Ilanaaq

VANCOUVER 2010: VANOC Unveils New Olympic Winter Games Emblem.

IOC NEWS
24 April 2005

The Organising Committee for the XXI Olympic Winter Games – Vancouver 2010 (VANOC) has unveiled its new emblem, which will be the cornerstone of its visual identity for the next five years. The emblem was presented during an hour-long television spectacular that was broadcast nationwide in Canada and featured both the IOC President, Jacques Rogge, and Coordination Commission Chairman René Fasel. The emblem is a contemporary graphic representation of an Inukshuk and is called “Ilanaaq”.

Ilanaaq the Inukshuk
Inukshuks were created for centuries by the peoples of the Canadian north to act as guideposts across the vast terrains of snow and ice. The Inukshuks were rocks that were stacked in such a way as to create human forms. They were of different sizes and each stone in the form was necessary to support the others. Their creators used them in many different ways, such as to indicate directions to shelter, for hunting and to locate fishing areas. The word Ilanaaq is the Inuit word for friend and this represents the friendly spirit and soul of Canada.

Welcome the world
IOC President Rogge said in an address during the unveiling that when he learned that the emblem would be an Inukshuk, a stone figure that guides people on their travels, that he knew it would be an “ideal emblem to welcome the people of the world to Canada for the Olympic Winter Games of Vancouver 2010”. This was a sentiment echoed by John Furlong, the CEO of Vancouver 2010 who said, “Ilanaaq above all is a team player. As VANOC relies on partnerships and a shared vision to deliver the Games, so does our emblem. Each stone relies on the other to support the whole. Together, the result is a symbol of strength, vision and teamwork that points us all in the direction of excellence and it will welcome the world to Canada in 2010.”

The emblem
The emblem was created by Vancouver-based Rivera Design Group and was selected by an international jury from more than 1,600 entries that were submitted through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Emblem Design Competition. The emblem contains five stone-like formations in colours that reflect the natural features of Vancouver-Whistler and Canada in general. The green and blues represent the coastal forests, mountain ranges and islands, while the red represents Canada’s maple leaf, and the gold the sunrises that paint the Vancouver skyline and snow-capped mountain peaks.

Previous Games emblems
The emblem from the Athens Games was a wreath from an olive tree branch or kotinos, as it is known in Greece, which was the official award of Olympic Champions at the ancient Olympic Games. The olive is also the sacred tree of Athens, and the colours of the emblem symbolised the shades of white and blue found in the Greek countryside. In Salt Lake City 2002, the emblem was a stylised snow crystal with bright yellow, orange and blue colouring. The colours represented the colours that can be found in the Utah landscape. The theme of this emblem was contrast, culture and courage.

CANADA TAKES SILVER AT THE 2005 IIHF WORLD UNDER-18 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP.

PLZEN, CZECH REPUBLIC – Canada captures a silver medal at the 2005 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship after a 5-1 loss to the USA in the gold medal game today in Plzen, Czech Republic.

Canada trailed throughout the game as Team USA's Phillip Kessel led the way with 2 goals and 2 assists to help the Americans repeat as Under-18 World Champions.

Canada's lone goal came in the first period as Devin Setoguchi (Taber, AB) set up Ryan O'Marra (Mississauga, ON) on the doorstep for a first period power play goal. American goalie Jeff Frazee made 48 saves on the 49 shots Canada threw at him, and was named the USA player of the game.

Carey Price (Williams Lake, BC) made 28 saves in earning a silver medal for Team Canada.

Canadian forward Colton Yellowhorn suffered a bruised neck and is back with his teammates after he was taken hard into the boards from behind late in the game. Colton will travel back with Team Canada on Monday.

Canada’s top three players as chosen by the team were forwards Dan Bertram (Calgary, AB), Tomas Pyatt (Thunder Bay, ON), and defenseman Kristopher Letang (Montreal, QC). Letang was also picked to the Championship All-Star Team as selected by the media.

DIRECTORATE AWARDS

Top Goalie – Ondrej Pavelec (CZE)

Top Defenseman – LUC BOURDON (Shippagan, NB) (CAN)

Top Forward – Phillip Kessel (USA)

Team Canada will travel back to North America on Monday, April 25. For complete flight itineraries, please go to Hockey Canada’s official site at www.hockeycanada.ca.

