Player’s Own Voice podcast: Marnie McBean on a mission

Player’s Own Voice podcast host Anastasia Bucsis gets an informatiion packed visit with Canada’s new Chef de MIssion,

Rower, triple-gold medallist diving into new role for Tokyo 2020

CBC Sports · Posted: Oct 02, 2019 7:03 AM ET

Marnie McBean, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, speaks after being named the Olympic chef de mission for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games during the Canada Day noon show on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

No Canadian has seen greater Olympic glory than Marnie McBean.

But the rowing legend says one of her most memorable moments came at the Sydney Games in 2000, where she was injured outside of competition.

The support she got from her fellow athletes and from Team Canada changed her outlook dramatically, and made the Olympic movement the enduring focus of Marnie McBean’s life.     

Canada’s chef de mission for the Tokyo Olympics comes into studio to share her understanding of Olympic sport culture with Player’s Own Voice podcast host Anastasia Bucsis. Beyond the individual insights she has picked up from years of mentoring, McBean has invested serious thought in the areas where the Olympics struggle. 

How do host cities justify the cost of building so much infrastructure? What is the work that still needs to be done to keep athletes safely away from steroid use? And are we any nearer to clarity in the shifting sands of gender and competition?

The chat raises more questions than answers, but the questions matter if sustainable Olympics are the goal.

Listen here