Canada Protects Home Advantage at Olympics

[snopes]

Canada has made a public quest to win more medals than ever, and more than any other country.

The sometimes conflicting notions of sportsmanship and gamesmanship require a delicate balance. Some say Canada may have tilted too far.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/sp...1olympics.html

[MapleLeaf]

At last February’s luge world championships in Lake Placid, the American Erin Hamlin became the first non-German woman to win in 16 years. Weeks later, on the same track, Steven Holcomb and his four-man bobsled team became the first American world champions in 50 years.

Did the German team get lots of practice runs first?

“It’s un-Canadian,” Raney said, laughing. “Isn’t it?”

Probably. Maybe it's about time, though.

What is the general practice with countries offering up their facilities to others for lots of practice prior to the games?

[TwoGuyswithaHat]

The article seems much ado about nothing, and even the author admits it saying

But many understand Canada’s reluctance to extend invitations to competition sites

It seems the American athletes are upset they aren't being given special treatment. It's not as if the Canadians are saying "you can have 18 runs before hand, but we want 80 runs before hand for the World Championships." The Canadians are offering tit for tat.

[Stoneage Dinosaur]

It is very un-British, some might even say unsporting, but Olympic chiefs are plotting ways to exploit the home advantage in 2012 to win the maximum number of medals.

Ruses to tilt the odds in favour of British athletes at the London Games include giving them greater access to venues before the event, arranging competition schedules to benefit domestic contestants and block-booking seats near the finish line to create a wall of noise from home supporters

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6846663.ece

[snopes]

Less than 100 days out from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the Canadians' attempts to protect their home-turf advantage as they try to top the medal chart are ruffling Olympic officials internationally.

U.S. officials and athletes have alleged for months that Canada is limiting access to training at the 2010 venues more than the USA did before the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olymp...olympics_N.htm