Winter Olympics National Anthems: Winning Athletes Don't Know Them

Wall Street Journal:

A scant 21.2% of gold-medal winners in these Games actually sang their entire national anthem, with an additional 18.2% mustering bits and pieces while mumbling or entirely missing other parts, according to a Wall Street Journal study of 33 winners through Thursday's events.

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Comments

[Badger84]

01:41 AM on 02/22/2010

This is from a Murdoch publication. Take it with a large block of salt.

[beachsandshuffle]

02:13 PM on 02/21/2010

Anthem??

I don't remember that sponsor, did I miss an endorsement?

Where's my agent?

[StayClassie]

01:46 PM on 02/21/2010

Just because you are a great athlete doesn't mean you a good singer. They are probably afraid of sounding like Roseanne Barr. This article makes a lot of assumptions and when you assume you know what that does.

[Y2KCockroach]

01:42 PM on 02/21/2010

Many of the athletes do not sing their national anthems at the gold medal ceremonies. And further to "viewfromuphere's", comment I don't know if Alexander Bilodeau avoided singing the Canadian anthem in order to placate the Quebecois (he was certainly decked out in all things "Canada" otherwise), but I do note that Jon Montgomery (from British Columbia) also did not sing "O Canada" for winning men's Skeleton. So what conclusion can be drawn? Nothing. Just because an athlete does not sing their anthem at the awards ceremony does not mean that they don't know it. It is probably asking enough of them to just stand there, in front of millions, smiling, and drinking in the fact that they are Olympic champions.

[Y2KCockroach]

02:29 PM on 02/21/2010

I need to make a correction: Jon Montgomery did not sing the Canadian anthem at the "flower ceremony" held at Whistler immediately after the race; however, he did in fact belt out the anthem with gusto at the medal ceremony held later in Vancouver. Sorry about that, Mr. Montgomery. In view of his most recent "anthem performance" I gently submit that my comments above (regarding whether the athletes might know their anthems) are all the more appropriate.

[vernonbc]

08:02 AM on 02/27/2010

Another correction - Jon is not from British Columbia. He's from Russell, Manitoba and trains in Calgary, Alberta.

[SaraMN00]

01:17 PM on 02/21/2010

If I were to win an Olympic medal, would I sing the National Anthem at the ceremony? I certainly know the words and love the song. But I can't carry a tune to save my life (at least not the way you need to do it for the National Anthem). Maybe they can't sing, or maybe they are humming it to themselves. Then again, maybe some are so overcome with emotion, the only thing they are trying to do in that moment is not burst into tears. I don't know why some don't sing it, but I am sure there are a variety of reasons. They certainly look very proud to stand for their country.

[Gladys1963]

05:41 PM on 02/21/2010

I would agree that emotion plays a lot as to why the athletes don't sing. I can't sing along at home during these ceremonies without crying (and I'm a pretty good alto!).

You don't need to be able to sing, though, to sing the Anthem. It's a song from the heart, and no tune-carrying is needed.

[viewfromuphere]

12:53 PM on 02/21/2010

no, Alexandre Bilodeau did not sing the national anthem at his ceremony and if the writer of the silly article could actually research he might find it was just as likely Bilodeau wanted to avoid starting a "language war" with the Quebec nationalists and "the rest of the country" as is was he didn't know the words.

Bilodeau can probably sing the anthem in both French and English...

[ljkcan]

10:06 PM on 02/21/2010

I am Canadian I left Quebec due to all the politics. Or in Quebec talk
I am an anglophone(english) married to an alophone(non french non/english)
and all my relatives are francophone (french)

I suffer from an identity crisis.

I was taken aback when Bilodeau did not sing the National Anthem perhaps he was just feeling overwhelmed and I will give him the benefit of doubt.

It does not help that the same night the premier of Quebec said he was upset that there was not enough french in the games.

I must say I loved Jon Montgomery belting out Oh Canada. even better walking in Whistler village and someone handed him a pitcher of beer.

[SolarArray]

11:25 AM on 02/21/2010

Just because one doesn't know the words to an anthem doesn't mean anything. No big deal.

[cookerman45]

11:02 AM on 02/21/2010

i feel humming is acceptable..

[BlueZoo]

10:26 AM on 02/21/2010

Borrowing an old saw...I can't carry a tune in a bucket! I could mouth the words to the national anthem but sing it? Never! I have great admiration for those who can sing it and even more admiration for those athletes from any country who sing their anthems loud and clear. More power to them!

[plzchuteme]

09:32 AM on 02/21/2010

Gotta hand it to those Swedes. Not only did they sing their national anthem,...but they sang it in Swedish.
That's no easy task. I know, because I tried. As far as the "Star Spangled Banner," goes, I don't know which is worse, a self absorbed athlete not knowing the words, or a self absorbed celebrity vocalist not knowing the melody.

[t iessa]

09:30 AM on 02/21/2010

Maybe they know it but don't sing it. I know the words but don't sing it because I can't sing. Maybe they're too overcome with emotion and lost in their thoughts on that platform. It's a big jump from them not singing it to them not knowing it.

[tanya1111]

08:05 AM on 02/21/2010

APPARENTLY they didn't have time with the thousands of hours of training.... who cares.

[CynicalDog]

04:23 AM on 02/21/2010

Does Canadian gold medal winner Jon Montgomery read HuffPo? After his medal ceremony on Saturday, there's no denying he not only knows the words to "Oh Canada", but he sings along... loudly.

[MurrayAbraham]

02:19 AM on 02/21/2010

Remember what happened to Hilary's attempt at singing the anthem? I guess athletes don't want to live through the same mockeries.
Besides, it must be very emotional standing on the highest step of an Olympic podium thinking back at all the efforts it took to get there. I certainly don't blame these fantastic athletes for not putting "country first" in such a moment.

[TazoWolf]

01:55 AM on 02/21/2010

Many people just don't like to sing, and I wouldn't say that means they don't know the anthem. Besides, the "Star Spangled Banner" carries a rather broad modal range, one that many people are incapable of traversing in their own given vocal ranges. Who knows, the range difficulties are perhaps explained by the fact that the tune the lyrics were put to was from an old drinking song? The melody was borrowed from a song that praised wine.
http://www.colonialmusic.org/Resource/Anacreon.htm