Clara Hughes: Games icon caps career in style
Clara Hughes talks often about the importance of being in the moment.
In the last Olympic race of a truly remarkable career, she demonstrated exactly what she means.
The last four years leading to these home Olympics were a struggle for the 37-year-old Winnipegger. There was a near-fatal car accident and other calamities. Plus, there was a lot travail on the ice, where many times she felt like she didn’t know how to skate anymore and that she might be better off quitting.
She’d entered so many 5,000-metre races like the one held Wednesday at the Richmond Olympic Oval terrified because she knew her inefficient technique meant a very painful experience.
But not this time, not when she grabbed a bronze medal to put an exclamation mark on one of the finest Olympic careers ever in this country. Never did bronze have such a golden shine.
Hughes was calm when she went to the line. Her long-time coach Xiuli Wang gave her a specific instruction: “Breathe.”
Several deep breaths later, Hughes was off. It was something to see, the complete focus and total absorption in what she was doing.
“It was pure at-oneness, I would say,” said a beaming Hughes. “Sometimes you feel outside yourself when that’s happening and I’ve had that experience, I’ve had great races and I’ve felt like I was on the outside looking in.
“But today I was just in the moment, inside of myself, feeling every cell of my body working and my brain working. And I felt like I had an open heart and an open mind and I was free.”
She had help, too. A raucous crowd of 6,000-plus, including her mom Maureen, watching her skate in person for the first time ever, along with her husband Peter Guzman and his mom Mica. They were part of the “circle of strength” Hughes has around her.
“She (her mom) said to me some time ago. `Clara, I’m going to be there. If I have to stand outside of that rink, I’m going to be there,’” said Hughes. “I told her I probably could get her a ticket.”
But her game plan was not to use the crowd as fuel until the final five laps of the 12 1/2-lap endurance test.
“I just felt like this crowd showed the Dutch what cheering is all about,” said Hughes. “I’m really proud of this Canadian crowd that’s been in here day-in and day-out. They gave me wings. They gave me wings on one of the greatest days of my athletic life.”
The defending Olympic champion at this distance kept her attention on what her stride felt like, how it felt to build the turns and the way she’d have to dig deep in those final five laps. The trick was that while she wanted to go harder, she knew she’d lose her rhythm if she did.
“For the first time in a long, long time, I didn’t fight myself on the ice.”
But she had a lot of fight, something that’s defined her for her 20-year career.
“She never gives up,” said Wang, her pride in her athlete so evident.
When Hughes crossed the line, she revelled in her performance, pumping her fist, waving to the crowd, giving Wang a huge hug and blowing kisses to her mom.
The favourites were still to come – Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic, who’d win gold, and Stephanie Beckert, who took silver – but people kept telling Hughes she’d be on the podium.
“I said, `It doesn’t matter to me because that was excellence,’” said Hughes.
She’s not bragging, either. Never was the type.
In fact, she won’t be engaging in the talk of where her six medals won at the Winter and Summer Games – one gold, one silver and three bronze – put her in the pantheon of Olympic greats in this country.
Officially, she is tied for the most medals with Cindy Klassen, who was 12th in the race. Kristina Groves was sixth.
“I don’t think we should compare,” Hughes said. “I look at Gaetan Boucher. I look at Marc Gagnon. I look at so many amazing speed skaters and athletes in this country. It is phenomenal the talent we have. I guess I’m proud to be one of them.”
As for the future, Hughes has her eye on a career in broadcasting, but for now plans to buy a kayak on Granville Island in the next few days so she can use it on adventures with her husband. Hughes was a colour commentator on cycling for CBC at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“It’s more fun being on your side, but there is nothing like this,” she said. “There is nothing like this. The thing working in broadcasting in China showed me is it’s a really special thing to be an Olympic athlete.
“I thought, `I get to do this one more time.’
“And I never lost sight of what `this’ is. Because when it’s over, it’s over. And now it’s actually over. Wow.”
