Saturday, August 13, 2016

Canadian Swimmers in the same league: Elaine Tanner aka Mighty Mouse vs Penny Oleksiak

Could we have the CBC present an in depth pool interview between Elaine and Penny to give the public a true insight of how it feels to be a winner on an international stage, and dealing with the aftermath of fame?  Elaine Tanner is from 'our' era.  Penny Oleksiak is from 'your' era.

Elaine Tanner "Mighty Mouse"  Born 1951   competed and won Gold at the Commonwealth Games and swam in the Olympics. 

Awards & Achievements


Swimming World Magazine  - 50 years later
To this day, the youngest person ever to win the Lou Marsh Trophy is Elaine Tanner, who won it in 1966. She won the award, which recognizes Canada’s best athlete, at age 15. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her accomplishment.

In 1966, Tanner won seven medals at the British Empire Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica. Four of her medals were gold. She won the 110-yard butterfly, 220-yard butterfly, 440-yard individual medley and 440-yard freestyle relay. Tanner, nicknamed “Mighty Mouse,” also picked up three silvers at the meet. She was the first ever woman to win four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Elaine Tanner continued her dominance at the 1967 Pan American Games. She set world records in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke at the meet, winning gold in both events. She also took three silver medals at the meet.

In the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, the Canadian continued to bolster her resume. She picked up silver medals in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, and also won a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle relay.

Elaine Tanner and other winners


Perhaps sports writer journalist Cam Cole (who doesn't know how to swim but when he fell into an open cesspool the other day in Rio he went through all the 'movements' .....) could provide the impetuous for Penny's introduction to the Lou Marsh Trophy with a shoulder to shoulder photo op.


Wikipedia Elaine Tanner

Swim Canada:

Back in the mid 1960’s Canada was a minnow in the international sports landscape.

At the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Summer Games, Canadian athletes won a grand total of five medals total. Even our beloved hockey teams were struggling internationally. Our best professional players were not allowed to participate at the Olympics and they didn’t compete at the world championships.

The world juniors and women’s worlds didn’t exist.

Yes, there wasn’t much to cheer about for Canadians at big international sports events.

That is until a 15-year-old swimming sensation from Vancouver called Elaine Tanner appeared on the scene. She wowed Canadians with her incredible athletic exploits and won their hearts with her uniquely Canadian charm. These powerful moments will continue to mark Canadian sport history.
..... SNIP .....

And just for once without Premier Christy Clark using either young ladies as a photo op backdrop to her May of 2017 election dreams.

6 comments:

  1. One of Canada's greatest Mighty Mouse Agree CBC should do a feature BUT they are now corporate bought and in cahoots and (in Bed) with the COC suck ups and IOC. They are all trying to Bury Elaine Tanner's story for their own self interest. They are worried about hearing the true story of how brutal she has been treated and trying to muzzle her and others who speak up .....Go to her web sites read on line for yourself....Any investigative independent reporters out there??? What a story!

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  2. Agree lets start an online petition!

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  3. JUST READ ELAINETANNER.CA AND QUESTBEYONDGOLD.CA I JUST DID FOR THE FIRST TIME WOW!! YOU PEOPLE MAY BE ON TO SOMETHING....THIS COULD BE A MADE FOR TV MOVIE OR AT LEAST A BOOK?. DAM SHAME HOW SHE WAS TREATED...BUT LOOKS LIKE ELAINE HAVE A FRESH NEW LIFE NOW AND STILL INSPIRING PEOPLE AGAIN IN HER RECOVERY AND VOLUNTEER WORK...GOOD FOR HER!!

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  4. often wondered why you hardly see her taped or live interviews on CBC Olympics this year 2016 in RIO and especially in Vancouver 2010 Tanner's home town where she is a big legend I watched expecting her...but nothing on her WHY IS THIS?? Is this just a fluke coincidence? Sure smells funny to me. Weird never thought this stuff (controlled media) happening in Canada. But in to-days world how the media has really changed over the years with corporate and special interest groups buying it.

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  5. Agree with carol this is a story that needs to be told!

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  6. I agree with Carol above statement this story needs to be told...Mainstream media like CBC/CTV has let the public down....

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