Brandon O'Neill (CP Photo)

Canada's O'Neill nabs gold in floor event
(WebPosted CBC Sports)

Brandon O'Neill of Edmonton delivered a gold-medal performance in the floor event Sunday at a World Cup gymnastics competition in Ghent, Belgium. O'Neill posted a 9.350 score for the gold, finishing ahead of Robert Gal of Hungary at 9.262 and Marian Dragulescu of Romania, the Olympic silver medallist and 2001 world champion, third at 9.262. The tie-breaking rule gave Gal the silver.

"This was a big step for Brandon in his career," said men's program national coach Edouard Iarov. "It was a great experience for future major international competitions and he got some strong recognition from the judges. Even though he was feeling tired today and wasn't at his best he still produced a winning performance."

The world championships are later this year and Canada can now potentially boast a strong 1-2 punch on men's floor with O'Neill and Olympic champion Kyle Shewfelt of Calgary. In the women's uneven bars, Elizabeth Tweddle of Britain was the victor at 9.600 followed by Laura Campos of Spain in second at 9.212 and Jana Sikulova of the Czech Republic third at 9.187. Gael Mackie of Omega Gymnastic Academy in Coquitlam, B.C., was fifth at 8.937.

Perdita Felicien (AP File Photo)

Felicien third at Drake Relays.
(WebPosted CBC Sports)

Gaining confidence is a top priority for Canadian hurdler Perdita Felicien. It was hardly shaken on Saturday in Iowa, where the Pickering, Ont., native placed third in the women's invitational 100-metre event at the Drake Relays. Canada's Perdita Felicien finished third in women's hurdles at the Drake Relays on Saturday.

Felicien, a two-time defending champion in the event, crossed the finish line in 13.46 seconds after hitting a hurdle following a slow start. Lolo Jones, a former Des Moines high school star, won the race in a meet-record 12.93, followed by Kasia Williams of Arkansas.

"It was pretty much a sloppy race," said Felicien, still recovering physically and mentally from a devastating fall during the Athens Olympics last August. "Just from the start I was out of it, I felt. When you're down like that, it's so hard to get your form and rhythm back. "Confidence for me right now is a work in progress. It's something that's going to come along, I don't think it's going to happen in one race."

Felicien didn't begin training until mid-December after suffering a deep bruise in her heel at the Summer Games. Two weeks ago, the 24-year-old won the 100 m hurdles at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., clocking the fastest time in the world this year at 12.73 seconds. It was Felicien's first outdoor race since Athens.

A five-time winner at the Drake Relays, she was named the meet's most outstanding female athlete from 2001 to 2003. Felicien is gearing up for the world track and field championships this summer in Helsinki, where she will defend her title. "My friends say 'This is payback year,' and I guess it is," Felicien told reporters this week. "Going into Helsinki is going to be extremely personal. I have to come back and show myself what I'm made of."

Felicien is one of 166 Canadians participating at the Drake Relays. Kevin Sullivan of Brantford, Ont., took silver in the invitational mile. Sullivan's time of 4:03.41 was second only to Kenya's Ben Kipkurui (4:01.84). American Luke Watson was third (4:03.76).

with files from Canadian Press and Associated Press

Chantal Petitclerc kicks off 2005 season in grand style with win at Defi Sportif.
(Canadian Sport News)

MONTREAL-Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal kicked-off her 2005 season in grand style Sunday successfully defending her title in the women’s 10 kilometre wheelchair race which concluded the Defi Sportif, a five-day multi sport festival for athletes with a disability.

“I’m a little surprised it went so well,” said Petitclerc. “It’s been a hectic off season for me with so many demands on my time. My training has consequently suffered. But my race plan was keep pace early and to see how I felt. And I felt very good.”

Petitclerc had a dream season in 2004 capped by five gold medals and three world records at the Paralympic Games. She also won the women’s 800 metre demonstration wheelchair race at the Olympics. She was named Canada’s female athlete of the year for 2004 at the Canadian Sport Awards last month.

