Our Olympic athletes did Canada proud

What a difference a week makes.

With the Beijing Olympics winding down Sunday night many of our Canadian athletes took in the closing ceremonies with smiles on their faces and, in many cases, medals around their necks.

Canada won 18 medals -- three gold, nine silver, six bronze. That's a far cry from the medal count during the first week of the Games where we garnered zero medals. Nada. Zilch. The result, or lack thereof, caused one letter writer to complain about personal bests not being enough.

While debate raged on about whether Canada supports its athletes enough for them to reach the podium, we began to rack up the medals in week No. 2 of the Games.

One of those medal winners was our own Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, who took home the bronze last week in a photo finish in the 100-metre hurdles. After witnessing the heartbreak of Perdita Felicien four years ago when she tumbled over the first hurdle in Athens during the 100-metre final, it was so exciting to see Priscilla blaze to a bronze in 2008.

Both these athletes are expected to participate in the next Summer Olympic Games in London in 2012, so they'll be exciting to watch.

Eighteen medals in seven days was quite the accomplishment, and if our Canadian athletes had turned the numerous number of fourth-place finishes into bronze medals,we would have easily surpassed 20 medals in Beijing.

With Vancouver hosting the 2010 Winter Games, we hope more financial support will be thrown into Canada's Olympic movement. As the second week in Beijing proved, it can be exciting watching Canadian athletes compete in a final for an Olympic medal. It's even more exciting when that athlete is your neighbour, your friend, your son or daughter.

Congratulations should be extended to each and every one of our Canadian athletes, whether they medalled or not at the Olympic Games. They made tremendous sacrifices training for these Games and deserve our respect and admiration.

There are four long years before the world unites again in London, England, in 2012 for the next Summer Games. For the athletes it's time needed to train to be the best in whatever sport they're in.

For the rest of us, it's a good time to push our elected officials to support these athletes in their endeavours.

We can hardly wait.

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-- Durham Region Media Group