CBC-Sports

Great Olympic memories make me want more

October 20, 2009 08:39 PM | Posted by   Kevin Martin  

With the race for an Olympic spot about to kick into high gear as the new Grand Slam of Curling season starts, I find myself looking back at the previous Olympics I was fortunate enough to play in. The 1992 Games in Albertville, France and the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City were both fantastic experiences but definitely each unique.

We were such a young team in 1992. We won the Brier in 1991, which gave us the right to go to the Olympics. There was no qualification event like there is today.

We competed in a small French mountain village named Prolagnan. The people of this small community were a bit different due to the fact there was never a road into Prolagnan until the Olympics. The locals had never really been exposed to outside cultures and traditions.

The snow in Prolagnan was incredibly deep. I would venture to guess in the 10-foot range The roads (or, probably more accurately, paths) were simply cut out of the deep snow. That created these giant snow walls on which they'd place signs to give you directions to the hotel, downtown, the curling hall, and other places. We had a great time changing the signs around and then going to our rooms up in the hotel and watching the people getting horribly confused, much like a mouse in a maze.

Second time's a charm

The 1992 Olympics were the first time I experienced the incredible media attention that comes with the Olympics. I decided to not take in very many events outside the curling competition, but did find time for the final hockey game in which a young Sean Burke put on quite a show in net for Canada against the far stronger Russian team.

After returning from Albertville without a medal, my focus was certainly to get back to another Olympics and try to get that medal we missed the first time.

We had that opportunity in 2002 in Salt Lake City. The Olympic trials were a battle, and the thrill of winning on the last shot against Kerry Burtnyk is something that will remain with me forever.

With 10 more years of experience under my belt, I was much more prepared for my second Olympic experience. This time I was not going to make the mistake of not taking in the other Olympic events. I went to as many as possible with my curling team so we could cheer on our fellow Canadians from various other sports. I have never felt so part of a common bond amongst people I did not know only a few days earlier.

Where were you when...

There are so many special memories from the 2002 games. My wife Shauna and I took in the final competition for short-track speedskating and sat with the families. This was the evening that yielded five gold medals for the Canadian team. One of the proudest Canadian moments that could be imagined.

Watching the men's hockey final was one of those “where were you when” scenarios and it was great to have been there in person.

As far as my team, this time we did come out of the Olympics with a medal — a silver that I'm very proud of.

Our minds are now focused on Vancouver 2010, and trying to get into the Games on home soil in front of a Canadian crowd. This is going to be some kind of Olympics.

Having been to the Olympics before, my motivation to get back is incredibly strong. The strategy for now is to train hard, stay focused and enjoy the memories of the past. At the same time, we want to use those memories to fuel a run at getting some new ones.

" Previous Post | Main
  •