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Geoff Russ: There is nothing morally superior about a silver medal at the Olympics

Can we banish this cult of mediocrity?

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Too many Canadians are comfortable with second place, even to the point of celebrating it.

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In the final showdown of the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, the United States beat Canada in overtime to take the gold medal.

Geoff Russ: There is nothing morally superior about a silver medal at the Olympics Back to video

It was an honourable loss. A deeply talented Team Canada ran into the brick wall that was American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 shots, allowing Jack Hughes to score the overtime winner.

A normal, mature country would recognize the game as a painful defeat, a source of short-term anger, possibly long-term bitterness, and a cause for self-reflection. Some Canadians did that, but others tried to pretend that a silver medal was some sort of moral victory for the country.

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