'Moving target'

'Moving target'
COC forced to reign in expectations for Beijing
By ROB LONGLEY, SUN MEDIA

The Great Wall, silk markets and the Forbidden City of Beijing are worthy attractions, but the days of going to the Olympics as a tourist are over for Canadian athletes.

That is the message the Canadian Olympic Committee has been hammering home, that the Olympic ideal is excellence, not merely participation.

Unfortunately, with the opening ceremony for the Summer Games just 50 days away, the blueprint for success may need a little toned-down tweaking.

While not issuing specific medal targets, the COC is cautious in its outlook for Beijing as one of the most anticipated renewals of the great global sporting spectacle nears.

"We had set a goal four years ago, when we started down this road of setting goals, of getting into the top 16 (for total medals in Beijing)," COC chief executive officer Chris Rudge said in an interview. "In terms of numbers, that is a moving target."

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