Quotes of the Day

Canada’s best hope in the Torino Olympic Games downhill at San Sicario Fraiteve, Emily Brydon, skied too cautiously at the top of the course in gusting, flat-light conditions and as a result, personified the team’s performance on Wedensday. Alpine Canada’s chief athletic officer, Max Gartner, assessed it with one word: “Bad.” Brydon was the top Canadian, finishing 20th, followed by Kelly VanderBeek of Chilliwack, B.C., in 24th, Shona Rubens (26th) of Canmore, Alberta and Sherry Lawrence (27th) of Calgary. The winner was Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister who just weeks away from retirement capped a remarkable career with her first Olympic gold medal. Dorfmeister won in one minute 56.49 seconds, 0.37 seconds clear of silver medalist Martina Schild of Switzerland. Anja Paerson of Sweden took the bronze.

Rubens and Lawrence attended the Olympics as a developmental opportunity but more was expected of Brydon and VanderBeek. Brydon, who grew up in Fernie, B.C., keyed her season on the Olympic downhill because the course suited her ability to glide on the flats. But she started poorly on the roller-coaster style of terrain and could not recover. “I didn’t perform to my ability or expectation,” said Brydon, 25. “I went in 100% prepared, physically. Everything I needed was in front of me.”

Brydon, 25, will ski the combined on Friday and Super-G race on Sunday. So far, though, what shaped up as a breakout season has proved mostly disappointing, causing her to wonder about continuing as a ski racer. “If I go, I go for four years to 2010, and I’m not sure I want to do that,” she said. “I feel like I’d give it all I have; on the other hand, there’s more out there in life. There are other things I want to do. But I don’t want to go out a loser.”

Brydon required surgery on both knees prior to the 2002 Salt Lake Games and since then, hasn’t been able to achieve her potential. Now, Gartner believes Brydon’s career may be nearing an end. “I don’t want to say anything yet because there’s still a Super-G but I think after this season she will take a long, hard look at the situation,” he said.

• Tom Maloney/San Sicario, Italy