News & Media Releases
PrintOwn the Podium Applauds Federal Government for its Investment in Canada’s Winter and Summer Sport Athletes
CALGARY—Own the Podium and Canada’s high-performance athletes congratulate the Harper government for responding to its request for replacement funding in the Own the Podium program, a unique initiative which played a critical role in Canada winning a historic 14 gold medals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The federal government announced in Thursday’s budget it will provide $22 million a year into the Own the Podium program.
The Federal government’s commitment, to Own the Podium now totals $69 million annually, which includes a base level of funding of $22 million per year that will be directed to winter sport. For summer sport, the government of Canada’s support is set at $36 million a year which will be invested to athletes preparing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The remaining $11 million will go toward creating programs targeted to further developing winter and summer athletes and targeted investments into Canadian Sport Centres.
“We have heard, overwhelmingly, from Canadians about how proud they are of our athletes’ tremendous performance in Vancouver and Whistler. It is clear that Canada wants to support our athletes in their pursuit for excellence and this replacement funding will help Own the Podium deliver on that desire,” said Roger Jackson, chief executive officer, Own the Podium. “Through Government support, Canada’s athletes have come a long way in their pursuit of excellence, and we are thrilled that Prime Minister Harper along with Ministers’ James Moore and Gary Lunn have taken a lead in ensuring this success will continue well into the future.”
“As an athlete who benefitted from Own the Podium support, I am thrilled that our Canadian government has stepped up to show their support for Canada’s winter athletes”, said Mellisa Hollingsworth, 2006 Olympic bronze medalist in skeleton. “Own the Podium has been one of the key difference makers in my career and I know that this investment will not only continue to help me with my goals in Sochi but it will also benefit the record number of athletes who came so close to landing on the podium in Vancouver and Whistler.”
Own the Podium
Own the Podium is a national sport technical initiative that was created in 2005 to help Canada become the number one nation (total medal count) at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and to place in the top-three nations (gold medal count) at the 2010 Paralympic Games. The initiative has also set a goal for Canadian athletes to have a top-12 placing at the London 2012 Olympic Games and in the top eight nations at the 2012 Paralympic Games. Both of these initiatives reflect what Canadians want from Canada’s high-performance athletes and helps advance the “excellence” goal of the Canadian Sport Policy. Own the Podium’s largest contributor of funding is the Government of Canada.
For a full summary of Own the Podium initiatives and programs including breakdown of support and services by sport, please visit us at www.ownthepodium.org on the Internet.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan Claire Buffone-Blair
Own the Podium Own the Podium
T: 281-703-4394 T: 403-202-6371
Canadians Want Canada to Own the Podium in 2010 and Beyond
Over 7 out of 10 Canadians want a top3 result for Canada at the Vancouver 2010 Games and for an initiative like Own the Podium to continue.
Ottawa, Ontario (February 11, 2010) - In the lead up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, a poll conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of the Sport Matters Group indicates that a strong majority of Canadians believe that it is important for Canada to finish amongst the top 3 nations in total medal count (73%). Similarly, Canadians expressed their support for investing in and continuing a performance focused initiative like Own the Podium in the post 2010 era (74%). This level of support applies across all age groups, genders, education levels and regions, with Quebecers more likely to express their support for both the performance objective and the initiative (85% and 79%, respectively.)
The poll also sought the views of Canadians on the impact of a potential top-3 result in podium performances during the Olympic Games. 9 out of 10 Canadians felt this would have a positive impact on national pride (91%) while almost 8 in 10 had the same view on national unity (79%). Motivating more Canadians to participate in winter sport (84%) and in physical activity in general (77%) was also seen as a positive impact of the potential result.
“This snapshot tells us that on the eve of the Games, Canadians want to see Canadian athletes on the medal podium on the world stage. They want to see us achieve our goals as a nation in Vancouver and they want to see us continue on this path in the years ahead. It’s also clear that Canadians are making a connection between achieving our Olympic goals and other national priorities, like national unity, community sport participation and healthy active living for Canadians,” remarked Ian Bird, Senior Leader of the Sport Matters Group. “These are indicators that we plan to track over the coming weeks, through the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as in the months that follow. The sport community wants to meet the expectations of Canadians and this kind of information will help us stay on track.”
