Own the Podium dream over: Canadian official

[HeresyLives]

Canada won't own the podium at the Vancouver Games after all.

With seven days of competition remaining, the Canadian Olympic Committee raised the white flag Monday on the host team's goal of finishing first overall in the medal count.

"We are going to be short of our goal," CEO Chris Rudge said at the team's daily news briefing.
Canada entered Monday with nine medals (4-4-1), tied for fourth with South Korea, and far behind the United States at 24. Germany was second with 17, followed by Norway with 12.

"We'd be living in a fool's paradise if we said we were going to catch the Americans and win," Rudge said. "We're not throwing in the towel. You never do that when you are in the middle of a fight, but it's difficult. They are way out ahead at this point and it would be unrealistic to state that we are going to catch them

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/story/2010/02/22/spo-rudge-podium-over.html