Champagne and cigars for Canada, but IOC probe bursts women's bubble

Published on Friday 26 February 2010 23:26

THE IOC will investigate the behaviour of the Canadian women ice hockey players who celebrated their gold medal by drinking beer and champagne on the ice.

Players came back onto the ice more than half an hour after the 2-0 victory over the United States on Thursday. Still in their uniforms and with gold medals hanging from their necks, they drank champagne and beer, and smoked cigars.

Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, said

: "It is not what we want to see. I don't think it's a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the changing room, that's one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what happened."

Felli said the IOC would talk to the international ice hockey federation and the Canadian Olympic Committee to get more information. "We will first find the facts and then act accordingly," he said.

Meghan Agosta and Marie-Philip Poulin posed on the rink wearing broad grins. Rebecca Johnston tried to drive the ice-resurfacing machine. Haley Irwin poured champagne into the mouth of Tessa Bonhomme, gold medals swinging from both their necks.

A Hockey Canada statement noted: "The members of Team Canada apologise if their on-ice celebrations, after fans had left the building, have offended anyone. In the excitement of the moment, the celebration left the confines of our dressing room and shouldn't have. The team regrets that its gold medal celebration may have caused the IOC or COC any embarrassment."

Poulin, who scored both goals in the victory, doesn't turn 19 until next month, when she'll be of legal drinking age in British Columbia. The drinking age in Alberta, where the Canadian team trains, is 18. Photos show Poulin on the ice, with a beer in her hand.

"We understand that they were asked to go back onto the playing field after the stadium had emptied to take a photo," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "We understand that some people may have felt that their behaviour was over-exuberant."

Steve Keough, a spokesman for the Canadian Olympic Committee, said:

"In terms of the actual celebration, it's not exactly something uncommon in Canada. We condone celebrations. ... We don't condone actions of irresponsibility. I think Canadians understand it's quite an emotional moment for our team. It was not our intention to go against any IOC protocols."

Other celebrations at these Olympics have raised eyebrows. After Jon Montgomery won a gold medal for Canada in skeleton, he walked through the streets of Whistler guzzling from a pitcher of beer that he gripped with two hands.

American Scotty Lago, who won bronze in the halfpipe, left the Games after a photo surfaced of a woman kneeling below his waist to kiss his medal.