Daily Mail columnist Martin Samuel believes that Nodar Kumaritashvili's coffin should be stamped with a maple leaf. "Made in Canada, it should say. Made by the perversion of the Olympic movement for national gain; made by a culture of worthless aggrandisement and pride."
Samuel goes on to blame Canada's Own the Podium program, and the lack of track time given to international competitors like Kumaritashvili, who he says, "was no threat to anybody." In fact, he calls it cheating. Canada's greedy guts were also given a finger-wagging by Stephen Colbert and his "don't be an icehole" campaign, but obviously he wasn't expecting this to end in death. It did end in beer though: Vancouver’s R&B microbrewery created a lager in salute.
This is what happens, I suppose, when we act against our nature. Maybe it wasn't so bad being the dopey nice guy who always gets the Participation ribbon, the constant butt of jokes from our meathead neighbour who insists we hold the can of cleaner as he shines his medal collection.
That said, if we get one second less high-diving practice time than the Brits during the 2012 London Olympics, we'll be watching, Mr. Samuel.
