TORONTO – It was an “up your nose with a rubber hose” response to the organizers of the “Olympiade at Gaie Paree’’, to FIFA’s directors – both currying favour with “L’empereur Macron”. They had conspired to humiliate Canada’s Soccer programme and “our Ladies of the beautiful game” to ensure that France might progress to the next level in the tournament. Objective reached! Shame on our [spineless] Canadian officials and our national Media cowering under the accusations of cheating levelled at Canada and its athletic programme. 

France limped into the next round. Canada, “unbloodied” and undefeated on the field, and with a full complement of earnable points, overcame the psychological and procedural [behind the scenes] machinations to deprive our Ladies of the fruit of their training and dedication.

Canada also moved to the next round, thanks to their 1-0 victory over Colombia, a valiant and worthy opponent.

Canada and France (which had suffered defeat at the hands of their Canadian counterpart) may well meet again before the [final] medals adorn the eventual winners, provided the dictates of Macron’s narcissistic needs do not involve further ‘sophistication’ of the process. Don’t hold your breath.

The inability of the Olympic Committee in France to deliver on its promise and investment in “purifying” the fetid waters of the River Seine” for athletic consumption has become a metaphor to describe all that is deplorable with these Olympics.

From the provision of “safe spaces”, to the quasi-inexplicable refereeing, to decisions of the Olympic committee regarding and “qualifications of athletes” their ability to produce/guarantee legitimate outcomes is questionable.

The latest is their decision to move forward with the approval of the boxing match between an Algerian athlete testing extremely high for testosterone, and a female opponent in the same weight class is a case in point. How so reminiscent of the 1960s, ‘70s and early ‘80s East German [female] teams on steroids!

Except that, in this case, it may be a little different. The issue of “sex test” appears to be gaining momentum and heading to the courts for a resolution. In any event, if the young girl [whose biological gender ‘assigned at birth’ aligns with her current identity (female) loses and is hurt, her handlers may launch legal action against everyone involved.

I digress. The intervention of Committees of the Olympics to effectively determine the outcome is not new to Canadians. In 1988, a young [Canadian] Olympian track athlete tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs after winning the 100-metre dash. The Organizing committee stripped him of his gold medal.

At the time, the Americans “lorded it over” all competitors in the 100, 200, 400-meter singles and relays. They could not tolerate that an outlier from a “second-rate” country might interrupt their reign. Years later, “Lab tests proved” the Americans were also using the same drugs – including their champion, one Carl Lewis.

It had a personal significance for me. I still recall the day at the Mc Master University Invitational Track Meet, when I tried unsuccessfully to recruit a scrawny kid from Scarborough (Toronto) who ran like the wind at the age of 14, into our High School (in Northwest Toronto).

But we did not have an academic program suitable to Ben Johnson’s needs, and he lived too far away. He was a champ that day and remained so even when our “milktoast” officials allowed the IOC at the Seoul Olympics to strip him of his gold medal.