Noah Miller (CP Photo)

Canada wins Pocztowiek Cup men’s water polo tournament.
(Water Polo Canada)

LODZ, Poland- Canada’s national men’s water polo team won the gold medal Saturday at the Pocztowiek Cup with a 10-8 victory over Japan in a game which determined first place in the standings at the three-country double round robin tournament.

The Canadians trailed 3-1 after the first quarter and led 5-4 at the half. The Japanese regained a 7-6 after three quarters but couldn’t hold on. Nathaniel Miller of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., was named the tournament MVP.

The tournament was tune-up for the Canadians for World League play which starts on Thursday and ultimately the 2005 World Aquatic Championships July 17-31 in Montreal.

“We’ve been training very hard throughout the tournament spending more than five hours a day in the water along with some weight training,” said team captain Noah Miller of Regina. “We wanted to play tired and keep our concentration on the task at hand. So it’s been pretty intense. We’re at a point now where we want to take steps forwards without taking any backwards.”

The Canadians make their World League debut on Thursday June 16 in Portugalete, Spain against the host country. Canada and Spain are in Group A with Hungary, Russia and Greece- first, third and fourth at last year’s Olympics- as well as Australia and China. Canada faces Hungary on Friday June 17, Russia on June 18 and Greece on June 19.

“These are the teams we have to play to get better,” said Noah Miller. “We’ve put an emphasis on our defensive game over the last few weeks and we are now going to face some big tests.”

Canada didn’t qualify for the Olympics and was 14th at the last world championships in 2003.

The second round of the World League is June 24-26 in Hungary and the semifinals are July 6-10 in Toronto. Canada has an automatic bye in the semis as hosts. The World League final follows the world championships August 11-14 in Serbia and Montenegro.

The Canadian roster for this European tour is comprised of Daniel Stein, Iain Lark, Thomas Marks, Kevin Mitchell, Clem Hui and Brandon Jung, all of Vancouver, Noah Miller, Robin Randall and Kevin Graham, of Regina, Nic Youngblud of Hamilton, Vladimir Cosic of Calgary, Aaron Feltham of Kitchener, Ont., Nathaniel Miller of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., Jean Sayegh of Ste-Foy, Que., and Alexandre Thibeault of Montreal.

Marie-Helene Premont

Premont, Kabush claim national mountain bike titles.
(CBC Sports)

Marie-Helene Premont and Geoff Kabush won the women's and men's titles respectively at the Canadian mountain bike championships in Mont-Ste-Anne, Que., on Sunday.

Premont of Chateau Richer, Que., who won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, raced alongside North Vancouver's Alison Sydor for most of Sunday's race before surging ahead in the final lap to claim her third national crown. Sydor placed second and Kiara Bisaro of Courtney, B.C., finished third.

"Alison was really strong today, I knew she wanted that title as much as me," said Premont, who was third last week at a World Cup race in Germany. "But, I knew that just like last week in [Germany], I would be stronger in the last lap. I had a good crowd, all my family was cheering me on, which always makes a difference."

Kabush and two-time world champion Roland Green, both of Victoria, distanced themselves from the other riders early on in the men's event. Kabush broke away from Green in the closing lap to win by 59 seconds.

Defending champion Ricky Federau of Abbotsford, B.C., finished third. Premont and Kabush are now guaranteed spots on the Canadian team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Karen Cockburn (CP)

Cockburn and MacLennan win gold for Canada at trampoline World Cup.
(Canadian Sport News)

LEVALLOIS, France- Two-time Olympic medallist Karen Cockburn and Canadian champion Rosannagh MacLennan, both of Toronto, won the gold medal Saturday in the synchronized trampoline event to conclude the second stop on the trampoline and tumbling World Cup circuit. Cockburn also added a bronze medal in the individual trampoline.

It was the first competition for Cockburn and MacLennan as a synchronized pair. They only started training together two weeks ago. “We were just excited to make the finals,” said MacLennan, 16, competing at her first ever World Cup event. “In the final we increased our degree of difficulty and did better than we thought we would. We didn’t have much time to practice together and we had to both make some adjustments to make sure our timing was right.”