In the men’s paraplegic race, Michel Filteau of Montreal was the winner for the second straight year. “This is my specialty event so I had an advantage on the others,” said Filteau. “What I’m most pleased about in this race are my splits which were pretty even for all four laps. That helped me keep a comfortable lead.”

In the men’s quadriplegic race, veteran Dean Bergeron of Quebec City tested some new equipment and emerged the winner. “This was my first race with a new chair and I’m pretty pleased with the result,” said Bergeron. “The differences are pretty technical but its all part of a new training program I’m trying this year which is allowing me to have a better top speed. I’ve really decided to take new approach after last year’s Paralympics.”

The race is also part of a four-race series which will also include another race in Montreal, one in Ste-Therese, Que., and another in Quebec City over the next two months.

Dale Henwood

The Big Picture with Dale Henwood: Targeted Support

Internationally Canada is known for good all round sport programming. It appears we are good at everything but not good enough at any thing. We are great at planning but not very good at implementing the plans. We have a clear plan for getting everything that does not get results.

In the world of high performance sport, we need to sharpen our focus and elevate our commitment to excellence or we will continue our downward slide. We need to reallocate our resources and ensure they are deployed in the priority areas. At the governmental level, we have declared targets and implementation strategies for social policy objectives but no such declaration has been made regarding the achievement of high performance results in the international sports arena.

The Olympics have come to represent the epitome of sport. They are hugely important to Canadians. Canadians care about our athletes and their performances. In the same way the profit and loss statement is the best indicator of business success, the Olympic medal count is the ultimate measure of the health of a nation’s sport system. It is the most accurate benchmark of our high performance system’s capacity to produce top level athletes and a clear reflection of the sport system that services millions of Canadians. With a focus on results, we need to be tough on performance and tender on people.

Building a winning system is not about chasing after medals. To create a system that produces consistent results requires a long term development process, from talent identification to junior development to senior preparation. We can’t afford to do that for everyone, so, yes, we should target certain sports or events. If we are completely realistic, even the Own The Podium program will need to target its resources in selected winter sports so we can secure the highest number of medals in 2010.

Canada needs to be smart and strategic in its investment if we want to see our athletes consistently on the international podiums. We need to invest in those sports that are important to Canadians and that provide the opportunity for excellence at all levels.

Targeting our limited resources will help place Canada consistently in the first quartile in a race that has no finish.

Catching the Olympic Spirit.
(The Toronto Star)

Olympic Spirit Toronto is a 52,000-square-foot complex that lets families experience the Olympics, without having to travel to Athens or Torino. "[The IOC] wanted to bring the Olympics to people on a day-to-day basis, and not just two weeks out of every two years," says Kris Burley, manager of marketing programs and past gymnastics Olympian. "The whole concept of this venue is to bring the Olympics to people in a fun interactive way." Kris then showed me the Olympic pole vault record and the high jump record heights, which were amazing.

There are four floors of exciting exhibits, and a fifth floor with a restaurant called The Podium. Luc Bradet, a three-time figure skating pairs Canadian champion, was walking with me on a tour of the "Experience." The whole experience takes about 2 and a half hours. When you enter Olympic Spirit, you should pick up a card, where you can record the scores you receive on different activities.

We head down to the basement floor and watch a spectacular 12-minute movie, The Calling. The film features everything from athletes carrying the torch, to the torch lighting and footage of several track races. It was very well done, and it greatly shows how it would feel to go to the Olympic Games as an athlete. "It's very incredible [to go to the Olympics]. You meet all these famous athletes, and I even had lunch with Wayne Gretzky," Luc says.

The fourth floor is called the Summer Floor. Staff members, dressed in red, direct you to all the different exhibits. As you enter, you will see a theatre room and the long jump simulator. In the theatre, a movie is narrated by Silken Laumann, and is about strength and power and endurance athletes.

At the long jump simulator, a "glider" helps you try to match Bob Beamon's 1968 Summer Olympics' record of 8.9 metres. "The guy was up in the air for about six seconds," Luc states. Next we move on to the quiz centre. This is where you can test your Olympic trivia skills!

