Bringing home the gold ... and the bronze

After a busy two weeks of athletic competition, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games have passed into history.  The games will henceforth be featured at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, just as all their predecessors are featured.  New records were made, new national heroes were created.  There were several breathtaking moments and lots and lots of disappointing ones.  Every athlete who made it to the Olympics, even the very tragic case of the Georgian who crashed during a luge training session just hours before the opening ceremonies, had already reached a summit for the countries represented.  Each had achieved a personal best just to be there at all.

So, now there are the homecomings.  The United States led the medal total with 37 (9 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze).  Switzerland had a total of 9 medals (6 gold and 3 bronze), placing it 11th in total medals won, between France and The Netherlands.  Having won 14 medals in Torino in 2006, the Swiss team's goal was at least 10, hopefully 12.  Yes, the goal could have been achieved.  But then, there are a lot of "coulda-woulda-shouldas" when one looks back at the competition.  And Switzerland prefers to look at the ranking when gold medals lead the ranking order, where it ranks in 6th place.  Canada likely prefers that ranking order as well because then it would be considered No. 1, with an impressive total of 14 golds.

But the Swiss athletes are happy for the most part, and their country is proud of them.  Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking defeats was that for Dario Cologna last weekend.  He was on track for a second medal (he'd already won one gold in the 15 km cross country) until he crashed during the final turn of the 50 km race and ultimately finished 10th.  There were also a couple of near misses for the women skiers, especially for Fabienne Suter, who ended up fourth, just missing a medal.  Olivia Nobs, a snowboarder, did take a bronze in the Women's Snowboard Cross.   And the Swiss men's curling team also managed a bronze, after a couple of heartbreaking defeats in the round-robin games earlier.

Switzerland has been very happy to welcome its heroes home, win or lose.  Cologna, for example, was welcomed by a crowd of thousands at the ski station of Morgins on Sunday.  But the most happy star of the Swiss team was undoubtedly Simon Ammann, "Simi," who has entered the realm of legend with his unprecedented two gold medals in ski jumping.  This brings his Olympic gold medal total to four, a feat so far unparalleled for those events.  In memory of the games where my mother and I watched him win his first two in Salt Lake City in 2002, I like to believe that my mother was watching from her superior vantage point and helping to lift him up for those final decisive centimeters of measurement.

May all of the athletes return home safely, and to warm welcomes.  They are all champions.  They have dedicated themselves to very challenging pursuits and have had to exhibit discipline and self-sacrifice to be selected for the competitions.  Now life goes on.  May the spirit of cooperation and friendship that was exhibited in the games carry over into their lives ... and into the lives of the countries that they represent!