Calgarian wins medal for Canada at world junior snowboard event.
(CBC Sports)

Calgary's Kory Wright managed Canada's lone medal at the 2005 FIS junior world snowboard championships, collecting bronze in the half-pipe event. Calynn Irwin of Toronto finished fifth in the women's event, but she had to be airlifted off the mountain after falling from the ski-lift.

Janne Korpi of Finland won the men's half-pipe with a score of 44.7 points, while American Louie Vito was second with 42.2. Wright was third at 41.7 points, while Jeff Batchelor of Oakville, Ont., finished fourth.

In the women's event, Sophie Rodriguez (42.5) of France scored 42.5 to take the gold, American Clair Bidez won the silver with 39.1, with the bronze going to Sina Candrian of Switzerland (38.3). The 16-year-old Irwin scored 35.4 points. "I was already happy to make it to the final so a fifth place finish is just great," said Irwin. Later in the day, Irwin hit her head hard on the ground when she fell backward off the ski lift. She was diagnosed with a concussion.

with files from Canadian Press

Alex Despatie

Despatie drops tower event. Back injury restricts top Canadian diver to 'less violent' three-metre springboard.
(By JAMES CHRISTIE The Globe and Mail)

Another cloud appeared over the World Aquatics Championships yesterday with the news that the event's major drawing card and spokesman, Alexandre Despatie, will not defend his 10-metre diving title because of a back injury. The 19-year-old from Laval, Que., will limit himself to the three-metre event, in which he won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Athens.

Organizers have been counting on strong local appeal of Montreal divers to spur stagnant ticket sales for the July 17 to 31 event. Only about 15 per cent of the target of 230,000 tickets have been sold.

Despatie was injured in January, when his feet slammed the platform on a dive at the Canadian championship final in Quebec City. He wound up hitting the water with a belly flop. Since then, his training has been hampered and he's decided to heed the advice of coach Michel Larouche and stick with the "less violent" impact off the three-metre springboard. "I can't continue 10-metre diving without feeling 100 per cent in shape," Despatie said in a statement. "If you're not fit and prepared, your risk of injury goes way up, so Michel and I decided it would be better for me to focus on the springboard.
"I have to think long term and not jeopardize my career.

"I'm hugely disappointed at not being able to defend my title in Montreal, with my family, my friends and the public to cheer me on, but I'm still in the running." He's also still trying to hype ticket sales. "I hope the spectators are numerous, not only for diving but the other disciplines," he said. "They'll see every event has something exciting about it."
Normand Legault, co-president of the five-sport world championships said this week he's ready to sell tickets at discounted prices. Early sales were almost non-existent because the International Swimming Federation (FINA) tried to pull the championships out of Montreal over a budget shortfall in sponsorships.
Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay persuaded FINA to restore the event after guaranteeing to cover any deficit.
Tremblay said he expects the championship to come in on budget.
Roughly half of the $9-million sought from sponsorships has been secured he said.

Diane Roy

Canadian wheelchair racer wins silver medal at Boston Marathon.

BOSTON- Diane Roy of Sherbrooke, Que., won the silver medal on Monday in the women’s wheelchair race at the Boston Marathon.

Cheri Blauwet of the U.S., repeated as champion clocking one hour and 47 minutes and 45 seconds. Roy took the silver with a personal best time on the Boston course while Sandra Graf of Switzerland was third.

Blauwet and Roy raced side-by-side until a major climb at the 30-kilometre mark at which point Blauwet started to breakaway. “Climbing has never been my strength and that’s where I lost the race,” said Roy, 34, a double bronze medallist at the Paralympic Games last year in her 12th season on the national team. “Still I’m very pleased with my showing. I’ve done this marathon every year since 1998 and this is the best I’ve ever managed a race. I usually fade over the last 10 kilometres but this time I maintained a good pace.”

In the men’s wheelchair race, Ernst van Dyk of South Africa took the title for a record fifth straight year, six minutes off his world record time set last year. His compatriot Krige Shabort was second and Franz Nietlispach of Switzerland, also a five-time winner including four consecutively, was third. Alan Bergman of Vancouver was fourthand Michel Filteau of Montreal fifth.

