Wednesday March 24, 2020

April 1, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

March 16, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 24, 2020

Tokyo Olympics officially postponed to 2021

Coronavirus cartoons

The International Olympic Committee announced a first-of-its-kind postponement of the Summer Olympics on Tuesday, bowing to the realities of a coronavirus pandemic that is shutting down daily life around the globe and making planning for a massive worldwide gathering in July a virtual impossibility.

The IOC said the Tokyo Games “must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020, but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.”

It was an announcement seen as all but a certainty as pressure mounted from nervous athletes, sports organizations and national Olympic committees — all confronting the reality that training and qualifying schedules, to say nothing of international anti-doping protocols, had been ruptured beyond repair.

The IOC also said the Games will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee announced a first-of-its-kind postponement of the Summer Olympics on Tuesday, bowing to the realities of a coronavirus pandemic that is shutting down daily life around the globe and making planning for a massive worldwide gathering in July a virtual impossibility.

The IOC said the Tokyo Games “must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020, but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.”

It was an announcement seen as all but a certainty as pressure mounted from nervous athletes, sports organizations and national Olympic committees — all confronting the reality that training and qualifying schedules, to say nothing of international anti-doping protocols, had been ruptured beyond repair.

The IOC also said the Games will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (CBC)

Tuesday February 27, 2018

February 26, 2018 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday February 27, 2018

Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018: ‘the Games of new horizons’?

Moments before the XXIII Winter Games ended amid a furious barrage of K-pop and firecrackers, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, insisted: “We have seen here how sport can make the world a better place … these are the Games of new horizons.”

July 21, 2016

Watching athletes from North and South Korea strolling happily together, for once separated by centimetres rather than 73 years’ antipathy, it was entirely possible to be swept along by waves of sentiment and hope.

Yet another image of Bach, from earlier in the day, was also hard to shake: one of the IOC president despondently confirming that Russian athletes would not march under their own flag at Sunday’s closing ceremony, because of two doping violations at these Games.

Especially as, with his very next breath, he also promised that the Russian Olympic Committee’s suspension would be lifted very soon if there were no more positive tests. That suspension was imposed on 5 December and will have probably lasted less than 100 days when it is lifted.

August 19, 2004

As a response to the most audacious state-sponsored doping programme in history, it counts as barely a slap on the wrist – even when a $15m fine, being forced to call themselves “Olympic Athletes from Russia”, and a ban on the Russian flag and anthem in Pyeongchang is tacked on.

A closing ceremony that began with the crowd of 35,000 people counting down together to say “one” as the athletes entered the stadium ended with the Russians close to being officially readmitted to the Olympic fold.

September 9, 2000

On the final day of competition, the Olympic Athletes from Russia won their second gold of the Games, in the men’s ice hockey. But it only inched them up to 13th in the medal table – a far cry from their first place in Sochi when their athletes were fuelled by a cocktail of steroids as well as patriotic fervour.

The next Winter Olympic games will be in Beijing in 2022. (Source: The Guardian)

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Saturday August 20, 2016

August 19, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday August 20, 2016

Health Minister Jane Philpott accused of misleading Parliament on limo tab

Health Minister Jane Philpott is facing accusations that she misled the House of Commons by failing to disclose controversial limousine travel she charged to taxpayers earlier this year.

April 25, 2012

In a response to a question placed on the order paper by Conservative MP Dan Albas about the use of limousines, Philpott’s department supplied an answer, signed by the minister, categorically denying any of the luxury vehicles were rented.

“With regard to government travel, for the period of Nov. 3, 2015, to April 22, 2016, the minister of health did not use rented limousines while on official business, within Canada or elsewhere,” the department wrote in its answer tabled in the House of Commons in June.

However, Philpott has found herself in the opposition crosshairs this week after it was revealed that she charged taxpayers $1,700 for transportation around the Greater Toronto Area on March 31, using a limousine service owned by someone who campaigned for her in the federal election.

The travel, to four events ranging from Hamilton to Markham and Toronto, took place during the time frame covered by the order paper question.

Philpott’s office has so far failed to provide any explanation for the discrepancy between her response tabled in the House of Commons and her expense accounts.

In an e-mail late to CBC News late Thursday night, her office said “the minister did not, and has not used a limousine.”

However, spokesman Andrew MacKendrick did not respond to e-mails and phone calls from CBC News to explain what kind of vehicle the limousine service provided. (Source: CBC News)

Published in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

Letter to the Editor, Hamilton Spectator, August 25, 2016

Spec loves to unfairly skewer Trudeau

Dependably Trudeau and Dr. Jane Philpott, busy limo-using cabinet minister, are ridiculed under an Olympic closing ceremony, end of federal Liberal honeymoon entitlement guise.

Might we expect a cartoon that captures the Liberal’s cabinet meeting last weekend? It was held at a dormitory at Sudbury’s Laurentian University and surely saved quite a bit of money. And that the limo-indulgence was accepted as money is being returned. A complex challenge; much easier to jump at the easy ones.

But, corporately at least, The Spec, to its credit, endorsed Trudeau so surely at least we can expect a bit of balance. Then again, how to deal with Trudeau’s presence at the last performance of the Tragically Hip. A positive cartoon?

Richard Ring, Grimsby

Tuesday August 16, 2016

August 15, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 16, 2016

Usain Bolt is a mentor and friend to Andre De Grasse

Andre De Grasse first had the chance to meet Usain Bolt when the Markham, Ont., native was getting set to run the anchor leg of Canada’s 4×100-metre relay team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

De Grasse, then 19, was too nervous to talk to the sprinting legend, and shied away from Bolt.

But times have certainly changed.

2016 Summer Olympic Games

On Sunday night, Bolt won his third straight Olympic gold medal in the 100-metre sprint, crossing the line in 9.81 seconds, 8-100ths of a second ahead of American Justin Gatlin. De Grasse made his Olympic debut a memorable one, capturing bronze in a personal best of 9.91.

Afterwards, the two shared congratulations, much as they did while standing on the podium at the 2015 world championships.

Despite the rivalry, Bolt seems very genuine in his fondness of De Grasse, while the Canadian looks up to the Jamaican icon.

“We were just having some fun,” De Grasse said after Sunday’s final. “Me and Usain met back in January, we did a lot of things together.”

The two have gotten to know each other quite well over the last two years during meets and sponsored events — both are signed with apparel company Puma — and the Jamaican star sees a bright future ahead for the 21-year-old.

The friendship didn’t stop De Grasse from doing everything he could to usurp the now three-time Olympic champion. It didn’t happen in Rio, but a bronze medal in his Olympic debut has definitely caught Bolt’s eye.

“For me, it’s a big deal,” Bolt said of De Grasse’s performance. “To come third last year [at the world championships] and then this year, to come in an even better field to do the same again, that’s a big deal.”

Bolt said he expects Rio to be his final Olympics, though the 29-year-old wouldn’t rule out competing in Tokyo 2020.

If he doesn’t pursue a fourth 100-metre Olympic gold, he’ll most certainly have an eye out for his competitor-turned-friend. (Source: CBC)

The Western Star, Corner Brook, Newfoundland