Coach's mistake denies gold to Dutch skater, emblematic of events in the United States

For a while, the Winter Olympics in British Columbia served as a splendid contrast to the sullen standoff south of the border between a preening, narcissistic president and a public that tells him regularly that he is off course and a threat to the nation's future.

In Canada, skiers and snow boarders vaulted higher and faster than ever and twisted and turned more dramatically, seeking glory, and perhaps wealth, for themselves and victory for their country.

It was a fine antidote to the leftist attack on wealth seeking and the grinding message of the leftist leadership that Americans should be living not for themselves, but for others.

Then, in a moment, a coach signaled Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer to switch lanes in his 10,000-meter race. He did so, lifting his right leg to clear the lane marker as he switched from the outside lane to the inside.

A short time later, he cruised to an Olympic record for the distance, apparently winning gold.

Then he was disqualified for finishing the race in the wrong lane.
“Usually, I don’t want to blame anyone else, but this time I can’t do anything else,” Kramer said. “I wanted to go to the outer lane; then just before the cone, Gerald shouted, ‘Inner lane.’ I thought he’s probably right, and I went to the inner lane.

“This really sucks,” he said. “This is a real expensive mistake."

The same could be said for the White House's pursuit of an agenda designed to aggrandize government and diminish individuals.