Lee-Gartner Sticks To Oly Ideals Despite Torch Snub

Kerrin Lee-Gartner grew up as a smalltown girl with big Olympic ideals. That's a big part of the reason she won't be part of the torch relay.

Canada's only Olympic downhill champion, Lee-Gartner was originally snubbed by relay organizers, who only recently approached her about taking part after an article in the Vancouver Sun listed her among prominent past Olympians being ignored by the Vancouver Organizing Committee.

They weren't able to find a time that worked for both sides, as Gartner has family responsibilites and commitments with the BBC, for whom she's working as a commentator during the Games.

What really concerned Lee-Gartner, though, was taking a spot away from someone else by being added at this late stage.

“They did try and squeeze me in, but it didnt work because of my job and my kids,” said the 1992 Olympic downhill champion. “It really didn't work because it was too last minute and I sure wasn't going to take that torch out of someone else's hands. It felt like they were trying to sneak me in.”

That didn't sit well with Lee-Gartner's strong principles. She makes it clear she never made a request herself to the organizers or went to the media on the issue.

“I believe in the purity of the Olympic spirit,” she said. “I've believed in that from when I was five years old playing dressup and wearing Nancy's medals. I believed in the Olympics then and I believe in it now. Nothing will spoil the passion I have for it.”

Lee-Gartner grew up in Rossland, B.C., just a few streets over from 1968 Olympic hero Nancy Greene. She put on Greene's gold medal as a kid and said “I'm going to win one of these.”

It's a great story, part of a great legacy and it remains part of the mystery in all this: How was an Olympic gold medalist of her stature never considered for the torch relay in the first place?

Heck, Lee-Gartner's name was among those bandied about as candidates for the coveted job of lighting the flame during the opening ceremonies.

You could pretty much guarantee that Lee-Gartner would have had a spot in the torch relay had she been working for CTV instead of BBC at the Games. That's the sad part, that she needed a better network affilitation. Her Olympic gold medal wasn't enough to get her proper consideration.

“I don't think we celebrate Canadians enough,” she said. “It took me until I was 40 years old to be proud and appreciate the effort I put into realizing my dream. We need to celebrate the success of the present as well as the past. There is a place for champions and Olympians of the past at the Olympics.”

Given that the identity of the final torchbearer for Friday's opening ceremonies remains a closely guarded secret, it was put to Lee-Gartner maybe this was part of a bait and switch on the part of Olympic organizers.

 “This is not an elaborate ruse by me, I can guarantee that,” laughed Lee-Gartner, who is part of the BBC's opening ceremonies coverage.

Comments

[Gabriel]

i don't like ctv...with their half-truths and "interpretations".

Truthfully, a government funded, independently run news service is a blessed thing. And the reason i say government funded(tax payer funded) is so they aren't primarily trying to "sell" us news.

I thought CTV purchased the right to broadcast the Games...how did they end up carrying the torch so much? Who are the appointees and what is the background in this case?

[Ernst Blofeld]

The "purity of the Olympic spirit" that Lee-Gartner so naively believes in is obviously not something shared by VANOC, given their willingness to bump someone else at the last minute from the torch relay.

Those who believe the Olympics are about anything other than money are living in a dream world.

[Andree]

I agree with Karen - we don't celebrate Canadians enough and certainly sport heros other than hockey players. I had hoped that the with the winter Olympics we could use this as a launch to bring a greater sport culture to our country. What I think is frustrating about Karen not getting a moment with the torch is that during the torch runs there were folks from the IOC and many from other countries that had no real attachment to Canadian history like Karen and many others from our country. However on the whole the torch run has been well organized.

[PeterLake]

Well said, Kerrin.
This was an awful, forehead-smacking oversight on someone's part but you're putting it behind you.
You're a class act.

[NIKKI HOLWELL]

I DO remember watching Nancy Greene in Grenoble. It was a proud moment.
It is truly a disgrace that Karen was not invited. Also, why was Anne Heggtveit not included? Another incredible oversight on the part of the "organizers." It would be interesting to know if they had a complete list of ALL living past medal winners in ALL disciplines. I don't recall hearing about Myriam Bédard carrying the torch, either.