Clara Hughes (CP)

Road to Torino Profile: Clara Hughes

GLEN SUTTON, Que.—The real estate agent thought Clara Hughes was crazy when she described her dream place: Quiet, remote, and on a bumpy dirt road deep in the woods. It turns out Hughes got her wish.

To reach her house, one steers the car off one dusty, rock-strewn path on to another, where there is a steep climb that even in the summer can require four-wheel drive. It's surrounded by 810 hectares of forest.

What strikes Hughes the most when she returns from a trip is the silence save for the wind in the trees, rustling leaves, a country chorus of tree frogs and crickets. "It just kind of takes over your whole being," said Hughes. "I just feel like I take this deep breath and I think, `I'm home.'"

It's here, in a tranquil corner of Quebec's Eastern Townships, that the only Canadian to win medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympics regenerates both physically and spiritually in preparation for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

At 33, Hughes will be among the favourites in long-track speed skating's distance events next February. The ebullient redhead chooses stark words to depict the struggle ahead. "I am a warrior, this is war, this is a battle," said Hughes, who has won three Olympic bronze medals, two in cycling at Atlanta in 1996 and another in speed skating at the 2002 Salt Lake Games. "Yeah, there are no weapons. But there are weapons and that is your physical capacity. That's sport. It is absolutely a war."

Two sides of Clara Hughes: A gentle soul who thrives on the peace and calm of this bucolic Missisquoi Valley; and a long-bladed gladiator who must push herself beyond incredible pain thresholds where every fibre of her body urges her to quit.

As she relaxes in a chair while chatting with a visitor, she is savouring a three-day return home while at the same time dreading her departure tomorrow for California for another round of training she ruefully describes as "torture." The cozy chalet is modestly furnished; almost all of the pictures and knickknacks having some deep meaning for Hughes and her husband Peter Guzman, including pottery made by her grandmother, who is 95 per cent blind.

Hughes winces as she speaks of the just-completed seven weeks of twice-daily training in Calgary — she had to sleep between sessions just to get through the second one. It included drills where she must bend so low in the skating position it brings tears to her eyes and numbness from her toes to her nose.

But she knows she must be a glutton for such punishment if she wants to excel in Turin. "I think I can handle a lot of pain. I think I've demonstrated that," said Hughes. "But that doesn't help me when it's going to happen again, you know, where I feel like my heart's going to explode and my lungs are burning and my legs can't even support my own weight.
"To actually go beyond that and to go harder in the last third in the race is something I don't even like talking about it's so hard. But that's what I need to train for and that's my goal, to get to that point, and to be able just to viciously attack as if I am fighting for my life. That's it. That's all I want."

She said most people can't understand why she travelled across the country for such a brief stay at home, but her sports psychologist Dr. Kimberley Amirault at the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary where Clara trains, nailed it recently. "She said, `You need your life outside of here, because you'll be in a cage without it. You'll be behind bars and you don't function that way,'" said Hughes. "That's the way I am. I need a sense of self outside of sport. I think I've always needed that."

The native Winnipegger could barely speak five words of French when she arrived six years ago in this town on the edge of the Vermont border. Despite her Olympic success in Atlanta, she was referred to as "Lyne Bessette's teammate." Bessette is from nearby Knowlton and Quebecers are known to support only homebred athletes. But Hughes has through her genial nature and serious attempt to learn French been adopted as one of their own in La Belle Province. She's received much-needed extra funding and, even more importantly, moral support.

For example, there's the homemade sign on the side of a dirt road about two kilometres from Hughes' house. Small Canadian and Quebec flags flap in the breeze on either side of a hand-painted placard with a fading, photocopied picture of Hughes from a newspaper and the declaration, "Bravo Clara Encore Une Autre Belle Saison."

It was made by a local border guard, Raymond. "Whenever I come home and I've been away for a while there'll be a new sign that always makes me smile," said Hughes. There are few smiles during the gruelling training necessary to get ready for Turin. "After a lot of struggle, there is a point when the body cannot fight any more, and the after-effects are like succumbing to drowning," said Hughes.

This past spring at home was one of renewal for Hughes, who watched the snow melt and the buds grow on the trees as she took a complete break to rest her body and her psyche.
She was dogged by self-doubt last season after coming off her first summer where she trained exclusively as a speed skater after retiring from cycling. She also got sick several times, but pulled off a bronze medal in the 5,000 metres at the world single-distance championships.

"I was kind of afraid like, `What if I'm not good any more? What if I need to be a cyclist to be a good skater? What if taking that element away meant I would suck at skating?'" recalled Hughes. "I was really unsure and frustrated." But when she looks back on last year, she's grateful for every struggle. "Like they say in Quebec, when you learn something new, you go to bed less stupid."

Not only is she wiser, she's refreshed, maybe not in body — the exhausting training rarely allows for that — but certainly in outlook. She feels now last year was still part of her recovery "for burning the candle on both ends" as a two-sport athlete. "I just feel like I have my life back," she said. "I have life within me again. Whereas before I was just so careful and so afraid of being so tired all the time that it took a toll on my spirit. And now I feel like, `I'm back.'"

Hughes travelled to Turin at the end of last season with the rest of the team. The speed skating oval was still under construction, but she has a lot of pleasant memories, especially of an Italian chocolate festival being held at the time.She wants the whole experience in Turin, both culturally and in making connections with people. She muses about where she might find inspiration for this Olympics, recalling how four years ago in Salt Lake it came in an email from friends in Lorange, Sask., who sent her the Cree word "Ekwa," which means now, to remind her to stay in the moment.

