Resources
Click on the links below to gain background information and learn more about the current direction of Own the Podium, as we support Canadian athletes on their journey to the top of the Olympic and Paralympic podium! All downloads are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Click here to download this free software.
Podium Push - March 9, 2010
A Wonderful Performance By All
One thing for certain is that Canadians had an unprecedented experience during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.
That was so evident from the record-breaking television audiences, enthusiastic spectators at the Olympic venues, and the enormous congregation of cheerful and patriotic fans that lined the street and squares of Vancouver and Whistler. The media from all over the world seemed to agree.
So, we thank the VANOC staff and volunteers for staging these wonderful Games, including the sensational torch run.
Own the Podium is delighted by the accomplishments of our winter sports over the past five years that we have worked with them. Our mandate was to provide resources and opportunities to targeted sports to help them meet their performance goals at the Games. The Olympic Games was the ultimate test for their athletes as they were expected to perform under unusual home pressures. They performed magnificently – all of them- and we want to thank them and their coaches and support personnel for making Canadians so proud.
And they did perform. Twenty-six medals, 14 gold, seven 4th place finishes, 17 5th place finishes, and 72 top eight finishes, the most of any nation. What is different than ever before is that we had more gold (14) medals than silver and bronze combined (12), and we had the most top eight finishes of any country. We have shown the world that we have significant depth of field at both the top and depth right behind.
All this success would not have been possible without the creation of Own the Podium, and without our funding partners. Sport Canada provided 56% of funding, VANOC corporate and provincial and territorial partners 38%, the COC 5%, with the CPC provided about 1%. The Canadian public also contributed through donations and the purchase of those great red mittens. For this we thank you.
This was a very worthwhile project that did a lot of good for Canadian sport and for our great country and its citizens.
Thank you, all, from OTP and in particular, its winter team.
Own 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 Contributions
Own the Podium Facts
Games Times Media Contact
Backgrounder
Podium Push - November 2009
|
OTP Presented to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance |
|
Roger Jackson and Alex Baumann gave a well-received oral presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance in Ottawa in November. A written submission was presented initially to the Standing Committee in August, for an additional $22 million in funding for winter sports in an effort to offset the sun-setting of the Vancouver 2010, and other government revenues upon completion of those Games.
|
|
|
|
With just less than a month before Veronick Gagnon departs for maternity leave, Own the Podium is pleased to announce that Derek Hann has joined the OTP Team. Derek will replace Veronick while she is away, ensuring our administrative processes continue to function efficiently in Calgary. Derek comes to us with extensive administrative experience on the Alberta sport scene. |
|
|
|
Own the Podium staff members will hold a variety of roles leading up to and during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. OTP’s Nick Bass, Teresa Schlachter, and Steve Norris will be at the Games to collect information and data at various competition and training venues. The information we gather will assist with the post-Games OTP and NSO debrief process following the Games and will also help facilitate post-Games sharing of best practices with sports and OTP partners.
|
|
|
|
Two of Own the Podium’s employees will join CTV’s Olympic broadcast team in Vancouver-Whistler. Olympic silver medallist, Veronica Brenner, will serve as an analyst for men’s and women’s freestyle ski aerials and moguls events. Daniel Lefebvre, who is one of OTP’s high-performance advisors, will provide colour commentary for biathlon competitions at Whistler Olympic Park.
|
|
|
|
The Calgary and Ottawa offices will close December 24 at noon and will reopen on January 4, 2010. |
|
|
|
The Canadian Olympic Foundation has geared up for the final push to the podium and it is crucial that we have your support.