In the able-bodied race, defending champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya became the first woman to win a fourth Boston Marathon and Ethiopia's Hailu Negussie won the men's race to break the Kenyan stranglehold on the world's oldest annual marathon.

Jacqueline Gareau of Montreal, who was involved in one of the biggest controversies in the race’s 109-year history, served as grand marshal. In 1980, Gareau was runner up in the women’s race but it was later discovered Rosie Ruiz had entered the course near the finish line and pretended to be the winner.

On Monday, Gareau got out of the car in the Back Bay and ran to the finish line to break the tape, something she didn't do in her victory 25 years ago. She was given an olive wreath and the Canadian national anthem was played.

Jenn Heil (CP)

Freestyle Canada selects 2005-06 World Cup and Development teams.

The CFSA is pleased to announce that the following athletes have been selected to participate in the 2005/06 CFSA High Performance Program. Congratulations to all the athletes selected, and good luck this season. For current biographies on the World Cup team, visit www.freestyleski.com

2005 / 06 World Cup mogul team
Women
Jennifer Heil Spruce Grove , AB
Sylvia Kerfoot Whistler, BC
Elisa Kurylowicz Manotick , ON
Kristi Richards Summerland , BC
Audrey Robichaud Val Belair, QC
Stéphanie St-Pierre Victoriaville , QC

Men
Chris Wong Prince George , BC
Alexandre Bilodeau Rosemère , QC
Marc-André Moreau Chambly . QC
PA Rousseau Drummondville , QC J
im Schiman Cranbrook , BC
Warren Tanner Grimsby , ON
Jean François Therrien St Jerome , QC

2005/06 World Cup Aerial Team
Women
Veronika Bauer North York , ON
Deidra Dionne Red Deer , AB
Amber Peterson Thunder Bay , ON
Melissa Prefontaine Grande Prairie , AB

Men
Warren Shouldice Calgary , AB
Cord Spero Calgary , AB
Jeff Bean Ottawa , ON
Ryan Blais Grande Prairie, AB
Steve Omischl North Bay , ON
Kyle Nissen Calgary , AB

Canadian Gordie Croteau wins world water ski title.

WITBANK, South Africa-Gordie Croteau of Sudbury, Ont., became the first Canadian male to win a world title in barefoot water skiing Sunday with a victory in men’s tricks on Sunday at the 2005 World Barefoot Water Ski Championships held on the Olifants River near Pretoria. He also added a silver medal for a second place finish in the overall standings.

Croteau, 38, qualified third for the five-man tricks final in Saturday’s semifinals. In the final Sunday, the two skiers ranked ahead of Croteau, American Mike Salbers and Australian Cameron Smith both fell on their runs. Salbers took the silver and Smith was third. “I knew all I needed was to stand up a run to win a medal,” said Croteau, a four-time overall national champion. “But I did a very good run both ways to win it all. When those guys fell it certainly took a little stress off but I had to think of the overall title so I still wanted to perform at my best.”

The overall event was decided in jump, the last event of the day, and Croteau took fourth in the jump final. He was also fourth earlier Sunday in the slalom final. Smith took first overall with Salbers second. “I was in the overall lead heading into the jump final and the guy that won the overall did a personal best in jump,” said Croteau, a bronze medalist overall two years ago. “I did what I could but came up short.”

Croteau learned to water ski in Sudbury where he grew up. For the past 12 years he has lived in Arizona where he works in auto parts. He decided to head south after helping his parents move there upon their retirement and decided he liked the area. He currently lives and trains at Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Dwayne Rowlands of Calgary was eliminated in the men’s semifinals in jump for ninth while Larry Covre of Port Robinson, Ont, was 13th. Covre and Rowlands were 14th and 16th in slalom. Cathy Tuleck of Edmonton reached the semis in both women’s tricks for seventh and slalom for sixth.

In senior team competition (men and women combined), Australia was first the U.S., second, New Zealand third and Canada fourth.

In junior competition, Robbie Paterson of North Vancouver, B.C., reached the semis in men’s slalom for 13th with George Weekes of Toronto 14th while Weekes reached the semis in tricks for 11th and Paterson was 15th.

