Canadian trials on CBC

"Canada? You must be joking." This quote has bothered me for several days. I wonder what you meant by it? Is it a slander of Canadian swimmers? Ethnocentric blathering? Ignorance? A critique on the woefull lack of swimming coverage by the Canadian media? All/none of the above? The USA beats Canada, hands (fins?) down, no doubt - anyone who can count Olympic medals and world records understands this. However.... given that this is a Masters swimming site, where "fun, fitness, friendship and participation" are touted - where is this comment coming from? Do you feel better, faster, more manly, more muscular, more VO2 capable simply by virtue of the geographic area where your mother gave birth? If so, maybe your mom should be getting the accolades, not you or the US swimming team... I am not replying to the post to debate "who's better - Canada or the US". I'm about celebrating swimming - good efforts, good performances, whatever. It may be a world record, a personal record, or a personal goal that doesn't necessarily relate to times or race placement. I may swim beside you at a future meet. You won't recognize me as a Canadian - I don't have a maple leaf tatooed anywhere - but hopefully you will recognize me as a fellow swimmer, competitor, and person. And if you beat me, I'll congratulate your win and thank you for the competition. And if I beat you, I'll congratulate your effort and thank you for the competition. Because without other swimmers, there would be no race. Canada? I'm not kidding. We're swimmers, too.

"Canada? You must be joking." This quote has bothered me for several days. I wonder what you meant by it? Is it a slander of Canadian swimmers? Ethnocentric blathering? Ignorance? A critique on the woefull lack of swimming coverage by the Canadian media? All/none of the above? The USA beats Canada, hands (fins?) down, no doubt - anyone who can count Olympic medals and world records understands this. However.... given that this is a Masters swimming site, where "fun, fitness, friendship and participation" are touted - where is this comment coming from? Do you feel better, faster, more manly, more muscular, more VO2 capable simply by virtue of the geographic area where your mother gave birth? If so, maybe your mom should be getting the accolades, not you or the US swimming team... I am not replying to the post to debate "who's better - Canada or the US". I'm about celebrating swimming - good efforts, good performances, whatever. It may be a world record, a personal record, or a personal goal that doesn't necessarily relate to times or race placement. I may swim beside you at a future meet. You won't recognize me as a Canadian - I don't have a maple leaf tatooed anywhere - but hopefully you will recognize me as a fellow swimmer, competitor, and person. And if you beat me, I'll congratulate your win and thank you for the competition. And if I beat you, I'll congratulate your effort and thank you for the competition. Because without other swimmers, there would be no race. Canada? I'm not kidding. We're swimmers, too.