|
Podium Push - October 2009
|
Beyond 2010 Panel Reviews Canada’s High-Performance Sport System |
|
Own the Podium is delighted Minister Gary Lunn has initiated a review process of Canada’s high-performance sport system, and the role Own the Podium will play within it, as it helps define the future of sport in the country. Five roundtable sessions were held across Canada to obtain input from various parties within the sport community, and the panel is expected to provide the Minister with their report in November. Own the Podium hopes that the Minister acts quickly on the Panel’s report so that our sports, athletes and coaches can focus on the job at hand knowing the future has been addressed. Since Own the Podium was launched four years ago, the program has given sports, Canadian Sport Centres and others a start in where we need to go to create a truly effective and sustainable national high-performance sport system. |
|
|
|
This winter, keep warm and show your support of Canadian athletes in their quest for gold at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games by wearing a pair of Vancouver 2010 red mittens. Proceeds from the sale of the mittens, go to Own the Podium to support Canadian winter athletes. The knitted red mittens sport a white maple leaf stitched onto the palm, with the Olympic rings and Vancouver 2010 stitched on the back. Olympic fans will be able to purchase the mittens for $10 at the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitter stores across Canada, as well as Olympic stores in both the Vancouver International Airport and Whistler. Red mittens will also be available in a selection of communities scheduled as part of the torch relay. |
|
|
|
Now is your chance to send encouragement and support to our Canadian athletes! A travelling interactive exhibit will be coming to a shopping location near you! The exhibit will include an interactive electronic greeting card, which will allow Canadians to send best wishes to their favourite athletes, and will also provide an opportunity for Canadians to make a donation to Own the Podium. Please visit us at www.ownthepodium.org for updates about this exciting initiative. |
|
|
|
Canadians will soon have easier access to tracking the results of Canadian athletes around the world in a timely and effective manner. Through its partnership with the University of Calgary, Own the Podium has developed a results database designed to provide Own the Podium staff, Canadian Sport Centres, National Sport Organizations, media, sponsors and fans of athletes and teams ready access to Canadian winter results. Available at www.ownthepodium.org, this user-friendly database contains World Cup and World Championship data from two winter seasons and the last three Olympic Winter Games. |
|
|
|
Own the Podium has launched a new website at www.ownthepodium.org. In an effort to keep Canadians up-to-date on Canadian athletes’ quest to own the podium at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the new site will feature information on Own the Podium programs and announcements, NSO and CSC funding, as well as a new media section containing videos and a photo gallery. In addition, users will also be able to access the new Own the Podium results database to track athlete performances. |
|
|
|
Canadian Olympic Foundation Leads Drive to Support Canadian Athletes |
|
The Canadian Olympic Foundation is a national charitable organization that provides Canadians with the opportunity to support the success of high-performance athletes across all Olympic and Paralympic sports. The Foundation is part of the Olympic family, and works with all national sport organizations. The Foundation is focused on helping Canada’s winter and summer athletes have access to the funds necessary to reach their podium potential. For more information, and to learn more about how to donate to the Foundation, please visit them at www.olympicfoundation.ca. |
|
|
|
The annual review process with targeted summer national sport organizations is scheduled to take place between October 26 and November 26 in Ottawa. This review process represents year two of Own the Podium’s four-year planning model approach. While the goal of the first year of the planning model enabled sports to set broad strategic goals, targets and structures for their high-performance programs this second year will permit sports to address operational challenges by focusing on five key areas including: • review of progress against the sports’ high-performance plan, and any modifications required for 2010-11 onwards; |
|
|
|
Many of Canada’s top coaches, high-performance directors and sport administrators will share their leadership experiences and interpretations of personal success at the 2009 Own the Podium Leadership Conference. Organized by Own the Podium, the theme of this year’s event will be “Shifting the Mindset”, and is open to all Own the Podium targeted sports. The conference will feature a number of high-profiled guest speakers from a variety of sport-specific areas including: Larry Smith, president of the Montreal Alouettes, and former Canada Games Chairman; Dr. Charles Samuels, Centre for Sleep and Human Performance; Dr. Shona Halson, Australian Institute of Sport; and Dr. Igor Burdenko, Burdenko Institute. The one-day event will be held at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, November 12, 2009, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event will be followed by a Research Exposition and Social from 7:30-10 p.m. |
|
|
|
Own the Podium has been following the preparations for the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi, October 3-15, 2010. Dr. Jon Kolb, manager of sport science and medicine for Own the Podium, just returned from a one-year countdown site visitation to observe the state of venue readiness and asses all environmental factors which may challenge performance for Canadian athletes at these Games. While construction continues at a slow pace, the Organizing Committee of the Delhi Games insists all venues will be completed by early next spring in time for the test events to occur. Own the Podium is supporting the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada in their initiatives to raise the performance bar at the 2010 Commonwealth Games for OTP targeted sports. |
|
|
|
October 29- Gold Medal Plates – Calgary |
Podium Push - September 2009
Welcome to Podium Push On behalf of the entire team at Own the Podium, I am pleased to bring you the first edition of the Podium Push monthly newsletter. As Canada’s winter athletes enter this critical 2010 Olympic season, and the nation’s top summer athletes’ journey to 2012 now well underway, we are committed to keeping the sport community and corporate partners informed on progress made as we strive to Own the Podium. This monthly newsletter will be used to profile members of our team, update you on results of Canadian athletes around the world, highlight key events and dates on the sport calendar, and to communicate organization announcements. We hope our partners will recognize this effort to keep you fully informed on the positive advancements Own the Podium is making to ensure Canadian athletes have access to the tools and resources needed to win. I hope you enjoy Podium Push, and I look forward to your feedback.
