Posted at 4:00 p.m.
Loss of credibility
Impossible for me to watch these games of the Chinese dictatorship, especially with Putin as guest of honor. The IOC has lost what little credibility it had left, forever!
Laurent Dupire, Montreal
A sporting event above all
My record is not political. I watched this event as one watches a sporting event. I supported our Canadian athletes from my living room. Marvellous ! I also discovered magnificent artists from other countries. Congratulations to all these athletes!
Marie Forget
A lost listener
For the first time in ages, I haven’t looked at them. Yet I am the type to follow them every day. There was no question that I would fatten the audiences of the broadcasters.
Claude Lalonde
Money rules the games
I have followed the Olympics in China very little, as I am completely outraged by the conduct of the Olympic authorities. There is more than money that leads on this organization, which flouts in a shameless way the very principles at the base of the games. Too bad for the athletes, but it’s just a question of big money…
Pierre Chatelain
It’s paying dearly to be disgusted
I did not follow these Olympic Games nor listen to or read anything related to these Games, which should never have taken place. I imagine that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor had no more desire than me to participate in this scam. To think that Radio-Canada paid dearly for the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games from a country that did everything to harm Canada! There are limits to pay to be disgusted!
Bertrand Barbeau, Longueuil
The good and the bad
Great performances, coming from different nations, and great analyst coverage, with stunning footage. But also the observation that the IOC has discredited itself by its laxity in the face of Russian doping and for having authorized the holding of the Games in a country where human rights are violated.
Yves Laporte
Revealing pictures…
What impressed me most were the ugly fossil fuel smokestacks ubiquitous in the background of skiers and snowboarders on TV footage. What revealing images!
Alain Manseau
In a word
One word to define these Olympic Games: hypocrisy.
Yolande Brunelle, Montreal
hypocritical circus
No point in participating passively in this hypocritical circus, especially since it is presented by a totalitarian country that tries to make us believe that their ideology is a model to follow, endorsed by the IOC. I’m an atheist, no thanks. Congratulations to our athletes, but no interest in supporting the organization of this high mass.
Michel Damphousse
no flavor
Athletes give an excellent show provided they are not doped. On the other hand, I had the impression of watching the Games in a place of detention. No flavor.
Richard Fontaine, Dudswell
The Games of Shame
I did not watch the opening show or follow any of the competitions of these Games of Shame. And I definitely won’t be watching the closing show. The only spectacle I witness is that of the democratic world bending its knees before the dictator and tyrant of humanity.
Gilles Fortin
For spectacle and emotions
My way of appreciating the Olympic competitions for several years is to watch them on TV, but to avoid reading the newspapers and listening to the reports on everything surrounding the Olympics. I steer clear of any controversies about doping, China, Russia, etc., and just enjoy the performance of athletes as an entertainment show, just like a good movie can be. With the difference that the emotions experienced by the athletes are real!
Claude Saulnier
Ideal gone
There are no more possible illusions. The Olympic ideal (did it ever really exist?) has truly disappeared. The Games are no more than a political match and a “big commercial patent”, just like the latest Marvel film or a series on Netflix. Too bad for the athletes, whose exploits we will probably forget in a few days…
Luc Berube, Gatineau
Shame on democratic countries
For my part, I did not watch the Games of Shame. The IOC should never have chosen Beijing. Xi Jinping’s China wants to cannibalize the whole world and doesn’t care about human rights. Shame on all the democratic countries that made these Olympics a success.
Alain Bergeron
Hope for the future
The games did not look very interesting due to the constraints linked to COVID-19 and the diplomatic boycott of many countries. China is an authoritarian country that increasingly imposes its views on the world. This will be a challenge to manage in the coming years.
Despite everything, our athletes showed confidence, tenacity and leadership! Charles Hamelin, Marie-Philip Poulin, our flag bearers, showed the way to their teams and the Canadian contingent. The list of these athletes who have given everything is long. To date, more than 20 Olympic medals, it’s a very nice course.
All of them moved me, impressed me and reminded me of the extent to which continuous effort, persistence and emotion are undeniable qualities to promote. With these wonderful athletes, I have hope for the future.
I feel sorry for these athletes who have been flouted (I’m thinking of the young doped Russian figure skater) or forgotten. All deserve our respect for their courage. Well done !
Adrien Pilon, East Bolton