The Sprint Challenge is where you can run in a realistic 10-metre race with Mark McCoy on a TV screen guiding you. After you cross the finish line, you can see your time compared to his up on the screen. You can hop onto the gymnastics equipment and try the parallel bars.

Next up is the "Training Center," where you test yourself in rowing and cycling. You can go head-to-head with a friend in rowing, and then try to beat the computer in cycling. "It's hard, eh," Luc says as I hop off the stationary bike, barely halfway through the race. I walk over to the weight-lifting station, where you can take a picture and look like a weightlifter.

Time to go to the third floor. As you enter, you will see the biathlon simulator. Hop onto the cross-country machine for a minute, and then shoot the virtual targets with the rifle. Then you can play a game of curling, complete with rocks and sweepers.

Next we move onto the hockey challenge, much like the one at the Hockey Hall of Fame, where you shoot pucks at a wall that has a projection of a goalie.
Another section is the skiing and snowboarding displays. You can touch snowboards and skis and learn the history of them. There is also a ski jump simulator, where you lie down and view a jump.

Back down on the first floor is the final exhibit, the Bobsleigh "Adrenaline Run" simulator, a fun and exhilarating bobsled ride. It is much like the one at the Ontario Science Centre, except air and mist is blowing toward you, and it is a much bumpier ride.

Olympic Spirit is on Dundas St. near Yonge. Go to www.olympicspirit.ca for more info.

Vancouver 2010 TM/MC Official merchandise scheduled to be available this summer.
(VANOC Release)

-Olympic brand education efforts increase as VANOC unveils new emblem-

Vancouver -- With the launch of IlanaaqTM/MC - the Official Emblem of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games - VANOC is pleased to announce that the first stage of its official merchandise program is scheduled to begin this summer with Hbc, VANOC's official department store and merchandise retail partner.

Select Hbc stores across Canada will begin carrying Vancouver 2010TM/MC official merchandise starting in June 2005. Olympic Games - themed shops will be located in all Hbc stores across Canada beginning this winter.

In addition, there will be a separate Vancouver 2010 licensing program to supply retail outlets such as souvenir, gift and specialty stores throughout Canada. Retailers approved by VANOC will have official Vancouver 2010 merchandise available starting in January 2006.

VANOC is continuing to take measures to ensure the public is aware about authorized uses of the new emblem and the Olympic brand. VANOC has added important new Olympic brand protection information on its website, including an Olympic Brand Infringement Report Form (www.vancouver2010.com/Emblem/protection.html). The anonymous form and new website content are part of VANOC's increased activities to ensure that consumers, manufacturers, retailers and distributors are aware of the value of the new emblem and the Olympic brand.

"For the benefit of all Canadians, VANOC must ensure that our new 2010 emblem and the Olympic brand are protected as part of our efforts to stage well-organized and financially successful Winter Games," said Dave Cobb, VANOC's senior vice president of revenue, marketing and communications in a letter sent earlier this month to the Canadian manufacturing and retail community.

"We know that Canadians want to show their enthusiasm and support for the 2010 Winter Games and our athletes," added Cobb. "Purchasing official merchandise contributes to the financial success of the Games and helps provide our athletes with the resources they need to reach the podium in 2010."

While business and consumer education and development of a licensing program are VANOC's first priorities, the Organizing Committee will continue to take all necessary steps - including legal measures - to ensure the Vancouver 2010 emblem and Olympic brand are used with appropriate authorization

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.

TORINO 2006: TOROC Lays Out Transport Plans For Games-Time.
(IOC NEWS)

The Organising Committee for the XX Olympic Winter Games – Torino 2006 (TOROC) has announced its proposed plans for transportation in the city of Turin and the Olympic mountains during Games-time. With over a million people, including athletes, technicians, volunteers, the media and spectators expected to be travelling between Olympic sites during the Games, the TOROC Transportation Department is creating a transport plan that will rely as much as possible on public transport in order to limit traffic and to avoid creating problems for local residents, who live and work in the Olympic areas.

Limit on private cars
During the Games, the use of private vehicles will be limited in the mountain areas. Residents, workers, owners of second homes and Olympic Games personnel will receive special permits and authorisations to access the area. These authorisations will be agreed upon between TOROC and local authorities and citizens. For other visitors to the region, trains, buses and Park & Ride hubs will be at the centre of the plan to help people move around the Olympic venues.

