Sunday, February 17, 2002
Bradbury provides Saturday Special
By PERRY LEFKO -- Toronto Sun
In the absence of Saturday Night Live last night, the Olympics produced a Saturday Night Special. When Australia's Steven Bradbury emerged from behind and beat four fallen foes to win the final of the men's 1,000-metre short track speed skating event, it produced a stunning result.
And CBC clearly beat out NBC for live coverage.
CBC's Brenda Irving interviewed Bradbury, who sounded like Lou Gehrig when he said: "I probably consider myself the luckiest guy in the world now. I guess God smiles on you some days and this is my day!"
With his platinum hair and pierced eyebrow, Bradbury instantly became the new story of the Games.
The race had significance for the American viewing audience because U.S. star Apolo Anton Ohno lept to his feet after the dramatic collision near the finish line and placed second, while Canadian Mathieu Turcotte limped home to place third.
CBC carried the medal ceremony, in which Ono emerged from a wheelchair after suffering a leg laceration and limped to the podium. He later told NBC he would be okay to race again.
Irving later interviewed Turcotte, who admitted he also suffered an injury.
"I cut myself in the bum with my left skate," he said with the second-best quote of the night.
CBC really captured the moment by showing the Australian crew in the broadcast centre immediately next door singing its anthem to celebrate the first gold by that country in the Winter Olympics.
"As they say in Australia, good on you, mate," CBC host Brian Williams said.
Bradbury's victory brought the CBC speed skating announcing crew of Steve Armitage and Neal Marshall back to life after a dour day covering Jeremy Wotherspoon's second disappointing effort in the Games. He finished 13th in the 1,000-metre longtrack event in which he was the favourite.
FULL-CONTACT DANCING: CBC announcer Chris Cuthbert had a good line after the compulsories of French ice dance pair Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat.
After watching Peizerat rub his nose repeatedly, Cuthbert thought the skater injured himself, but analyst Barb Underhill said Peizerat was just rubbing away lipstick after close contact with his partner.
"I was going to say it didn't look that rough out there," Cuthbert said jokingly.
CHANNEL SURFING: CNN did a solid report on American Chris Klug, who won a bronze medal in snowboarding on Friday. Only 19 months before, Klug was the recipient of a liver transplant from a 13-year-old boy. The medal performance happened one day after National Donor Donation Day in the U.S.
"That's a nice coincidence," Klug said in a post-race comment. "Winning the medal was pretty special for me when I'm reminded of how lucky I am. It saves lives and provides miracles. I'm living proof of that today."
IN BRIEF: NBC broke the story at 2:05 yesterday afternoon that Jamie Sale and David Pelletier would be awarded their gold medal tonight and might be joined by the Russian pair, which was awarded first, and the third-place Chinese pair. CBC announced the news at 2:57 ... Good commentary by CBC's new bobsleigh analyst Dave MacEachern, who won a gold with current star Pierre Lueders in 1998. McEachern criticized the international bobsleigh federation's contradictory rules for doping suspensions ... The aerial events are enhanced by the sights and sounds of the coaches providing instructions while their competitors are doing their stunts ... TSN's curling match, featuring the Canadian women against Japan, showed the Japanese use English terminology to communicate instructions.
2002 Games News Coverage
