Canadian Alexandre Bilodeau Ends Home-Team Gold Medal Drought

(Feb. 15) -- Breaking a dry spell that started at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada finally landed its first gold medal on home soil Sunday when Montrealer Alexandre Bilodeau skied to victory in the men's mogul freestyle event.

Bilodeau's win puts an end to the country's palpable embarrassment over being the only country not to have scored a gold at home, despite this being the third time it has hosted the games, after Montreal and the 1988 Calgary Winter Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee has made increasing its medal count an explicit goal of its "Own the Podium" program.

Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada celebrates winning the gold medal Feb. 14, 2010, for the Freestyle Skiing Men's Moguls

Streeter Lecka, Getty Images

Canada has hosted the Olympics three times, but Alexandre Bilodeau's gold medal on Sunday was the first it has won on its home soil.

Canada Post reacted immediately to Bilodeau's victory by issuing a new stamp available today, emblazoned with the world "Celebrate Gold!" The postal service was clearly confident enough that the milestone would be passed to have printed the stamps in advance.

Bilodeau, 22, skied to victory over World Cup leader Dale Begg-Smith, a Vancouver native who left Canada after a dispute with national freestyle skiing officials and won gold in the event for Australia in 2006. Begg-Smith took silver and American Bryon Wilson the bronze.

Vancouver Sun sportswriter Cam Cole said Bilodeau's victory "got the 1,000-pound gorilla off Team Canada's back" after a less-than-auspicious beginning to the Vancouver Games. The games have been marred not only by the possibly preventable death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, but also by troublesome weather and persistent claims that Canadians were playing against type by being poor sports.

Cole cited the Canadian women's hockey team's 18-0 hammering of Slovakia as possible evidence of a country going over the top to prove it's a contender. "When did we become Ugly Canadians?" Cole asked.

No such questions adhered to Bilodeau's victory, though. Watching from the stands was his older brother Frédéric, who has cerebral palsy and has served as Alexandre's example through years of tough training.

"My brother has been an inspiration for me," Bilodeau told reporters from CTV and other media after his victory. "Growing up with a brother that's handicapped, you learn so much."

"It puts everything in perspective. If I have the chance to train, I'll take it. Even if it's raining, I'll take it. He doesn't even have that chance," Bilodeau added. "He has all the right to complain. And he never complains."