In the individual trampoline, Cockburn is preparing to defend her world crown later this year. “We had equipment problems here in training this week so I was just happy to squeak into the finals,” said Cockburn, sixth after the preliminaries. “I wanted to get some confidence with some big events coming up over the next few months.”

In men’s trampoline, Jason Burnett of Toronto was sixth in the final after placing third in the preliminaries to qualify for his first World Cup final. “I was a little disappointed,” said Burnett, 18. “I was hoping to at least match my showing in the preliminaries but I had a mishap in my routine.”

Emily Smith of Burlington, Ont., was eighth in the women’s tumbling final after struggling on her first pass. “I didn’t have my best day,” said Smith. “I was the first competitor in the final and I think my nerves got to me. I always find it difficult to be the first up at a competition. It adds more pressure.”

Dale Henwood (CP Photo)

The Big Picture with Dale Henwood: Alberta Games and Canada Games.

Now, more than ever, the spot light is on sport in Canada and it’s athletes, and this is an opportune time to make systemic changes for the betterment of the future participants in high performance sport. Our sport system seems to be driven by games. At the development level, the 2005 Canada Summer Games will be held in Regina from August 6-20. Athletes in each province are in the final preparation stage to represent their sport and province in Regina.

The Alberta Games have been in existence for almost 30 years and are, or should be, a stepping-stone to junior provincial teams. In order for this to happen consistently, there must be a better connection forged between the Alberta Games and Team Alberta for the Canada Games. A stronger link will provide a more seamless path for the athlete as well as stimulating media coverage and new corporate interest.

With such a broad spectrum of athletes attending the Alberta Games or the zone play offs leading to the Games, we are presented with a unique opportunity to incorporate aptitude measurement tools, which would provide an indication of the athlete’s predisposition toward a sport. The games could become a real chance to administer a series of tests including both physical, (height/weight, vertical jump, push ups, Beep test, 30m sprint) and psychological, to help identify and direct the “raw material talent” to a particular sport, allowing the athlete to truly excel in their athleticism.

To enhance the bridge between the Alberta Games and the Canada Games, Provincial Sport Organizations need to be encouraged to use the games program to effectively recruit and to prepare athletes for future events. We need to assist these athletes in their training endeavors so that they can continue to advance up through the system, ensuring that they do not fall out of the system as so many do today.

The Canada Games are a great opportunity for this province to help build capacity within the Alberta sport system. We need to use the Canada Games as a development opportunity (i.e. talent identification, retention and development) for the high performance sport system. The “window of trainability” for many sports is 13-16 years of age, which coincides exactly with the age group and ability level (technical package) for the sports.

With the establishment of a better connection, a more meaningful link, between the Alberta Games and the Canada Games, the development of athletes will flourish, resulting in a successful feeder system through the continuum: Alberta Games to Canada Games to junior national team, and on to national and Olympic team participation.

Dale Henwood
President,
Canadian Sport Centre Calgary

Gary Reed (CP Photo)

Halifax runner Heather Hennigar wins tactical 800 metre at Victoria International Track Classic.
(Canadian Sport News)

VICTORIA- Halifax middle distance runner Heather Hennigar emerged victorious in a tactical women’s 800-metre race Friday night at the 17th Victoria International Track Classic which saw two runners go down including Katie Vermeulen of Victoria, one of the pre-race favourites.

Hennigar clocked two minutes and 05.67 for the win on a cool evening before more than 3,000 fans at Centennial Stadium. Her time was about five seconds off the world championship A standard. Julia Howard of St. John’s, Nfld., was second in 2:05.77 and Aimee Teteris of Victoria third at 2:05.79.

