The recent Winter Olympic in Milano-Cortina, Italy, were not the best of times for Team Canada. Our total haul of 21 medals is the lowest since Salt Lake City in 2002. Keep in mind that we had 50 fewer athletes back then and there were far fewer sports.

Eight years ago in Pyeongchang, we won 29 medals including 11 gold. We won just five gold medals this year.

The lack of gold medals was amplified by the heartbreak of seeing both our men’s and women’s hockey teams lose to the Americans. The loss to Team USA in overtime on the final day of the competition by the men’s team was especially hard to take.

But there were some bright spots. Sure Rachel Homan lost in the semi-finals of the women’s curling event, but her win in the bronze medal game as sweet redemption for a hometown hero (she went to Cairine Wilson Secondary School), who was trying to wipe out the memory of a disastrous campaign in 2018 in which she went 3-5 and missed out on the medal round.

One of my favourite Olympic moments this year did not come from the competition, but from Team Homan’s Facebook page and the pictures they posted celebrating their bronze medal with their family and friends.

Mikaël Kingsbury’s win in the men’s dual moguls as his partner and their young son looked on was another highlight.

Kingsbury last won gold in the moguls in 2018, but suffered disappointment as the pre-event favourite in 2022.

Since this is likely the 33-year-old Kings-bury’s last Olympics, or certainly his last shot at gold, getting back on the top of the podium was especially sweet.

Megan Oldman is at the other end of the age spectrum. The 21-year-old on gold in the Big Air event and bronze in slopestyle competing in just her second Olympics. In 2022, she just missed out on a medal after placing fourth in Big Air as a 17-year-old. I’m sure we’ll she more of her again in 2030 when the Olympics will take place in the French Alps.

Skating in his prime, Steven Dubois won a gold medal in the 500-metre event in short track speed skating. He also won a silver medal in the mixed 2,000-metre relay and was given the honour of being Canada’s co-flag bearer along with triple medalist Valerie Maltais.

Which brings me to the women’s speed skating team of Maltais, Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann. Both Blondin and Weidemann are from Orléans. Seeing them win the women’s team pursuit gold medal was the highlight of the games for me, which was made even more special by their post-gold medal reels on Facebook and Instagram.

It was especially heart-warming to see Blondin end her Olympic career on such a high note winning both the team gold and an individual silver in the mass start. Not bad for a 35-year-old who is allegedly past her prime.

I began writing about Ivanie when she was 12 years old and was winning provincial medals by the truck load. To think that was 23 years ago is mind-boggling.

I was also super proud of Rachel Homan, who bounced back from a heart-breaking loss in the semi-finals of women’s curling to win the bronze medal. Afterwards, she celebrated with her teammates and family members as if it was an actual gold medal.

I photographed Blondin and Homan toge-ther in my front yard after they both won gold medals at the 2007 Canada Winter Games. They were both 17.

The performance of the women’s speed-skating team saved the Olympics for me.

But what made these Olympics extra special for me was the presence of American figure skater Alysa Liu and Chinese-Amer-ican freestyle skier Eileen Gu.

As long as I am alive I will never forget the support Liu gave to her fellow competitors. Despite already securing the gold medal, she was genuinely more excited for her fellow skaters than herself. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should search for Alysa Liu on YouTube and watch it for yourself. It will not only restore your faith in humanity, it ill restore your faith in Americans who didn’t vote for Trump.

Eileen Gu won the gold medal competing for China in freestyle skiing, but it is away from the slopes that she has truly excelled as both a student and professional model.

After graduating from high school a year early in 2022, she was accepted into Stanford University where she is studying quantum physics and philosophy.

To say that she is smart is a massive understatement. Her response to a question asking to compare two silver medals won to two gold medals lost, is epic as is her response to a question asking how her brain works. It is a lesson in self-empowerment that every young woman should watch.

(If you wish to comment on this or any other View Point column please write to Fred Sherwin at fsherwin@orleansstar.ca)