YOUR VIEW: Does women's hockey have Olympic future?
Last Updated: Friday, February 26, 2010 | 2:32 AM ET
CBC Sports
Could the Canadian women's hockey team's gold-medal victory at the Vancouver Olympics be its last?
Before Canada's 2-0 win over the U.S. on Thursday, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge warned that the overall competitiveness of women's hockey has to improve or the sport will no longer be part of the Olympics.
"There is a discrepancy. Everyone agrees with that," Rogge said. "This may be the investment period for women's ice hockey.
"I would personally give them more time to grow, but there must be a period of improvement. We cannot continue without improvement."
Canada and the U.S. have played in every world championship and Olympic final, with the exception of the 2006 Torino Games, when Sweden upset the Americans in the semifinals.
Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser reacted to Rogge's remarks.
"It doesn't hurt," she said. "When you just pay attention to the game every four years, that's what you see. It would be nice for people like that to really get involved in other countries and push for the game to develop.
What do you think?
Is Rogge right? Is the discrepancy between North American teams and the rest of the world too great to merit the inclusion of women's hockey in the Olympics? Or should women's hockey continue to be part of the Games?
Post your comments below and have your say.