“I think I got a little lucky because I don’t think I knew how sharp I was at this point in the season,” said Hennigar. “I was hoping for a faster race to see where I stood in terms of potentially getting the standard in this event. But I don’t think I’m there yet regardless. I’m still trying to get a gauge on whether my primary focus should be the 800 or 1,500. The middle distance events in Canada for the women are very, very strong right now and that’s raising everyone’s game.”

Vermeulen, who missed making the Olympic team by one second last year, fell for the second straight week when she got tangled with Samantha George of Brampton, Ont., at the halfway mark. Last weekend at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon she was involved in a crash involving five runners. “I would have never expected this to happen tonight,” said Vermeulen.

In the women’s 100 hurdles, Angela Whyte of Edmonton, sixth at the Olympics last year, is trying to find her stride after missing some valuable training time due to illnesses. She finished second in Friday’s race clocking 13.46 while Antoinette Wilks of Jamaica won in 12.94.

“I’m not happy with how I did whatsoever,” said Whyte, who has battled tonsillitis and two bouts with the flu this spring. “I know where I’m at with my training so I kind of expect to be all over the place. But the delay in my training has made it a bit nerve wracking for me because physically I’m not where I should be at this point in the season. I really want to build on my success from last year.”

In the men’s 800, Gary Reed of Victoria notched another win clocking 1:48.06. Last week at the Prefontaine Classic, Reed beat the world championship A standard in his victory against a field that included Olympic champion Yuri Borzakovskiy of Russia. “It feels good, I’m happy with the race,” said Reed. “I’m off to a great start this year and I plan on keeping it going through the summer.”

Danette Doetzel of Macklin, Sask., broke the Canadian junior record in the women’s 5,000 finishing second in 15:52.08. The previous mark was 15:56.56 held by Emily Kroshus since 2000.

Other Canadian winners Friday included Hilary Edmonson of Guelph, Ont., in the women’s 1,500 (4:10.70), Scott Russell of Windsor, Ont., in the men’s javelin (73.66 metres) and Kelsie Hendry of Saskatoon in the women’s pole vault (4.25 metres).

Friday’s competition opened the five-meet Pacific Canada Track and Field Series. The other stops are the Review Kajaks International Track Classic in Richmond, B.C., on Sunday, the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International on Tuesday in Burnaby, B.C., the Abbotsford International Track Classic in Abbotsford, B.C., next Thursday June 16 and the Canadian and B.C., 10,000 metre championships June 17, also in Abbotsford.

Two medals for Canadian swimmers at European competition.
(Canadian Sport News)

ROME- Liz Warden of Toronto and Yannick Lupien of Ste-Foy, Que., tuning up for next month’s world aquatic championships in Montreal, won silver and bronze medals respectively on Saturday to open the third of four stops on the Mare Nostrum swimming circuit.

In the women’s 400 individual medley, Anja Klinar of Slovenia won the gold medal in 4:47.70 with Warden second at 4:52.03 and Jessica Dickons of Britain third in 4:54.46. Warden gained the lead at the half way mark of the race but started to run out of gas on the fifth length.

In the men’s 100 freestyle, two Olympic finalists took gold and silver with Filippo Magnini of Italy first in 49.62 seconds and Andrey Kapralov of Russia second in 49.89. Lupien was third in 49.91 only 0.02 seconds off his personal best time set last month at the world team trials in Montreal.

It was hard-earned medal for Lupien. He tied for eighth in the preliminaries with Lukasz Gasior of Poland and had to beat Gasior in a race-off to determine the last spot for the finals.

Sophie Simard of Quebec City, also on the world team, was seventh in the women’s 200 freestyle.

Goaltending competition with Canadian Olympic women's hockey team too close to call.
(Journal Pioneer (Summerside))

Melody Davidson admits she hasn't "got a clue" how the goaltending competition for the Canadian Olympic women's hockey team will unfold.

But one thing's for sure - it will be close right down to the wire! Kim St-Pierre of Chateauguay, Que., Charline Labonte of Bosbriand, Que., and Sami Jo Small of Winnipeg, Man., are competing for two positions at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, in February.