Government of Canada Gives Canadian Athletes Boost Towards Podium The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport), announced last week the Government of Canada would be assisting its national funding partners by assuming payment of $11 million in funding for the Own the Podium (OTP) 2010 initiative, in support of the nation’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The announcement was made at a Canadian Olympic Committee event for OTP in Whistler, B.C.“This funding provided by the Government of Canada is an enormous help to athletes as they undertake their final preparations to win in 2010,” said Roger Jackson, chief executive officer, Own the Podium. “The generous financial support from the Government of Canada, along with Own the Podium’s other financial partners, has played a vital role in boosting Canadian athletes’ performance on the international stage to the highest level this country has ever achieved. I know Canada’s high-performance athletes thank the Canadian government for this funding, and we are so grateful for their continued support.” Merklinger and Wainwright join OTP Own the Podium added two key additions to its team of sport and technology experts.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. An athlete most of her life, Merklinger will immerse herself in the summer high-performance culture while working closely with Own the Podium’s sport advisors, technical specialists along with the national sport governing bodies and Sport Canada. As director of summer sports, 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, OTP also welcomed the addition of Barney Wainwright as its new performance technology advisor. 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. OTP Solidifies Senior Management Team for 2009-10 Season Own the Podium announced its senior management team that will play a critical role in helping Canadian summer and wintersport athletes achieve excellence during the 2009-10 season. Roger Jackson will continue to lead the world-unique initiative as chief executive officer. Jackson will be joined by double Olympic gold-medallist in swimming, Alex Baumann, who will assume the role of chief technical officer in September. Claire Buffone-Blair, who has been working alongside Jackson since the organization’s launch in 2005, will continue her role as director of planning and operations. While Anne Merklinger joins the team as director of summer sport. “This is dynamic team of individuals that bring tremendous experience in all facets of sport,” said Roger Jackson, chief executive officer, Own the Podium. “We streamlined our summer and winter sport operations earlier this year , and this unified group will work together and reinforce our commitment to provide all of Canada’s medal-potential athletes with access to the resources they need to be fully prepared to win.” BEYOND 2010 PANEL In July, Minister of State, Gary Lunn, announced he would be assembling an expert panel that will make recommendations to build on the positive momentum being achieved in Canadian sport today.Coined the “2010 and Beyond” panel, the diverse group of distinguished Canadian citizens are being tasked to analyze the progress of Own the Podium and other related high-performance initiatives and make recommendations on a leadership strategy for sport in the future.Own the Podium responded to this announcement, independent of its funding partners, in September by submitting its recommendations and view to the panel’s submission process. OTP Submission to the Parliamentary Committee on Finance In August, OTP submitted a financial request to the parliamentary committee on finance. In this submission, Own the Podium asked for $22-million in new funding that would allow the winter program to continue funding targeted winter sports and allow for strategic investments in junior athlete development and other high-performance sport program areas. This new funding is necessary to replace the $11-million in annual revenues from VANOC that will be lost following the 2010 Games as well as the $5 million in Government of Canada funding that is expected to sunset in 2010, and the contributions that the BC Government made in 2005 to support summer and winter high-performance sport.. Without this new funding, Own the Podium’s winter sport program revenues will decrease by over 55 per cent which would mean significant cuts to