Beijing Games shaping up nicely.
(Toronto Sun)

No rickshaws. No power scooters.
English speaking cab drivers.
But still lots of pollution.

This unexpected scenario greeted the Mission Staff of the Canadian Olympic Committee on its recent trip to Beijing, the Chinese capital that will play host to the 2008 Summer Olympics. "Not all cab drivers spoke English yet, but by 2008 they all will have to have a command of the English language in order to be on the road during the Olympic Games," said Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "However, pollution is really bad. We couldn't see further than half a mile or a mile.

"That, too, will change for the Olympics as they are planning to close down factories for the duration of the Games and plant even more trees than they already have. We were really surprised by the growth of the city. It is now a contemporary, modern, sophisticated western city."

The Canadian delegation visited Beijing for several reasons, including the establishment of relations with the host nation. The Canadians went to study the impact of the long distance travel to China, that country's economics, the harsh climactic conditions and mainly to focus on team preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games, an event which Beijing won over Toronto at the IOC Session in Moscow in 2001.

"During our visit we focused on six areas," Rudge said. "We met with the Canadian embassy staff, who could tell us a lot about life in China. We also spent a lot of time with BOCOG (Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games) and got to know its staff.
"Moreover, we visited many venues, mapping and timing the trips from the Olympic Village to the different venues and training facilities. We also discussed the Canada-Chinese business service, including the hiring of an attache for the Canadian team. In general, we established a strong working relationship with the Chinese Olympic Committee."

Even though the 2008 Games are more than three years away, Rudge and his team are planning to take different Canadian coaches and athletes to Beijing from time to time in order to get used to the travel, the Olympic facilities and life in China. "What we arranged with the Chinese was not just a meaningless agreement," Rudge said. "We knew the negotiations would be tough, but we had a leverage by being good in winter sports. The COC is well aware that the Chinese are much stronger than Canada in summer sports, but we have the upper hand in winter sports.
SURPRISE

"The Chinese will surprise everybody in the 2008 Olympics. We visited training sites for six- to eight-year-old gymnasts and table tennis players. We were awed by their talent. They perform things our 12-year-olds are working on. At the table tennis centre they practised on 30 tables with no fewer than 1,000 balls."

The gymnastics setup and the table tennis centre were not the only venues that surprised Rudge and his team. They visited the Sport University of Beijing with its 6,000 students who study nothing else but sport-connected studies, such as high performance, psychology, health, sport management, media relations, science and coaching. It's the premier university in China.

Caroline Assalian, Canada's director of Games and High Performance, accompanied Rudge and his group to Beijing and was just as enthusiastic about the Beijing Games. "We are confident that the Chinese will organize a spectacular Games in terms of competition, venues, culture and supported by an engaging population," Assalian said. "For instance, at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta they had one Centennial Olympic Park. In Beijing they'll have 14. It was the first time that we visited an Olympic City so far in advance, but it was an important (learning) trip. We learned about their centralized leadership and, thanks to our bilateral agreement, we managed to get into the inner sanctum of Chinese sports."

Rudge may have been perhaps too optimistic when he said: "I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese finished 1-2-3 in several events. "They are really working at it." The Chinese may have borrowed a page from the book of the former East Germans, Soviets and Americans, something the COC Mission Staff and coaches may ascertain on their next Beijing visit this fall. They might also visit the Great Wall of China, which Rudge and his team didn't have time to do on the recent excursion.

World Masters Games Update

1) The latest issue of In The Games, our Athletes' Newsletter is now available. You'll find it on our website under News, and Newsletters, or you can click this direct link:
www.2005worldmasters.com/AthletesNews8

(2) Recently we sent a survey out with our last athletes' newsletter. The response we received was remarkable, and to those of you that took the time to respond - thank you. Your input is welcome and is helping us make some decisions.

Now we want to know whether you plan to purchase tickets for family members or friends. Click here to respond:

(3) The Edmonton 2005 World Masters Games is producing a high-quality, commemorative, souvenir book that will showcase athletes and the games to the rest of the world, and will contain pictures, editorials, and information about featured events, as well as a full athlete roster.

Click here for details on ordering your copy: