Madagascar's winter games hero
Mathieu Razanakolona was back home this week, cooking hot dogs at his parents' suburban Kirkland digs, still basking in the glow of the Turin Games.
The 19-year-old skier made history when he became the first athlete to represent the tropical island of Madagascar at the winter Olympics.
"I still can't believe I was at the Olympics for two weeks," said Razanakolona, who finished a respectable 39th in a giant slalom field of more than 80.
He fell on his first nerve-filled run, but quickly got up and finished the race, albeit about 22 seconds off the pace. His second run went better, finishing only nine seconds behind gold-medal winner Benjamin Raich of Austria.
"If I hadn't fallen on my first run, I would have had a top-30 finish," Razanakolona said. "But if you always say 'if, if, if,' you won't go anywhere."
While many other skiers fell down and right out of the Olympics, Razanakolona never thought of quitting.
"I just wanted the satisfaction of crossing the finish line," he said. "It felt great to ski down and be happy with what I've done.We were doing it for Madagascar, but personally, I had a goal to do my best race and cross the line. I fell, but I did it."
Razanakolona, a football receiver for the 2005 Bol d'Or champion Vieux Montreal Spartiates, wasn't expecting to win a medal or even a top-10 finish in Turin. He qualified for the Games to help promote a United Nations development project for impoverished Madagascar, where his father, Victor, was born.
Mathieu and his brother Phillipe were born in Canada and hold dual citizenship. Their mother, Francine Gelinas, hails from Shawinigan.
"More people now know where Madagascar is," said Mathieu, who will soon visit the island east of continental Africa. He will bear good news that his Olympic efforts have helped raise more than $150,000 in cash, furniture and computers.
Razanakolona said he was well-received by other athletes in Turin, particularly Canadian skiers like Francois Bourque, who admired his noble cause.
"There was no jealousy at all from other athletes," Razanakolona said.
"I think they liked that we were doing sports for human development. And it's not as if I was taking the place of anybody."
He refrained from partaking in the night life in the athletes' village or elsewhere in Turin. "I wouldn't crash my Olympics by going out every night. We were there on a serious mission. I trained every day."
Razanakolona also had the honour of being Madagascar's flagbearer at the Games opening ceremony, a tiny delegation that included his brother and coach.
His proudest moment, though, was an emotional family hug at the bottom of the mountain after his first ski run.
"I was stressed at the top, but I was so relieved at the bottom," he said. "I had my family there. I fell into the arms of my dad, my mom and my brother. There was a lot of emotion. We all had tears in our eyes. I've never been so proud."
Razanakolona will soon begin training for the 2006 football season with the Universite de Montreal Carabins. His helmet will still fit as his moving Olympic experience did not swell his head.
"I'm not a big star," he said. "Two weeks of Olympics was something big, but I am a simple person.
"I cook hot dogs. This is how I live."
jmeagher@thegazette.canwest.com
Kirkland alpine skier Razanakolona is first Olympian to represent tropical island nation
View Larger Image
Mathieu Razanakolona, Madagascar's only winter Olympian, loses control during the giant slalom on Feb. 20 in Sestriere Colle, Italy. Despite the fall, he finished 39th.
JOHN MEAGHER, The Gazette
Published: Sunday, March 05, 2006
The 19-year-old skier made history when he became the first athlete to represent the tropical island of Madagascar at the winter Olympics.
"I still can't believe I was at the Olympics for two weeks," said Razanakolona, who finished a respectable 39th in a giant slalom field of more than 80.
He fell on his first nerve-filled run, but quickly got up and finished the race, albeit about 22 seconds off the pace. His second run went better, finishing only nine seconds behind gold-medal winner Benjamin Raich of Austria.
"If I hadn't fallen on my first run, I would have had a top-30 finish," Razanakolona said. "But if you always say 'if, if, if,' you won't go anywhere."
While many other skiers fell down and right out of the Olympics, Razanakolona never thought of quitting.
"I just wanted the satisfaction of crossing the finish line," he said. "It felt great to ski down and be happy with what I've done.We were doing it for Madagascar, but personally, I had a goal to do my best race and cross the line. I fell, but I did it."
Razanakolona, a football receiver for the 2005 Bol d'Or champion Vieux Montreal Spartiates, wasn't expecting to win a medal or even a top-10 finish in Turin. He qualified for the Games to help promote a United Nations development project for impoverished Madagascar, where his father, Victor, was born.
Mathieu and his brother Phillipe were born in Canada and hold dual citizenship. Their mother, Francine Gelinas, hails from Shawinigan.
"More people now know where Madagascar is," said Mathieu, who will soon visit the island east of continental Africa. He will bear good news that his Olympic efforts have helped raise more than $150,000 in cash, furniture and computers.
Razanakolona said he was well-received by other athletes in Turin, particularly Canadian skiers like Francois Bourque, who admired his noble cause.
"There was no jealousy at all from other athletes," Razanakolona said.
"I think they liked that we were doing sports for human development. And it's not as if I was taking the place of anybody."
He refrained from partaking in the night life in the athletes' village or elsewhere in Turin. "I wouldn't crash my Olympics by going out every night. We were there on a serious mission. I trained every day."
Razanakolona also had the honour of being Madagascar's flagbearer at the Games opening ceremony, a tiny delegation that included his brother and coach.
His proudest moment, though, was an emotional family hug at the bottom of the mountain after his first ski run.
"I was stressed at the top, but I was so relieved at the bottom," he said. "I had my family there. I fell into the arms of my dad, my mom and my brother. There was a lot of emotion. We all had tears in our eyes. I've never been so proud."
Razanakolona will soon begin training for the 2006 football season with the Universite de Montreal Carabins. His helmet will still fit as his moving Olympic experience did not swell his head.
"I'm not a big star," he said. "Two weeks of Olympics was something big, but I am a simple person.
"I cook hot dogs. This is how I live."
jmeagher@thegazette.canwest.com
Kirkland alpine skier Razanakolona is first Olympian to represent tropical island nation
View Larger Image
Mathieu Razanakolona, Madagascar's only winter Olympian, loses control during the giant slalom on Feb. 20 in Sestriere Colle, Italy. Despite the fall, he finished 39th.
JOHN MEAGHER, The Gazette
Published: Sunday, March 05, 2006
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