Visit www.sportmatters.ca to view the detailed tables, data breakdowns and methodology.
The Sport Matters Group (SMG) is a voluntary group of Canadian sport and physical activity leaders who work together to advance the important contribution that sport makes to society, to strengthen public policy and to promote innovation in sport systems.
CANADA'S MEDAL CHANCES WILL BE NEAR END OF GAMES: CEO of Own the Podium urges fans, media to be patient in medal count race
Dan Robson CBC Sports
Like any great sporting event, it will come down to the finish
Canada's best Olympic medal contenders will perform when we need them the most, but that won't be until the final days of the Winter Games.
Expect the podium to be filled with German and U.S. athletes for the first 12 days of the Games, said Roger Jackson, CEO of Own the Podium, the $117 million, five-year plan to help Canadians dominate in the Summer and Winter Games.
Canada, meanwhille, will win most of their medals in the last five. That's because many of Canada's strengths — hockey, curling, short-track and long-track speedskating, four-man bobsleigh, freestyle skiing aerials, figure skating and snowboard parallel giant slalom — will only wrap up in the final days of the Vancouver Games.
"As you watch the medal totals day by day, what you need to know is we don't expect Canada to challenge for the lead until the last few days of the Games," Jackson told reporters Tuesday during a teleconference.
"Halfway through the Games, by Day 8, it may well be the United States and Germany are far ahead of Canada — possibly with up to 20 medals in their case and possibly around 10 medals in Canada's position." But Jackson urged the media and public to remain calm. From Day 13 to Day 16, Canadian athletes could win 12 or medals. It's merely a matter of scheduling.
"Be patient," was Jackson's advice for antsy fans and over-anxious reporters. Own the Podium has helped create a group of Olympians the nation will be proud of, Jackson said.
At least 30 athletes or teams are in top positions to win medals, based on how they have fared in their specific sports over last year. And another 30 athletes have consistently been in the fourth, fifth, and sixth spots in their respective world rankings.
"So, we have about 60-plus athletes who are in a position to actually achieve success," said Jackson.
Germany has around 60 athletes in the same "top six" position as Canada while the U.S. has slightly fewer, Jackson said.
"We expect these three countries will be battling it out throughout the Games for the honour of who might lead in the overall medal totals," he said.
At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, Germany led the count with 29 medals. The U.S. tallied 25 to finish second overall.
Canada came in third with 24 — regarded as our best Olympic showing to date (Canada won 44 medals at the boycotted 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles). Austria and Russia rounded out the top five countries in 2006, with 23 and 22 medals, respectively.
It's expected that if Canada is going to land on top of the overall medal count standings at the 2010 Olympics, it will have to win more than 25 medals in Vancouver.
OWN THE PODIUM APPLAUDS THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FOR THE CREATION OF CANADA PAVILLION AT 2010 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
{page:Section1;} -->
OWN THE PODIUM APPLAUDS THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FOR THE CREATION OF
CANADA PAVILLION AT 2010 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
—OTP to work with leading funding partner, Sport Canada, in showcasing sport excellence—
CALGARY—Own the Podium congratulates Minister of State, Gary Lunn, for his leadership in creating the Canada Pavilion which will tell the important story of Olympic spirit, while showcasing Canadian athletes to the world at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
Serving as the focal point for passionate Canadians and visitors to the country alike, the Pavilion will celebrate Canada, and what our country offers to youth. Centrally located at LiveCity in downtown Vancouver, the Canada Pavilion will promote the nation to the world.
“Hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Games is an incredible opportunity to put Canada on a global platform,” said Roger Jackson, chief executive officer, Own the Podium. “We look forward to working with our largest funding partner, the Government of Canada, to showcase achievement in sport, and the success of the Own the Podium program, which has helped to brand Canada as a country committed to excellence.”
Providing visitors with a truly Canadian experience, the Canada Pavilion will be an important avenue for sharing Canadian culture with visitors to our country. Open from February 12 to March 21, 2010, the Pavilion will offer visitors innovated and creative displays, including high-performance sport, that feature who we are as a country.
