After a four-year wait, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia have finally arrived.
It’s always exciting to watch the Olympics, but we here in the Cariboo have a special connection to the 22nd International multi-sport event as our beloved Carey Price will be playing for Team Canada on the men’s hockey team.
Along with an entire community of fans, Price also has many friends and family in the Cariboo Chilcotin who will undoubtedly be cheering him on as he and Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo serve as the goaltenders for the defending gold medal champs.
The men’s team is scheduled to play their first game Feb. 13 against Norway, then Feb. 14 against Austria and Feb. 16 against Finland.
The women’s hockey team will start play earlier than the men with their first matchup Feb. 8 against Sweden, then Feb.10 against Finland before facing off with the U.S. Feb. 12 — fuelling the dreams of many of our little girls today who could one day play in their own Olympics.
The Opening Ceremonies are slated to kick off today (Feb. 7), marking the beginning of 17 days of excitement as the stories of the competitors unfold before our very eyes. Canada did well in the last Olympics which, of course, we hosted in Vancouver, and we are hoping as a country we can match or even surpass our 2010 medal count.
The lead up to these — the 22nd Olympics — has, however, been marred in controversy.
Safety concerns were made real last month with two separate public bombings by terrorists who have threatened more action, making these Olympics one of the most dangerous and expensive games in history.
Couple that with allegations of corruption and violations of human rights of gays and lesbians and you have a hotbed of political issues. Let’s hope the politics of the games will be drowned out by the great show given by athletes from around the world.
Go Team Canada!
- Williams Lake Tribune