Take a bow Canada, you deserve it!
The 2018 Winter Olympics wrapped up Sunday in Pyeongchang, South Korea, bringing an end to one of the most, if not the most, successful Olympic Games for our nation.
Canadian athletes broke our country’s record for the most medals won at a Winter Olympics with 29 (11 gold, eight silver and 10 bronze), topping the previous best of 26 in Vancouver in 2010.
The 29 medals fell short of my New Year’s bold prediction by one. Close, but no cigar.
Incredibly, 28 other Canadians finished between the fourth and eighth spots in their respective events in Pyeongchang.
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It was, however, a bittersweet Games from a couple of standpoints.
Canada’s curing rinks — led by Kevin Coe and Rachel Homan — failed to medal in South Korea, while the NHL-less hockey tournament provided very little excitement until the medal games.
And Canadian ski cross racer Dave Duncan, his wife Maja, and technical coach William Raine provided the biggest embarrassment of the Games for Canada after they were arrested for allegedly driving drunk and stealing a car.
On the flip side, there were some incredible performances.
Short-track speedskater Kim Boutin won three medals in South Korea and had to deal with threatening messages on social media before carrying the maple leaf in Sunday’s closing ceremonies.
Figure skating champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir ended their careers on top of the world, and snowboarder Sebastien Toutant’s gold in the men’s big air event was Canada’s 500th Olympic medal (Winter and Summer Olympics combined).
Canada has won 199 medals at Winter Olympics, including at least one in every Games.
Now we’ll have to wait four years to see number 200.