Olympic Family and spectators
The Olympic Family - athletes, Olympic clients and the media - is expected to be serviced by shuttle bus services and dedicated parking areas near the venues in the mountains. For spectators, there will be Park & Ride facilities in Pragelato, Usseaux and Oulx. They will then be able to take advantage of the Dorsale Olimpica Montana, a shuttle bus service, which will take them directly to and between the competition sites in the mountains. This should be a free service, operating from 31 January to 27 February 2006, 24 hours a day, with buses departing frequently to and from the sites.

The rail solution
People wishing to travel to the mountains by train should be able to take advantage of the reinforced schedule on the main routes from Turin to the mountains, namely the Turin-Pinerolo and the Turin-Oulx-Bardonecchia-Modane lines. These services are expected to connect to shuttle bus services allowing spectators to directly access the venues.
The city
Within the city of Turin itself, the regular bus and tram lines will be reinforced to transport spectators to the Olympic Lingotto area, and vehicle exchange parking areas will be set-up along the Turin "Tangenziale" ring road. This should allow spectators to access the city venues more easily.

Torino 2006
The Olympic Winter Games will be held in Turin from 10 to 26 February 2006. The Winter Games comprise seven different sports and 15 different disciplines, which will be played out in eight different competition sites. Around 2,500 athletes, 650 judges and umpires and 1.5 million spectators are expected to participate in this 20th edition of the Winter Games.

Funding for athletes should be guaranteed.
(The Toronto Star - Dave Perkins)
Source: Toronto Star

When the federal election is called, sooner or later depending on how big for his 19-seat britches Jack Layton is getting, all bets again will be off for elite amateur athletes in this country.

They shouldn't be, obviously. In less than five years, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics will have come and gone. If Canada is to avoid yet another home-Games embarrassment - after we were shut out of gold in both Montreal and Calgary - it is imperative that the feds, whomever they may be, lock in their financial support for our best amateur athletes. These kids are dreadfully underfunded as it is, compared to the rest of the wealthy world, yet Ottawa's increased support for both Sport Canada and the dreamy 2010 Own The Podium program remains dependent on the current federal budget surviving. If it doesn't and the election is forced, Sisyphus will be back at the bottom of the funding hill.

The Conservatives clearly are more sport-oriented than the Liberals. Plus, with British Columbia a potentially decisive election hot spot, and the Games going there, the Tories aren't likely to advocate stiffing athletes who will represent the home folks fewer than 1,800 days from now.

Regardless of the outcome of the next election, the time lost in breaking in yet another sports minister - the position is always extremely temporary, another problem - could be fatal to a program that, while ambitious, may be too late already. The Canadian Olympic Committee is pushing this Own The Podium plan and it's a good initiative, but the money could dry up while we go through the election dance again.

With Ottawa on the hook for half of the $110 million cost, any delay could be extremely damaging. The big medal-winning countries, which often spend 10 times more on amateur sport than Canada does, already are eyeing those 2010 medals.

Strange how our politicians always have millions available to build stadiums for professional sports owners, already rich men, but make funding for our Olympians a discretionary matter.

Paul Henderson, the former IOC member who has been rattling these cages for years, long ago suggested Ottawa give back the national Olympic lottery, which was initially set up to pay for the 1976 Montreal Games. (Joe Clark gave that away to the provinces when he was prime minister). Henderson said it's time to give it back to the athletes, along with the federal Olympic coin and stamp programs. He makes good points; a steady, reliable source of income would prove far more beneficial in the long run than the whims and windblown promises of governments that won't last past the next non-confidence vote.

OLYMPIC SPIRIT KUDOS Speaking of things Olympian (and this should have been done long ago) that Olympic Spirit Toronto at Yonge and Dundas has been honoured with a Tourism Ontario award for innovation. As well it should have. This is a very good place to take the kids and spend the day. Educational without being boring and lots of hands-on stuff. It should become a premier attraction in our city.