Shocking safety oversight

By Dylan Matthias, Sports Editor

Day five of the Canada Winter Games saw Quebec, Alberta and Ontario increase their medal counts considerably. It also saw some hopes of Nova Scotian medals in week one evaporate. In the middle of all of this, a safety oversight at the long-track oval seriously jeopardized the safety of an athlete.

Nova Scotia’s hopes for a men’s hockey medal evaporated with a 5 – 3 loss to Ontario this evening. Quebec, B.C. and Alberta also advanced to the semi-finals.

Nova Scotian freestyler Emma Stevens looked to have an outside shot at an aerials medal earlier in the day, but some surprise results from Jillian Gordon and an injured Cassie Sharpe knocked her back to sixth.

Evan Cruz had a very strong day going in the men’s gymnastics all-around event, until he hit the rings and took a below-12 score that pretty much eliminated any chance of making the podium. He finished fifth. Cruz and Stevens will both compete again tomorrow—Stevens in moguls and Cruz in various gymnastics disciplines.

Women’s curling probably remains Nova Scotia’s only solid hope for a medal in week one, after the ringette team, who might have also had a slim chance at the podium, went out to Quebec.

Quebec now have 39 medals, 14 of them gold, and they added four more in long-track speed-skating today, including agold in men’s team pursuit. Alberta cleaned up in the 100-metre women’s sprints.

The oval, however, saw a scary moment this afternoon when a British Columbian skater fell and slid across the ice surface before crashing into an exposed metal pole that supported the time clock.

Considering that Canada is currently looking back on the Vancouver Olympics one year later, it might have been prudent for Games organizers to remember Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian luger who died when he flew off course and hit a metal support pole. Given the tragedy that happened in Whistler, it’s shocking that Games organizers forgot to pad the pole before a high-speed, ice-based event. Although the athlete didn’t appear to be too seriously hurt, it is still a black mark and a serious mistake from a Games that have had significant logistical problems.

Although the crash was by far the most worrying problem, yet again webcasts and live result updates were sporadic. It’s become a very difficult Games to follow unless one is physically at the venues, which is a pity. The athletes have been great, the access less so.