Simon Lewis, Vancouver

Vancouver went a little bit mental on Sunday night. In one of those spontaneous outpourings of pride, joy and a measure of relief, the people took to the streets of this lovely city and celebrated the moment Canada had been desperate for since first winning the bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.
For those lucky enough to have been inside Canada Hockey Place as Sidney Crosby fired that sudden-death overtime winner between the legs of American goalkeeper Ryan Miller it was a real “I was there” moment as the host nation sealed the Olympic men's ice hockey gold medal.
According to a colleague who happened to be taking in the city's scenic bay at that same precise moment, it was pretty special outside too as he listened to an eruption of noise from inside bars and apartments and at the many big-screen outdoor viewing areas.
This gold medal had meant so much to Canadians you got the impression they would have willingly swapped the other 13 they accumulated throughout these Games just to guarantee hockey victory.
Just as Americans view baseball and gridiron as their national sports, the cheery fellas above the 49th Parallel treasure ice hockey as their pastime.
At every Canada game, in shop windows and on the balconies of apartment blocks throughout the 2010 Games, not only would you see fervent national pride on display with flags and the ubiquitous message “Go Canada Go!” but also signs which read: “Our Game, Our Gold”.
And there was no mistaking which game the Canucks were talking about, only one podium they really wanted to see their heroes top.
At times the expectation seemed to be getting to the Canadian players. There were stutters against the Swiss in their second preliminary round game and a 5-3 defeat to the USA in their final round-robin encounter.
There was also a real wobble in their semi-final when they let Slovakia come from 3-0 down to 3-2 and gave the nation a nerve-wracking final three minutes as goalkeeper Roberto Luongo and his defencemen threw their bodies desperately in front of the puck every time their rivals fired on goal.
They very nearly let the final slip too. Having been 2-0 up and looking comfortable the Americans found a way back into the game, getting one goal back at the end of the second period and then going for broke in the dying minutes of the third and final period, withdrawing goalkeeper Miller and throwing six outfield players down on the Canadian net.
The gamble paid off big time as Zach Parise broke 33 million hearts with an American equaliser a little over 24 seconds from full time and a nation went back to being nail-biting wrecks again, a state of anxiety extended by a ridiculously long interval period of 15 minutes before overtime got under way.
No matter. With a player removed from each side for sudden death, the Canadians made the most of the extra space and in swooped Crosby to leave his mark on a tournament many had expected him to dominate.
It didn't quite turn out like that for Canada's heir apparent to Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky but now, at 22 years of age, “Sid The Kid” has an Olympic gold medal around his neck, something his idol never won as a player.
Not only did he deliver to Canadians the thing they craved most, Crosby also freed a nation from four long years of anticipation and expectation for that moment of victory on home ice.
The deep exhalation of breath when Crosby's shot hit the net was palpable and sparked scenes of jubilation that Vancouver may not witness again as Canadians took to the streets to celebrate.
Amidst the madness, though, there was a rare moment of clarity as, when asked what he had learned from his experience at Vancouver's Games, team general manager Steve Yzerman replied: “Canada has shown the world that we are pretty good people. I hope we remain humble and gracious.
“Let's not get cocky. Let's not get over-confident. It's hard to win.”
If he had been dressed as a Mountie, eating a bacon sandwich and finished the sentence with the word “Eh”, Yzerman could not have been more Canadian in his summation.
Humility, grace and modesty have long been cherished virtues in this part of the world and Canadians just about managed to adhere to them during their hosting of the Games, despite the negative connotations perceived by many outsiders of the Canadian Olympic Committee's “Own The Podium” campaign which sought to put Canada at the top of the medals table in Vancouver.
It was left to the man who brought the Winter Games to Vancouver, the Irish-born John Furlong to tell his fellow Canadians it was all right to feel good about themselves.
“I believe we Canadians tonight are stronger, more united, more in love with our country and more connected with each other than ever before,” the Games CEO said at the closing ceremony.
“These Olympic Games have lifted us up. If the Canada that came together on opening night was a little mysterious to some it no longer is.
“Now you know us...eh?”