Own the Podium
Own the Podium is a national sport technical program originally designed to help Canada’s winter athletes win the most number of medals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and to place in the top-three nations in the gold-medal count at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. In 2006 the program was extended to support the nation’s targeted summer-sport organizations. The goal is for a top-12 placing at the 2012 Olympic Games, and to place in the top-eight nations at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
The primary leaders and funding parties of Own the Podium under its new naming strategy are the Government of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). The Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) along with certain of its corporate partners and all of Canada’s provincial and territorial governments are major supporters of the winter program. The government of British Columbia has also contributed to the summer sports program.
For a full summary of Own the Podium initiatives and programs including breakdown of support and services by sport, please visit us at www.ownthepodium2010.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan Claire Buffone-Blair
Own the Podium Own the Podium
T: 281-703-4394 T: 403-202-6310
World performance technology expert Barney Wainwright joins own the podium as performance technology advisor
August 31, 2009
OTTAWA, August 31, 2009 – Own the Podium (OTP) announced Monday that performance technology expert Barney Wainwright has been hired to fill the post of performance technology advisor. Wainwright will begin his duties on September 1st, 2009.
In his new role Wainwright will be responsible for providing mentoring support to Canada's targeted summer sports as part of their preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games. Wainwright will also assist in the development and implementation of national training programs focusing on building capacity among Canada's summer and winter national sport organizations (NSOs) and Canadian Sport Centres (CSCs) in the areas of applied performance technology and advanced video systems.
Wainwright brings more than 12 years of performance driven sport science and technology experience to the Canadian sport system. Prior to coming to Canada, Wainwright was the research and innovation manager for the British Canoe Union Olympic Programmes based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. Throughout his career in the UK, Wainwright utilized Dartfish technology and created hardware solutions to meet specific needs in the field, and specialized in helping coaches and athletes identify the key factors that underpin performance. As a Team Great Britain support staff member (canoe – slalom) for two consecutive Olympic Games (2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing) Wainwright provided high level support to athletes and coaches resulting in two silver medals and one bronze.
"Wainwright 's proven track record of successfully merging scientific theory and methodology with applied technologies in order to maximize and sustain athletic performance will be a tremendous asset to Canada's Olympic and Paralympic teams," said Alex Baumann, chief technical officer, Own The Podium.
"Fractions of a second make the difference between podium performances and fourth-place finishes, thus it is vital that our coaches and support staff utilize the latest technologies in training and competition to continue moving ahead," said Wainwright. "With 164 days before the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and under three years before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games, these innovative training techniques will be key in helping Canada's athletes and coaches achieve podium success."
Own the Podium
Own the Podium is a national sport technical program originally designed to help Canada’s winter athletes win the most number of medals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and to place in the top-three nations in the gold-medal count at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. In 2006 the program was extended to support the nation’s targeted summer-sport organizations. The goal is for a top-12 placing at the 2012 Olympic Games, and to place in the top-eight nations at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
The primary leaders and funding parties of Own the Podium under its new naming strategy are the Government of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). The Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) along with certain of its corporate partners and all of Canada’s provincial and territorial governments are major supporters of the winter program. The government of British Columbia has also contributed to the summer program.
For a full summary of Own the Podium initiatives and programs including breakdown of support and services by sport, please visit us at www.ownthepodium2010.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan Claire Buffone-Blair
Own the Podium Own the Podium
T: 281-703-4394 T: 403-202-6310
OWN THE PODIUM NAMES ANNE MERKLINGER AS NEW DIRECTOR OF SUMMER SPORT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 20, 2009
OWN THE PODIUM NAMES ANNE MERKLINGER AS NEW
DIRECTOR OF SUMMER SPORT
—Merklinger joins united senior management team focused on delivering more medals for Canada—
CALGARY—Anne Merklinger, whose impressive career in high-performance sport spans more than four decades as an athlete and leader, has been named director of summer sport for Own the Podium, the world-leading program focused on helping Canadian athletes win more Olympic and Paralympic medals, announced on Thursday.
Merklinger brings 20 years of management experience with national sport organizations including CanoeKayak Canada, the Commission for Inclusion of Athletes with a Disability and the Canadian Federation of Sport Organizations for the Disabled to her new role. Merklinger is also on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Canada.
An athlete for most of her life, Merklinger was a member of Canada’s national swim team from 1977-81 where she earned a silver medal at the 1979 World University Games in the 200-metre breaststroke. Following her stint in the pool, Merklinger focused her athletic career on the curling rink where she consistently ranked as one of Canada’s most distinguished women’s curlers. A four-time winner of the Ontario Women’s Curling Championships, Merklinger led her team to two Scotties Tournament of Hearts finals.
“Anne is an extraordinary talent whose athletic background, business acumen and leadership skills bring immense value to our organization as Own the Podium continues to deliver the resources Canadian athletes need to excel against the world’s best,” said Alex Baumann, executive director (summer), Own the Podium. “Anne will officially start her new position on October 15th and will be counted on to play an integral role in developing the critical relationships required with Canada’s summer sport organizations and athletes to develop more podium performers.”
“CanoeKayak Canada is supportive of Anne’s move to Own the Podium,” said Peter Giles, commodore of CanadaKayak Canada. “Anne was director general of CanoeKayak Canada for fifteen years and led a transformation of our organization to one of the leading summer sport sports in Canada.” “We are thrilled to know that we’ll have Anne’s experience and leadership to continue to draw on in her new role at Own the Podium.”
In her new role, Merklinger will immerse herself in the summer high-performance culture while working closely with Own the Podium’s high-performance sport advisors, technical specialists along with the national sport governing bodies and Sport Canada. As director of summer sport, Merklinger will also bring funding recommendations to the senior management team, lead annual reviews, and develop new policies and programs designed to achieve excellence at the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.
In addition to welcoming Merklinger to Own the Podium, the organization also solidified its senior management team for the 2009-10 season.
Roger Jackson will continue to lead the world-unique initiative through to the end of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as chief executive officer. Jackson will be joined by Alex Baumann, who will assume the role of Chief Technical Officer in September. As chief technical officer, Alex will be responsible for the technical programming of OTP’s summer and winter programs. Claire Buffone-Blair, who has been working alongside Jackson since the program’s official launch in 2006, will continue her role as director of planning and operations. While Merklinger joins the team as director of summer sport, Own the Podium plans to name a director of winter sport in the spring of 2010.
Own the Podium
Own the Podium is a national sport technical program originally designed to help Canada’s winter athletes win the most number of medals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and to place in the top-three nations in the gold-medal count at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. In 2006 the program was extended to support the nation’s targeted summer-sport organizations. The goal is for a top-12 placing at the 2012 Olympic Games, and to place in the top-eight nations at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
The primary leaders and funding parties of Own the Podium under its new naming strategy are the Government of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). The Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) along with certain of its corporate partners and all of Canada’s provincial and territorial governments are major supporters of the winter program. The government of British Columbia has also contributed to the summer program.
For a full summary of Own the Podium initiatives and programs including breakdown of support and services by sport, please visit us at www.ownthepodium2010.com.
*****
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan Claire Buffone-Blair
Own the Podium Own the Podium
T: 281-703-4394 T: 403-202-6310
Canadian winter athletes make history topping 2009 World Championships’ overall medal count
Canadian winter athletes make history topping 2009 World Championships’ overall medal count
—Hard work still ahead for Canada in final countdown to Own the Podium in 2010—
CALGARY—Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic winter sport athletes showed the world they are on track towards reaching their goal of owning the podium in 2010. Canadian athletes made history during the 2008-09 season by finishing first overall in World Championship medal counts, Own the Podium and its partners announced on Tuesday.
Canadian athletes combined to win a total of 28 medals, including six gold, nine silver and 13 bronze, at Olympic winter sporting events, topping the perennial world-leading Germans and the United States who finished tied for second with 27 medals each. The Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships is still to be contested in Switzerland between April 24 and May 10, 2009.
Canada’s Paralympic athletes also served notice they are focused on finishing on top of the medal counts in 2010 after racking up 29 World Cup gold medals to secure the number one spot this year. Russia was second with 25 medals, while Germany was third with a total of 14. In World Championship rankings, Canada’s Paralympic athletes finished in second position behind Russia and ahead of Germany.
“This truly is a breakthrough season for Canada’s high-performance athletes, and the first time ever that Canada has finished ahead of the Germans in overall medals won at World Championship events,” said Roger Jackson, chief executive officer, Own the Podium. “These results demonstrate that Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes are now capable of delivering podium results at high-pressure events.”
Canada’s world-leading long-track speedskating team led the medal charge for the Canucks by making eight trips to the World Championship podium. The nation’s top freestyle skiers and short track speedskaters won four medals each, while Jasey-Jay Anderson won two of Canada’s three snowboard medals, and the figure skaters celebrated a breakthrough of their own by winning three medals on the ice. Canada’s alpine skiers and ski-cross athletes won two medals each. Men’s curling and women’s hockey rounded out the World Championship medal total with their two silver medal finishes this past weekend.
On the Paralympic side, the 2010 goal was for Canada to be in the top-three nations in total gold medals won at the Paralympic Winter Games, and Canada reached its goal for the second year in a row, thanks to a strong showing in para-alpine skiing and the performances by Brian and Robin McKeever in cross-country skiing. Canada’s para-alpine athletes dominated the world’s best with a total of 16 medals, while the maple leaf was raised above the podium six times at para-nordic world championship events in 2009. Wheelchair curling also contributed to the 23-medal total in Paralympic winter sports by winning its first-ever gold medal at the World Championships. The World Ice Sledge Hockey Championships are yet to be held, but Canada has won all of its international tournaments this year.
“While this benchmark shows us Canadian athletes are now in the game, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are the ultimate measuring stick. “This year we underperformed in some disciplines, and we have loads of work to do if we want to reach our ultimate goal of finishing number one in 2010,” said Jackson, who also noted Canada slipped from second to fourth in overall World Cup medal counts. “If we want to achieve the top, we need to continue to deliver the necessary funding and leadership required for Canadian athletes to have the opportunity to access all of the resources needed to be fully prepared to win.”
In the final 10 months leading towards the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Own the Podium, along with its government, corporate and sport partners, will sharpen its focus to supporting athletes targeted to win medals in 2010. Canadian winter sports and athletes are being asked to fully commit to rigorous training and to focus on podiums in their training and competition in the coming months as they prepare for the 2010 Games. They will be testing their new equipment developed from the Top Secret program, and will spend extensive time training at the Olympic venues in Vancouver and Whistler. Many teams will forgo certain World Cup races in order to better prepare for the 2010 events.
Canadians are also being asked to step up to help Canadian athletes prepare for the final journey to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Own the Podium’s partners have launched a national online fundraising campaign, encouraging all Canadians to donate $20.10, in an effort to raise a minimum of $5 million and increase the nation’s medal counts in Vancouver-Whistler. Individual donations of $20.10 can be made at www.olympicfoundation.ca on the Internet.
The Own the Podium program is almost fully funded, and the remaining $5 million raised through this national campaign, will cap off the $55 million in private matching funds to $55 million in federal funding. Donors will receive a tax receipt as well as an e-mail and thank you message from Nathalie Lambert, Olympian (short track speedskating) and Chef de Mission for the 2010 Canadian Olympic team and Blair McIntosh, Chef de Mission for the 2010 Canadian Paralympic team.
Own the Podium 2010
Own the Podium 2010 (OTP) is a winter sport technical program designed to help Canada become the number one nation (total medal count) at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and to place among the top three nations (gold medal count) at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. The initiative is a partnership of Canada’s 13 winter national sport organizations, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Sport Canada and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).
One-half of the $110 million in funding, which began in 2005, originates from the Government of Canada, through Sport Canada ($55 million). VANOC is raising the other half ($55 million) through corporate, provincial, territorial, and public support. Bell Canada is the founding corporate partner and the other corporate partners include General Motors of Canada, Hbc, McDonald’s Canada, Petro-Canada, RBC Financial Group and RONA. Provincial and Territories support are provided by the Governments of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon.
For a full summary of Own the Podium 2010 initiatives and programs including breakdown of support and services by sport, please visit us at www.ownthepodium2010.com on the Internet.
*****
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan Claire Buffone-Blair
Own the Podium Own the Podium
T: 281-703-4394 T: 403-202-6310
Canada concludes 2007-2008 winter season with its best ever World Cup results
Canada concludes 2007-2008 winter season with its best ever World Cup results
- Conversion of fourth and fifth place finishes will be key to Canada achieving its performance goals for 2010 -
Calgary, AB – Canadian winter athletes concluded the 2007-2008 winter World Cup season on Sunday winning a total of 184 World Cup medals in events that are part of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games sport program. An impressive 74 athletes reached the podium this season achieving a collective best ever result for Canada in World Cup competition. With 56 fourth place finishes and 57 fifth place finishes by Canadian winter athletes this season, conversion of these results to podium finishes will be critical to Canada reaching its goal of being the number one nation at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
In Paralympic sport, Canada is well positioned to reach its goal of being among the top three nations at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games after finishing first among winter Paralympic sport nations in this winter season’s World Cup competitions. A remarkable nine Para-nordic and Para-alpine athletes won an unprecedented 47 World Cup gold medals in events that are part of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games sport program.
“Canadian winter athletes are rising to the challenge as they continue to step up their performances on the world stage,” stated Roger Jackson, CEO, Own the Podium 2010. “Results this season have demonstrated that Canadian winter athletes and the national winter sport organizations are committed to achieving Canada’s performance goals for the 2010 Winter Games. They are working harder than ever to prepare for the intensity and pressure they will face in 2010, and we now need to focus on the key factors that will help them convert their fourth and fifth place finishes into podium results in 2010.”
In addition to ongoing projects such as OTP’s flagship Top Secret program and the increased emphasis on sport medicine, sport science and technology, OTP will be working in partnership with British Columbia based organizations to ensure that Canadian winter athletes have sufficient support while training and competing in the Vancouver Whistler area. This includes close collaboration with the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific to provide out of province Canadian winter athletes with local medical and science support and seamless access to local training facilities and services. OTP is also collaborating with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to help ensure that Canadian winter athletes have sufficient access to the 2010 Vancouver and Whistler Olympic and Paralympic venues.
“Together with Sport Canada, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium 2010 will continue to provide the necessary support to national winter sport organizations and Canadian winter athletes to help them achieve medal success in 2010,” added Jackson.
Among the contending nations for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Germany finished first for the winter season with 230 medals – resulting in an overall increase of 15 medals from its previous season. Canada finished in second with 184 medals – increasing its overall medal count from last season by 49. Austria surpassed the USA this season finishing third with 173 medals compared to the USA’s fourth place finish this season with 152 medals.
The 2007-2008 overall competitive winter season which includes World Championship events will conclude in May following World Championships in men’s and women’s hockey and curling, and ice sledge hockey.
Among the 74 athletes that achieved podium performances this winter season, the following emerged as overall World Cup Champions in their sport:
Kristina Groves (Ottawa, ON) Long Track Speed Skating - 1500m
Kimberly Joines (Edmonton, AB) Para-alpine - sitting skier category
Steve Omischl (Kelowna, BC) Freestyle skiing – aerials
Maëlle Ricker (Squamish, BC) Snowboard - boardercross
Chris Williamson (Markham, ON) Para-alpine – visually impaired AND
Nick Brush (Guide) (Panorama, BC) Para-alpine – visually impaired X
Lauren Woolstencroft (North Vancouver, BC) Para-alpine - standing skier
Jeremy Wotherspoon (Red Deer, AB) Long Track Speed Skating - 500m
World Cup results for the 2007-2008 season are available at ownthepodium2010.com/results. Please note that the results database on the website differs slightly due to the inclusion of non-Olympic disciplines of freestyle dual moguls and half pipe as well as the sprint skate cross country skiing results.
Own the Podium 2010 (OTP) is a winter sport technical initiative designed to help Canada become the number one nation at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (total medal count) and to place among the top three nations (gold medal count) at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. The initiative is a partnership of Canada’s 13 winter national sport organizations, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Sport Canada and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).
One-half of the $110 million in funding, which began in 2005, originates from the Government of Canada, through Sport Canada ($55 million). VANOC is raising the other half ($55 million) through corporate and provincial support. Bell Canada is the founding corporate partner and the other corporate partners include General Motors of Canada, Hbc, McDonald’s Canada, Petro-Canada, RBC Financial Group and RONA. The governments of British Columbia and Ontario are the first provinces to make a financial contribution to OTP.
