The Five-Ring Quest Begins

So it's nowhere near as audacious, historic — or hyped — as Michael Phelps' great swimming eight in '08 on the big stage in Beijing.

But every Olympics needs a big home-country hero and Canada has a start on getting one of its own after a nerve-wracking finish in the 3,000 metres in women's speed skating at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

That person would be Kristina Groves, a humble 33-year-old from Ottawa who does everything but seek out the bright spotlight. But after skating in the shadows of Catriona Le May Doan (2002) and Cindy Klassen (2006) at the past two Winter Olympics, it just might be Groves' time to be the queen of the speed skating oval for Canada.

She is entered in five events at Vancouver 2010 and given a chance to win a medal in every one of them, though the gruelling 3,000 — the event in which she earned a bronze medal today at the Richmond Olympic Oval — isn't considered her specialty (that would be the 1,500, which comes later on this week).

But when Groves edged Daniela Anschutz Thoms of Germany by a scant .03 seconds for the bronze, the celebration was on Richmond, which hopes to cheer the home side on to a boatful of medals before the Games long-track program ends.

"I've never felt that before," Groves told CTV when asked about the massive support Canadians are getting on home turf. "I've heard it, but it's never been for Canada or for me."

Indeed, she and the Canadian speed-skating program have come a long way since 1995, when she was first flashing her potential at the Canada Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alta. (and spent several moments doing interviews about it all with your humble blogger, an Ottawa Sun amateur sports columnist at the time).

There were two Olympics to follow in Salt Lake City (2002) and Turin (2006), when she had big breakthrough on the big stage with a pair of silver medals. But Klassen's haul of five medals were the story of those Winter Games in Italy.

Now, however, it appears it's Groves' time to take centre stage, though teammates Christine Nesbitt and Clara Hughes figure to make some noise as well before these Games are in the books.

We'll save a few special cheers, though, for a certain fellow Ottawan whose achievements were always a delight to chronicle during my days at the Sun. Someone who you always knew would get her day in sun, no matter how long it took. 

That's what champions are made of, don't you know?