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As the Games of the 29th Olympiad draw to a close in Beijing, the Canadian team has experienced significant peaks and valleys within a comparatively short period of time.

Laments of the country's struggles in international competition early on have thankfully been muted as Canadian podium finishes began to roll in. Indeed, with Priscilla Lopes-Schliep's bronze medal in the 100-m hurdles earlier this week, it gave Canada a total of 13 medals, surpassing the country's total from four years ago in Athens and leaving it just one shy of its total in Sydney in 2000.

There's an important point to remember, however, as we dissect Canada's performance against the unyielding standard of gold, silver and bronze. By that standard, Canada can indeed be tagged with having a "slow start" but it's prudent to point out that was a result more due to scheduling of Canada's stronger events later in the games than anything else.

But we digress. There are bound to be disappointments when it comes to results; it's an inevitable reality of athletic competition. It's an inherent athletic trait to want to be good, better, the best.

In truth, our athletes have provided us, as Torontonians, with some great, compelling stories of achievement - some of those coming even before they left for Beijing.

Consider Etobicoke's Jason Burnett, who narrowly avoided elimination in the earlier rounds of the men's trampoline event by pulling off a spectacular routine when he needed it most. He demonstrated that he has the heart of a champion competitor in bringing home the silver.

Likewise, in the women's event, North York native Karen Cockburn, recovering from injury, pulled a rare Canadian Olympic feat: medalling in three straight games with her silver medal performance one day before Burnett's heroics.

As we are wont to do, holding up Canada's medal results to close scrutiny can reveal any number of theories. Some point to the idea Canada is a country better suited to competition in winter sports. Some point to the funding (or lack thereof) of amateur athletics in this country.

For now, we need to remember that in these Games, Canadians have been competing globally as part of more than 11,000 athletes from 204 different nations. In order to even get there, they have had to be our best and are now, as a result, competing against the best the world has to offer - an incredible achievement in and of itself.

Whether the athletes mounted a podium or not, we should be - and are - proud of them all.