After winning a surprise Olympic medal ahead of fellow countrywoman and favourite Alison Sydor in 2004 in Athens, Marie Helene Premont came into the 2008 Games in Beijing as the strong favourite herself. She was leading the World Cup series standings by 447 points over fellow Canadian Catharine Pendrel, had won two events that year and reached the podium in all seven World Cup races. However, she told CBC in an interview, she stayed up late at night worrying about a mechanical or something she couldn’t control happening. She ended up DNFing in Beijing.
In 2012, it was Catharine Pendrel who went to the Olympics as the favourite, as the 2011 World Champion and leading the World Cup standings. She finished 9th. Four years later, she wasn’t expected to podium, but without the pressure she pulled off a bronze despite crashing very early in the race and having to play catch up.