Canada finishes fifth in cross country ski race at Olympics

Devon Kershaw cries for himself not teammates as he lost cross country ski race on Sunday photo - Peter J. Thompson, Canwest News Service

It didn’t help Canada “own the podium” to discriminate against blind Olympian skier Brian McKeever. The team lost the Sunday race.

On Friday, team coach Inge Braten cut McKeever, who is legally blind.

Blind or not McKeever can see enough to finish first in the 50 km endurance race.

Most media said the coach was wrong by picking less qualified skiers over McKeever. Earlier in the week at the 30 km race, the other team members put in less than stellar performances: Babikov 5th,  Harvey 9th and Grey 8th.

True to their earlier results, the Canadian team did poorly. Along with Kershaw’s 5th, Grey was 18th, Harvey 32nd and Babikov 33rd. Were Harvey and Babikov even in qualifying position?

The coach was wrong. He picked the team based on disability bigotry. He lost as a result putting poorer athletes ahead of McKeever who trained specifically for this endurance race. McKeever had just won the event in December 2009.

You can almost here the conversation: “the blind guy can’t win. What’s he doing here anyway, doesn’t he know he belongs with the Paralympians?”

Kershaw had not even trained for the event. According to the Toronto Star, it was only his 5th attempt at 50 km which tests the skiers endurance.

McKeever trained just for the 50km event, qualified and then was crushed by the coach’s decision.

“It’s emotional for sure — it’s something I never hoped to hear and I’m not happy,” McKeever said.”I’m very, very crushed by the decision,” McKeever said of the coaches’ call not to start him in the 50-kilometer race Sunday.” Sporting News

“We have four boys skiing at a very high level and we have to offer them the opportunity first, cross-country team leader Dave Wood told Canadian television on Saturday. “It was not easy for us. He is disappointed, it was a tough thing for us to have to do. Wood had earlier been quoted in the Canadian media as saying: “It’s not a reward for the other four guys. It is because they have established themselves. Everybody is aware of the possible fallout here of making this decision, but we have to be fair to our athletes.” Earthtimes

The Toronto Sun derided Team Canada for setting McKeever and the public up and letting them down. “… you can’t blame the public and media for feeling hoodwinked. McKeever’s nomination to the Olympic team last month was announced with major fanfare, as the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year. He’s been determined to show there isn’t a large gap between able-bodied and disabled athletes.

“It’s important for people to know the Paralympics is as high as it gets,” McKeever said in January. “It is the Olympic Games for people with physical disabilities, and I hope people will realize through my story the gap is not that big. Just because somebody has a disability doesn’t mean they are not training hard or are extremely fit.” Toronto Sun

“A comment in the Toronto Star said whoever made the “boneheaded” decision should be immediately dismissed. “This is an appalling decision that disgraces the entire organization – an organization that exploited this athlete for publicity purposes without cautioning that he might get dumped at the last second,” it said.” EarthTimes

“What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

In Canada’s quest to own the podium, Olympic officials and athletes have lost their souls many times. Segregating athletes into the Paralympics is equivalent to making black people move to the back of the bus.

With stories from the Toronto Star and Sun, EarthTimes, Sporting News, and Windsor Star.