When I first heard of the win, I looked high and low here in the West on the mainstream media for stories and highlights on Carol Hunyh and searched in vain. (I had not known it at the time but I stayed at her parents inn in new Hazelton BC) So I queried my brain as to what was behind it. No access to the athlete? Was the world spinning too quick? How did the win feel? Was there a prejudice at work because of her Vietnamese name? 
 
But I found your mini-treatise so interesting because it spurned me to find this Vancouver Sun article here. 
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=1c41e669-4073-4649-92ed-df6cc7d4c68d 
 
In a way, it by it self explains the inverse relationship betweeen winning and going for gold. 
 
I had seen her parents on tv, aged, humble white picket fence type people, quiet un assuming...they never pushed their daughter, she was self-driven and look how far she advanced with no prodding whatsoever. 
 
We are often told to do our best, have fun, its just a game . 
 
I think it is more a part of our national character to play a sport for the purpose of playing, and not for the "purpose" of winning. 
 
By nature we are humble , polite, not self-exalting, have excellent sportsmanship and etcetera. 
 
After all is said and done and the Games are over, I dont think anyone cares if you won a medal. We care if you tried, if you did it without a steroid,... 
 
...sports is about bettering yourself not putting others down, its about being in top physical shape to inspire others not to tread on their efforts, its about feeling vindicated by your efforts not feeling defeated because someone had a better advantage  
 
We all have an idea of the type of jock who thinks a gold medal at the Olympics is 
a meal ticket to heavy endorsements, fan clubs, cereal box pictures and so forth... 
 
and maybe thats the worst driver for winning anything than the product of any self esteem rotten fruit buddding...

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