By Beaker
I’m not one to celebrate like some Canadians do whenever one of our athletes merely competes and does their best. No nation on earth is as proud of finishing 33rd like Canada is. The “I did my best” crap got a little stale by the time I was 18. Clearly, our best wasn’t good enough and it was corrupting the sore loser in me.
Our acceptance of mediocrity borders on absurd some times.
However, there is one accomplishment I think deserves mention. Cyclist Ryder Hesjedal finished 47th overall at the Tour de France (this followed a 60th place finishing in the Giro d’Italia). The last time a Canadian put in a great performance at the Tour was Steve Bauer in 1988 when he finished in an incredible 4th spot.
I was a kid back then and Bauer’s feat had me cycling all summer long.
Now it’s the 27 year old Hesjedal’s turn. Let’s hope he can keep this up.
In the meantime, this achievement is worth appreciating.
