doping as well, with the International Olympic Committee promising some 4,500 tests to nail the dopers. Rogge said he expects “between 30 and 40” positive tests.

“You have approximately 500 million people practising sports on earth,” Rogge said. “We don’t have 500 million saints on earth.”

And then there are the host Chinese, who are expected to challenge the U.S. for the overall medal title in what would be a spectacular performance. With hundreds of millions spent on a sporting infrastructure since being awarded these Games, China has emerged as a power.

“The Chinese team is going to be competing with everybody in many new sports that they have historically not been competitive in,” Chambers said. “Kudos to them. They have invested in sport and coaching and I’m sure they will realize great results here.”

Back with the Canadians, officials believe the team will weather the impact of several injuries over the past few months. The biggest was the loss of hurdler Perdita Felicien, who won’t compete here. Kyle Shewfelt, who broke both of his legs last year, and diver Alexandre Despatie, who broke a bone in his foot, are hoping to cap off stunning recoveries.

All told there will be 332 Canadians competing here, including 15 former medalists. Only 83 competed at the Athens Games, however, making for 230 Olympic rookies.

The aggressive goals come in part from new funding and a focus on excellence both for these Games and especially as a building block towards 2012 in London.

“When you start creating an environment, the greats of the greats show up and they just keep moving, but when the environment is not there, you win by chance,” Lafontaine said. “You’ve got to win because the structure is created.”