Whitfield’s triathalon crash blamed on ‘curse’
Posted August 7, 2012 3:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Simon Whitfield’s triathalon crash has people are talking about the fabled ‘flag-bearer curse.’
Whitfield is one of many athletes supposedly jinxed by carrying the flag in the opening ceremony.
According to Yahoo sports blogger, Neate Sager, the myth began in 1994.
He said the myth started when the Lillehammer flag bearer Kurt Browning missed the podium and it flourished when free style skier Jean-Luc Brassard carried the flag missed the podium at the Nagano Games.
Of the last six Canadian flag bearers all heavily favoured to win their respective events, only two won gold.
Although he believes it is a fable, Sager said the belief in the ‘curse’ is widespread.
“It’s just one of those things it’s fun to believe,” Sager said. “It gets people talking about the Olympics and it becomes part of our shared experience.”
There are many factors that could cause a flag bearer to under-perform, including nerves and pressure, Sager added.
