Going for Gold at Sochi

With the winter Olympics off and running, our Canadian athletes all have one thing in mind, how to accumulate Gold. The Olympics have been running since the Greeks started the games in 775 BC on mount Olympia as a tribute to the Olympian Gods, Olive branches were the original trophies given to the victors and were later replaced with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the modern Olympics.

So why the obsession with precious metals as a reward for athletic excellence? There are many reasons why we accumulate, mine and extract precious metals. They can be used as a currency, jewelry, hedge against inflation and protection from world turmoil. It's difficult to speculate on the origins of Gold and why as early as 4000 BC gold was being mined in Africa and widespread usage in Egypt in 2600 BC. It was originally believed that something so rare and precious had to have health benefits.

Regardless of the history and current uses of Gold, it still makes beautiful metals that our athletes are willing to spend years of dedication for the ultimate metal that can withstand the true test of time.