The drinking age in Vancouver is 19. Poulin turns 19 in a month [1].

@frob - "You cannot get far with the legal defense of "at least I wasn't doing something much worse"."

The IOC isn't a law enforcement agency. And when you get down to it, smoking pot isn't "much worse" than drinking beer and smoking cigars.

At any rate, the US-Finland game just got started. Later!

Looks like she's from Quebec. Perhaps she figured since the drinking age there is 18 she could get away with it.

Quote: ...her second major act was to tell the world it is acceptable to violate the law.

I don't believe she has specificly made any statements like that despite demonstrating foolish behavior. Why does this need to be sensationalized? Would you be making the same big deal if she was caught speeding or jaywalking?The criminal code of any country is a little more complex than right and wrong. It's a shame that our own senses of morality are sometimes less flexible, especially when we are fuled by the mob mentality generated by media sensation.

She should just make sure to register some kind of religion before the next Olympics, and make "celebrating ultimate victory with an alcoholic beverage once every four years" one of its traditions.

It's not illegal to drink at age 18 in Vancouver. It's illegal to serve alcohol to someone aged 18. The only thing those athletes could be charged with would be public intoxication -- and I doubt you could find a judge that would not throw those charges out.

Some busybodies just need to loosen up and let the pickle drop out of their butt.

"Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was "not what we want to see" from athletes at an Olympic venue."


No, we want to see them be the physical manifestation of human perfection, where all emotion is suppressed, and all joy eradicated. We can't be letting people know that it's possible to be a world-class athlete without also living a monastic life of complete solitude and abstinence. Dear Lord, *everyone* would start aspiring to compete on the world stage. We can't have that, man! It would be unseemly!


"To be sure, the Canadian women's hockey team should have acted with more class and been a little more discreet with its celebration."


It's called "reveling in victory". It's acceptable. It's good. If anything, I'm disappointed they only did it in the hockey rink and not the streets.

Quote: If anything, I'm disappointed they only did it in the hockey rink and not the streets.

I have to admit, that they were celebrating on the ice does seem a little taboo to me (not sure why though). In the arena, sure, but not on the ice.

At first I thought it was a bit crass, to be celebrating in public on the ice like that, immediately after the game, but apparently this was a half hour later, when they returned from the dressing room to an empty and closed (as far as the general public is concerned) arena.

At this point I have to say who the hell cares. If this was in another country I'd want a little discretion and decorum, but in their own backyard practically behind closed doors in 'their' rink I don't care if they drink, smoke, and celebrate on the ice and try to drive the Zamboni. Have at it ladies.

The CTV network did a public poll of a few people and the reaction was generally "who cares"? I agree.

I was just reading, with a day to go canada are guaranteed to come top 'country wise' in these Olympic games (which is very nice), amazing result esp when their main goal was to at least win a gold medal this time round :)

#1 Canada 13 7 5
#2 Germany 10 12 7
#3 United States 9 14 13
#4 Norway 8 8 6
#5 South Korea 6 6 2

here in aotearoa, it was the typical disaster, just making it past the first round in an event is like "winning the gold" :)

Lol, over here beer companies are the official sponsors of 'our' athlete's celebrations.