programs. NSO’S Gather for Winter Caucus Meeting Executives from each of Canada’s 14 winter sport organizations met on September 15 to identify any outstanding issues leading into the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, to discuss OTP’s role in intelligence gathering at the Games , while also looking briefly beyond 2010. A number of key presentations were made including Roger Jackson discussing OTP success over the last four years and the financial situation beyond 2010. Partner presentations were given by the Canadian Olympic Committee, Vancouver 2010, Sport Canada, and the Canadian Olympic Foundations Sport leaders were also presented information on the Canadian Sport Centre’s Billet program. OTP Begins Mid-Year Winter Sport Reviews Own the Podium is in the process of holding its regular mid-year review meetings with national sport organizations to discuss final strategies and identify any outstanding issues heading into the critical Olympic and Paralympic season. Three individual sport meetings took place in September and 10 more meetings are scheduled for October. OTP Funding Winter/Summer Own the Podium’s Board of Directors announced that for this final year of preparation for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, 260 of Canada’s high-performance winter athletes will benefit from the largest “excellence funding” budget ever, - $27.5-milion - which will be distributed amongst 14 national winter sport federations, two Canadian Sport Centres, and on OTP’s flagship Top Secret program. Six per cent of OTP’s budget is spent on program operations.“Own the Podium recognizes this final year of funding is of critical importance to ensure Canadian athletes are fully prepared to achieve excellence in 2010,” said Jackson. “Many factors are considered when allocating the necessary funds required by each of Canada’s sport organizations. Own the Podium has met with each sport and their technical staff. We have reviewed each sport’s program with our funding partners. And we believe the approved budget will give Canadian athletes the financial boost needed to reach their medal potential.”Own the Podium funding for Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic winter-sport has grown from nearly $19.2-million annually during the program’s inception in 2005-06 to a total of just over $27.5 million in its final year of funding in 2009-10. Own the Podium’s funding partners have contributed a total of nearly $117-million throughout the five-year program.Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic winter-sport athletes showed the world there is a direct correlation between increased funding and performance. Canadian athletes have celebrated a steady increase in number of medals won since 2005, and made history during the 2008-09 season by finishing first overall in the World Championship medal count. Canadian winter athletes combined to win a total of 29 medals at Olympic sport World Championship events. The nation’s top Paralympic athletes also racked up 29 World Cup gold medals to secure the number one spot last year, and finished second in the World Championship tally. Canada’s summer-sport athletes also capitalized on a $25-million budget to achieve their goals at the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. Canada won 18 medals to finish 14th in the Olympic medal count, and 19 medals at the Paralympic Summer Games in Beijing to place seventh. Key Dates on the Sport Radar September 24 - Beyond 2010 Panel Roundtable Discussions – Ottawa September 29 - Beyond 2010 Panel Roundtable Discussions – Montreal October 6 - Beyond 2010 Panel Roundtable Discussions – Calgary October 15 - Canadian Sport Centre Pacific: Guest application, Athlete/Coach Referral Deadline October 19-23 - Winter NSO Mid-Year Reviews October 23 - Gold Medal Plates – Vancouver October 29 - Gold Medal Plates – Calgary October 27 – Nov. 26 -Summer NSO Annual Meetings October 30 - Torch Relay Beings – Athens, Greece November 12 - OTP Conference November 12-13 - SPIN Conference November 13-15 - Coaching Association of Canada Petro-Canada Sport Leadership
OTP Newsletter Celebrating a Year of Excellence 2009
OTP Newsletter One Year Countdown 2009
OTP Newsletter Off-Season 2008
OTP Newsletter Post-Season 2008
OTP Newsletter Mid-Season 2008
OTP Newsletter Pre-Season 2007
OTP 07-08 Progress Report
OTP 06-07 Annual Review
OTP Fact Sheet
OTP Manifesto
