Discussion: Canadians are more polite than Americans

...at least in ice hockey (?).
Team Canada were nice enough to let Sweden win in the World Junior Champs while USA demolished us in the bronze game.
And now we can´t even claim we´re better at XC skiing with Americans (and the odd Canadian) all over the place...

The referees didn't think we were polite in the hockey. First time in over 15 years Canada hasn't at least made it to the semi-finals in the world juniors. Sweden (and Finland) have some quite good Leafs prospects. I wonder if Toronto will go after Nylander's younger brother. Toronto could become the new Detroit of the NHL aka Team Sweden.

re: skiing. Well Martin J. is skiing well.

Yes, but he´s Norwegian :(

OK, I didn´t get the Martin J reference...

Gärderud was definitely international elite, I don´t know about Fjarestad - he was good but there have been others of the same calibre: Carsten Jörgensen and Yannick Michels come to mind, but they were/are not really top international runners. Lena Eliasson is a good road/marathon runner by Swedish and European standards but not World class (even though she was picked to run at the World Champs).

Any chance Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen was on the Norwegian O team, or just Ski-O team?

Carsten did win a European XC championships, albeit in very orienteer-friendly conditions (i.e. an absolute mudheap where even the best runners struggled to break 3.30/km).

Great race! And Carsten beat a Swede - was Claes Nyberg an orienteer?

No. Nyberg has never been an orienteer.