Maroon and silver mix on podium in London

Compared to the monstrous showings at this summer’s London Games by powerhouse teams China and the United States, Canadian athletes have so far mustered a relatively humble 14 medals, only one of which is gold (the United States has 30 and the team from China has 34).

That being said, the goal of the Canadian Olympic team prior to the games was to finish in 12th place, putting them currently on track.

Not to be misconstrued as some sort of discouragement, the outlook appears to be truly realistic and so far has included some terrific stories.

Moments like the eight-man rowing team winning a silver medal or Adam van Koeverden adding yet another Olympic podium appearance to his illustrious career on the water are impressive Canadian athletic achievements.

For the McMaster community, both of these moments in particular hold special resonance.

Two members of that eight-man team, Doug Csima and Jerry Brown, are alumni of Mac’s rowing and football teams respectively. Four-time medalist van Koeverden is also a former McMaster student.

Last but not least, Olympic veteran Donna Vakalis, who competes in the pentathlon, is a Mac grad.

In total four athletes at this summer’s competition have ties to the Steel City and that number does not include the numerous Marauders involved in coaching and working support staff for the Red and White.

These athletes are inspiring examples of the school’s athletic slogan; “leave no doubt,” adding world-class credentials to an historic year for campus sports.

Going into the 2012-13 school year, there are titles to defend, young teams with lots to prove and records to be broken.

Hopefully recent success on the world stage is indicative of yet another great year for the Maroon and Grey.