Podium, Pwned: Canada Concedes Olympic Medals Race

How’s that whole “Own the Podium” campaign going for our neighbors to the north?

↵The leader of the Canadian Olympic Committee says Canada won’t finish first in the medal count at the Vancouver Games, acknowledging it’s unrealistic to catch the Americans.↵And how much money did they end up spending on their efforts?

↵Canada has spent $117 million in the last five years on its Own The Podium program, a blueprint to finish atop the medal standings at the Games.↵Which has Nate Silver wonkily wondering why, during those five years, they didn’t better set themselves up for success?

↵One thing that’s interesting is Canada’s failure to invest substantially in cross-country, biathlon, or nordic combined (ski jumping + cross-country), which themselves account for almost 30 percent of the medals awarded at the Winter Games. Canada has spent 50 percent less on these sports than on hockey and curling, which are of enormous cultural significance to Canadians but which account for just 5 percent of the medals.↵But look at it this way, O Canada: you’ll always have that curling concession from this morning.