An unexpected moment during Marie-Philip Poulin’s medal ceremony is drawing national attention
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Photo credit: Sportsnet
Team Canada’s women’s team secured silver after a tough OT loss to Team USA however it’s what happened after that’s causing a lot of controversy.
Although the Canadian women were unable to secure the gold medal, they were able to at least skate away with the silver medal as there are several questions about the future of Team Canada during the 2030 Olympics.
While those will be answered in due time, there is one thing that needs to be questioned which is how Marie-Philip Poulin was treated during her medal ceremony.
Poulin given potential unfair treatment during medal ceremony
According to Luc Gelinas of CIHO-FM, when Poulin requested to speak to Canadian fans and thank them for their support in what could be her final Olympics ever, the Italian authorities at the Olympics said no way:
She was refused the right to speak French by the Olympic staff in charge of the podium. No, this isn’t a joke: Luc Gelinas spoke about it this morning on the radio (CIHO-FM) and explained it clearly, saying that it’s the ultimate insult for Poulin. – via DansLesCoulisses
It’s something that really sticks with Canadian fans as while a lot of the country are majority English speaking residents, there is a huge French population who are heavily represented and a core part of Canadian hockey for both men and women.
Even if it was just a few words to the supporters, there likely were a few French Canadians in the audience who would have appreciated the sentiment.
Perhaps it was something lost on the Italian officials as they might not be too privy to the fact that Poulin may not be returning to the Olympics in 2030 (though that is definitely still in the cards) and decided they didn’t want to run over time or go against their schedule.
Poulin is one of Canada’s greatest Olympians and one of the greatest female hockey players to ever play.
She has 39 points at the Olympics (21 goals, 18 assists) as well as three gold medals and though there is still a chance she plays in 2030, if this is the way she goes out it will be a bit of a blemish on an otherwise legendary career.
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An unexpected moment during Marie-Philip Poulin’s medal ceremony is drawing national attention
Should Marie-Philip Poulin have gotten a chance to speak French to supporters?