"We have three world-class goaltenders, who if they were in any other country every one of them would be the starter," said Davidson, head coach of the Canadian Olympic team. "It's great for us and at times I know it is very difficult for them, but we're really interested to see how it will all come out in the end."

The audition process for 27 Olympic hopefuls began on May 24 at a three-week orientation and off-ice training camp on P.E.I. Twenty players are expected to be selected in late January. "It's been the same story for the last few years . . . we're getting used to it," said St-Pierre, who backstopped Canada to gold at the 2002 Winter Games. "We're all competing for the No. 1 position, but I think that's what makes us better. We know every day that we have to be at our best."

Although all three goalies will be with Team Canada at the Olympics, there is added incentive to make the active roster. "Right now the way things are set up they (alternates) don't get any of the privileges like staying in the athletes village," explained Davidson. "They would sort of be on the outside looking in and just practise with us, and whenever the athletes are outside the village they would join up with them."

Labonte was the alternate for three years before backing up St- Pierre this past season, when Small was in the No. 3 role. "It's great to work as a group," said Labonte. "Yes, we're working to get the first spot, but when we're working hard we make the other goalies better."

"I started standing up and definitely have made the transition into the butterfly," said Small, 29. "I'm not quite as good at it as the other two (St-Pierre, 26, and Labonte, 22), who are younger, but I feel I can combine the best of both worlds."

The butterfly is the only style St-Pierre and Labonte have known. "I'm very much a Quebec-style goalie," said Labonte, who has worked with NHL goaltending guru Francois Allaire for 10 years. "I grew with it," added St-Pierre, a former figure skater. "That's the style I feel is the most efficient."

The goaltenders are good friends and support each other, says Small. "Unlike the players, who get to go into the corner together, we never go in the net at the same time and we know it's the coaches' decision," said Small, who was the last remaining player on the ice following a recent practice at MacLauchlan Arena in Charlottetown. She proceeded to work on her lateral movement, butterfly, quickness and positioning for 15 to 20 minutes.

That same day, Labonte went right from the on-ice practice to off- ice training and St-Pierre had a session in the shooting gallery. "We just want to be the best we can be and we want to help Canada win the gold," said St-Pierre. "We all have the same objective."

So, what attracted St-Pierre, Small and Labonte to the goaltending position? "I have two brothers and they always wanted to play hockey, but didn't want to play nets," answered St-Pierre, who had to talk her parents into allowing her to play goal. "If I wanted to play with them (brothers) I had to be the goalie and I really liked it . . . they (parents) had no choice but to leave me in nets."

Labonte was fascinated with the equipment. "I really liked the glove and it was my dream to get a glove and when I did it was the best thing in the world," said Labonte, who played ringette before convincing her Novice 'C' hockey coach to give her an opportunity between the pipes.

Small, who once played defence, said: "It was because I loved the equipment and I loved the solitariness of goaltending . . . you're either the hero or scapegoat!"

Lori Ann Muenzer (Ewan Nicholson Photo)

Film on Olympic champion Lori-Ann Muenzer shows ups and downs of racing.
(SPORTSNET)

VANCOUVER (CP) - There was a time when Chris Wilberg thought he was going to have to abandon his attempt to make a film about Olympic cycling champion Lori-Ann Muenzer.

The pair were in Australia in January for a World Cup race. Muenzer, the Edmonton resident who won the track cycling gold at the 2004 Athens Summer Games, was in tears. She was exhausted from training and lonely from being on the road. "I didn't know if I was going to be able to show this film," said Wilberg, a Vancouver-based filmmaker. "I thought it was going to be too grim. I thought do I really want to make a film to depress people?"

Muenzer won a bronze medal at that race, but it was when she returned to Edmonton and spoke to a group of school children that Wilberg saw the light that would lift some of the documentary's darkness. "You see the kids go mental for her and you could see the radiance in her face that it is worth it," said Wilberg. "It does pan out as a happy story in the end."

It was by chance that Muenzer and Wilberg got together. Wilberg's brother is writing a biography on the 39-year-old cyclist. "He phoned me and said you should do this film, it's a great story," said Chris Wilberg, who has done a variety of work including mountain bike movies, corporate films and shorts for the Internet.

The two met last fall, when Muenzer was in Vancouver training. The plan was for Wilberg to begin following Muenzer in November, through the World Cup events to the track cycling world championships in late March in Los Angeles. "You get a real sense of what it's like to be a world class athlete and the different things they do," said Wilberg. "Although it seems pretty glamorous it really isn't. It's quite a gripping story actually. When you see what she goes through it's just amazing."

Having a camera trail her around was a different experience for the outgoing Muenzer, but one she soon became comfortable with. "It was never right in my face," Muenzer said.
"It was around but it didn't interfere. Having the comfort level with Chris, having the trust with Chris, made it easy to talk to him and get what he was looking for."

Since Wilberg worked alone, shooting with a single camera, he was able to spend a lot of time up close and personal. "There isn't tons of talking heads," he said. "It was just her and I basically, which I think gives it kind of an interesting look and it's definitely very intimate.
"Some of the conversations are with her coach, going over strategy just minutes before an event. Yet, it's very difficult to tell that I'm ever there."

By the time he was finished Wilberg had shot about 25 hours of film. He's reduced that down to about 61 minutes. The film, which cost about $60,0000 of Wilberg's own money to produce, will make its debut this July in Edmonton during the World Masters Games, for which Muenzer is an ambassador.

After showing in Edmonton, Wilberg plans to enter it into film festivals. Muenzer said there was "a whole slew of different things" she wanted to the film to show. "My road hasn't been easy, the support hasn't always been there," she said. "It shows if you don't have the support but have one or two people that do believe in what you want to do, you can go out and do it."

Muenzer failed to win a medal at the world championships, but Wilberg said that doesn't change the movie's basic message. "She was there to do the best she could do," he said.
"You see it's as important to her that people gain some inspiration from what she does. Her message has always been you have to take chances in life and you have to try. It sounds a bit trite and a story we have heard a lot of times, but from her you really believe it."
Muenzer has seen brief clips but not the whole movie. She admitted watching herself on film was a shook. "It's pretty wild," she said. "It's kind of an out-of-body experience. It looks a little bit different than when you're actually experiencing it. I think it's going to be quite moving."

Site preparation work on schedule at Whistler Nordic Competition Venue.

Whistler - Since April 16, 2005, the 2010 Winter Games Whistler Nordic venue, site of biathlon, ski jumping, Nordic combined and cross country ski events in 2010, has become an active construction zone as site preparation work continues on schedule. The on-time start earlier this year supports VANOC's commitment of early venue completion to allow time for testing and to provide Canadian athletes with two years of training time to help them prepare for the 2010 Games.

Construction of the Nordic venue is moving ahead following a rigorous review involving consultation with the public, stakeholder groups and First Nations. British Columbia's Environmental Assessment Office deemed that the project presents no significant adverse environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects. The project also underwent a screening review by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. The review was completed in April 2005. For more details see the attached backgrounder.

Phase 1 (May/June 2005) Site access preparation

Resource Business Ventures Limited Partnership, a Mount Currie-based First Nations company, is nearing completion of a contract to prepare the site access at the Nordic competition venue. This contract represents a fulfillment of a Vancouver 2010 Bid commitment made in the Shared Legacies Agreement to offer "significant contracts in the Callaghan Valley to be undertaken directly by the [Squamish and Lil'wat First] Nations."

Phase 2 (July to October 2005) Site Preparation

Phase two at the Nordic competition venue involves clearing, grubbing and rough grading for the compound areas to support the temporary requirements for the 2010 Winter Games and road building. This work will be awarded in July. Four British Columbia firms have pre-qualified for this phase of work, work that represents approximately 10 per cent of the total Vancouver 2010 Bid Book budget for the Nordic venue of C$102 million.

Public Safety

As part of VANOC's comprehensive plan to achieve the highest standard of safety, signs have been installed around the site and trail access is limited in the Callaghan Valley as follows: mid flank trail and lowerline road will be closed through the construction zone with alternate access routes around the site currently being developed.

The Whistler Nordic Venue

The new Whistler Nordic venue is part of a C$620 million investment for 2010 Winter Games venues funded equally by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia.

The 250-hectare project involves competition trails, ski jumps, a biathlon facility, three temporary stadiums each with spectator capacity of 12,000, sewer/water/power services, access roads and internal roads, parking lots, a lodge and other related infrastructure facilities in the Callaghan Valley, south west of the Whistler Resort. The competition venue design reflects the best elements of similar facilities designed for previous Olympic Winter Games.

Post-Games, the Nordic facilities will serve as a legacy for the enjoyment of local residents, visitors and athletes in a variety of ways from recreational uses to high performance sport.

An additional 50-75 kilometres of recreational trails are proposed around the Nordic competition site. Designs are being developed by VANOC and will be assessed under an environmental review process involving the Squamish and Lil'wat First Nations and federal and provincial agencies.

Emily Brydon (CP)

Speaker's bureau will help Canadian athletes tell their story and voice their needs.
(Penticton Herald)

VANCOUVER (CP) -- The Canadian Olympic Committee is hoping a new national speaker's bureau unveiled Tuesday will give Olympic athletes the chance to tell their stories while voicing their needs.

Called Olympic Voice, the bureau has a list of 3,300 Canadian Olympians -- athletes like gold medallists Daniel Igali and Lori-Ann Muenzer -- available to speak at corporate functions, schools, motivational seminars and entertainment galas.

Chris Rudge, the COC's chief executive officer, said Olympic Voice will serve several roles.
It can raise the profile of individual athletes and give them a paycheque for speaking engagements. The program will also allow athletes to explain to the public the kind of funding they need to make their Olympic dream reality. "The voices of Daniel Igali or Lori-Ann Muenzer speaking about the needs of a sport or an athlete is a hell of a lot more powerful than mine," Rudge said.

"I'm an old suit. They are the ones that are doing it. They can tell their personal story but they can also say this is what sport needs in Canada. That story has to be told regularly, consistently and with the same message by everyone."

Muenzer, who won a cycling gold medal at the last summer's Olympics, said having a bureau co-ordinate appearances and speaking engagements leaves her more time to train. "It just makes one less thing I have to worry about," she said. "I think it will open a lot of doors."

Chris Farstad, the COC's director of athlete and community relations, said having a bureau will make it easier to match up athletes with groups wanting them to speak. Athletes will be paid a minimum $250 for appearances, he said. The cost will increase depending on the athlete and the function. Olympic Voice will keep a small portion of the fee to cover costs. "We're not trying to make money at it," said Farstad, a two-time Olympian in bobsled. "If there is any profit, it will all go back into funding."

Alpine skier Emily Brydon said being paid isn't the main motivation for her speaking to groups. "I do the speaking because I want to tell my story and make an impact on younger athletes," she said. "I would just try to make my life real. A lot of kids, they see the people they look up to in sports as not real. If I were to go to a school, I would try to be as real as I can."

Rudge believe making athletes more visible to the public can pave the way for some real changes to the sports structure in Canada. "We need to keep these people in our community," he said.

Calgarian Catriona Lemay Doan is inducted to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Former baseball executive Paul Beeston, speed skater Catriona Le May Doan and Team Canada '72 head the latest list of inductees to Canada 's Sports Hall of Fame. They will be joined by cyclists Steve Bauer and Curt Harnett, former Montreal Expo pitcher Claude Raymond and veteran journalist George Gross at the induction gala Nov. 2 in Toronto . Le May Doan won the 500-metre gold at the 2002 Winter Games, a year in which she held the world, Olympic and World Cup titles at that distance and became the first Canadian individual to successfully defend a gold medal at any Olympic Games. This latest class brings the number of inductees in Canada 's Sports Hall of Fame to 473.