For contact information:
Lisette Johnson Stapley, Communications Manager
Own the Podium 2010
Tel. 403.202-6314 * Mobile 403.589.3258
lisette.stapley@ownthepodium2010.com
Steven Hills
Canadian Sport Centre Pacific
Tel. 604.838.9492
Norma Reveler
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Tel. 613.569.4333 x. 227
Canadians want to Own the Podium at the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games, National Survey Indicates
A recent survey conducted courtesy of NRG Research Group revealed that almost 3 out of 4 Canadians (73%) approve of the Own the Podium 2010 goal to make Canada the top medal finisher at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and to place in the top 3 nations at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
In addition, 69% of Canadians say that it is important for Canada to be the top medal finisher at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
"These results are very significant in terms of demonstrating Canadian support for high performance sport," said Dr. Roger Jackson, CEO of Own the Podium 2010. "With Canada's strong showing at the recent Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Torino and the increased financial and technical support provided to winter sports, we are well on our way to achieving the goals of the Own the Podium 2010 initiative."
"It is wonderful to see so much support among Canadians for our athletes and for the Own the Podium initiative" said Michael Chong, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Minister for Sport. "Canada's new Government is proud to be working with the Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Own the Podium 2010 to support our athletes in achieving our goals at Vancouver."
"The performances of our athletes leading up to and in 2010 are a fundamental component to the overall success of staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2010," said John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. "Thanks to our government and corporate partners, who have shown an unprecedented commitment to amateur sport through their financial contributions to Own the Podium 2010, all Canadians will have reason to celebrate the success of our athletes, ensuring that the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver are truly Canada's Games."
The results of the survey also show that Canadians see important benefits to achieving a first-place medal performance at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The most cited benefits relate to international recognition for Canada and increasing Canadians' pride in their nation.
Canada's recent success in Torino is a strong indication of how technical and financial support to our high performance athletes is already paying off. Canadian medal count from previous Olympic and Paralympic Games also suggest that Canada is on track to Own the Podium in 2010.
Canadian medal count at Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games:
2006 Torino 24 Olympic medals 13 Paralympic medals
2002 Salt Lake 17 Olympic medals 15 Paralympic medals
1998 Nagano 15 Olympic medals 15 Paralympic medals
1994 Lillehammer 13 Olympic medals 8 Paralympic medals
"As the organization responsible for the Canadian Olympic team, it's encouraging to see that Canadians support our goal of being the top country at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver," said Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "With the additional technical support provided by the Own the Podium initiative and the support of all the winter sport partners, I am confident that Canadians across the country will have many reasons to cheer when our athletes take the stage in Vancouver and Whistler."
Brian MacPherson, COO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee said: "Canada's Paralympic Team is at work right now to make these OTP podium goals a reality. Staff and athletes across the country are planning, training and innovating to make these the best Paralympic Games in Canada's history and to make the Paralympic Games a Canadian sport staple!" ?
The research also indicated that:
* 24% of Canadians have heard of the Own the Podium 2010 initiative * Almost 1 out of every 2 Canadians are more likely to do business with companies that support Own the Podium 2010
The survey was carried out by NRG Research Group. A total of 1,213 randomly selected interviews were administered between May 18 to 29, 2006. The margin of error associated with the results is +/-2.8%, 19 times out of 20.
About Own the Podium 2010
Own the Podium 2010 (OTP) is a national coordinating body uniting government, corporate and sport partners towards an inspired, unprecedented achievement in international sport. Through OTP's leadership, Canadian athletes and coaches will receive technical support and the additional financial resources through dedicated "excellence funding" to make Canada the top medal finisher at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and place in the top three nations at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
Half of the $110 Million in funding for OTP originates from the Government of Canada through Sport Canada. The other half of the funding comes from the Province of British Columbia, Bell Canada as Founding Corporate Partner, General Motors of Canada, Hbc, McDonald's, Petro-Canada, RONA and RBC Financial Group. The Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and Vancouver 2010 also provide professional services and resources to OTP.
About NRG Research Group
NRG Research Group is one of Canada's premier and fastest growing market research and opinion polling companies. NRG provides both quantitative and qualitative research services through Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto and Halifax offices to clients throughout North America and worldwide. For more information visit our website at www.nrgresearchgroup.com. For further information please contact Claire Buffone-Blair, Director of Operations at 403.202.6310. ?For technical information about the survey results please contact NRG Research Group at 403.539.6204.