"I always have to remind myself that I'm human and that the potential of the human being is that there's a magic that can happen within that," said Hughes. "That's where it can bring you beyond what your body might be able to do. I'm so excited just to go there and just let it unfold."

Karen Furneaux (CP)

Canada wins 6 medals at world canoe and kayak championships.
(CSN)

ZAGREB, Croatia- Karen Furneaux of Waverley, N.S., earned silver and bronze medals and Olympic champion Adam Van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., added a bronze to complete a successful world canoe and kayak championships for Canada.

The Canadians totalled six medals for the competition (two silver and four bronze).

In the women’s K-1 (kayak singles) 500 metres, Nicole Reinhardt of Germany won the gold clocking one minute and 50.407 seconds. Furneaux followed in 1:51.379 and Erzsebet Viski of Hungary was third in 1:51.565.

In the women’s K-1 200, Teresa Portela of Spain was the victor in 40.756 seconds with Szilvia Szabo of Hungary second in 41.038 while Furneaux took the bronze in 41.542.

Furneaux also won the bronze in the K-1 1,000 on Saturday to finish the competition with three medals. The 28-year-old is a 10-year national team veteran who has now won eight world championship medals and 41international medals overall in her career. She was a member of the last two Olympic teams.

In the men’s K-1 500, Nathan Baggaley of Australia took the gold in 1:36.098 with Lutz Altepost of Germany second in 1:37.076 and Van Koeverden third in 1:37.082. It was Van Koeverden’s second medal this weekend. On Saturday he won silver in the K-1 1,000.

Other Canadian finalists Sunday in the 500 races were brothers Attila Buday and Tamas Buday of Mississauga, Ont., seventh in the C-2 and the men’s C-4 which placed ninth with Dmitri Joukovski of Halifax, Ian Mortimer of Ottawa, Mark Oldershaw of Burlington, Ont., and Kyle Jeffery of Mississauga.

In the 200, the women’s K-4 placed sixth with Jillian D’Alessio of Lower Sackville, N.S., Emilie Fournel of Lachine, Que., Mylanie Barre of Lac-Beauport, Que., and Carrie Lightbound of Mississauga.

In 500 B finals for positions 10th to 18th overall, Andrew Willows of Gananoque, Ont., and Richard Dober of Trois-Rivieres, Que., were second for 11th overall in the men’s K-2, Richard Dalton of Halifax was third in the C-1 for 12th overall, the men’s K-4 was fifth for 14th overall with Mark DeJonge of Halifax, Steve Jorens of Aurora, Ont., Ryan Cuthbert of Carleton Place, Ont., and Angus Mortimer of Ottawa and the women’s K-2 was eighth for 17th overall with Victoria Tuttle of Ottawa and Jennifer Adamson of Grasswood, Sask.

In the 200 B finals, Willows and Dober won the K-2 for 10th overall, the men’s K-4 was fifth for 14th overall with the same foursome as in the 500, Tuttle and Adamson were seventh in the women’s K-2 for 16th overall and Thomas Hall of Pointe-Claire, Que., was eighth in the C-1 for 17th overall.

“We were very pleased with how the team fared this week it was a first big step towards the Beijing Olympics,” said Graham Barton, high performance director for the Canadian Canoe Association. “We have some solid depth and we are seeing a lot of improvements in the men’s kayak crews.”

Alan Bergman (CP)

9 gold, 8 silver, 3 bronze for Canada at European Paralympic track and field championships.
(CSN)

ESPOO, Finland-Alan Bergman of Cobble Hill, B.C., won the gold medal in the men’s wheelchair marathon Saturday which concluded the European Paralympic track and field championships for athletes with a disability. “I felt really good all the way through the race,” said Bergman. “In the latter stages, being in the lead group, I was really able to push hard for the finish.”

Bergman praised his coach Peter Lawless. “I have great trust in the programs he works out for me and the way in which he encourages me to train hard and always thinks of success.”

The 37-member Canadian team completed its first-ever participation at the competition with nine gold, eighth silver and three bronze for sixth in the overall medal standings over six days of competition. The big stars for Canada were Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal with three gold and Dean Bergeron of Quebec City with four medals.

Petitclerc earned her victories this week for Canada in the 200, 400 and 1,500 wheelchair races for paraplegics. Other Canadian gold medallists this week besides Bergman were Bergeron in the 400 wheelchair race for quadriplegics, Diane Roy of Sherbrooke, Que., in the women’s 5,000 wheelchair race for paraplegics; Eric Gauthier of St-Faustin Que., in a men’s wheelchair 100, Jason Dunkerley of Hamilton in the men’s 1,500 for visually impaired and Andre Beaudoin of Cowansville, Que., in the men’s 200 for quads.

Canadian silver medallists were Bergeron in the 200 and 1,500, Beaudoin in the 400, Gauthier in the 200, Roy in the 1,500, Blair Miller of Port Alberni, B.C., in the 800 for athletes with cerebral palsy, the men’s 4X400 wheelchair relay with Gauthier, Curtis Thom of Mississauga, Ont., Colin Mathieson of Winnipeg and Carl Marquis of Sherbrooke and Jeff Adams in the men’s 5,000 wheelchair race for paraplegics.

Bronze medals were earned by Bergeron in the 800, Miller in the 400 and Stuart McGregor of Ottawa in the 800 for visually impaired.

Britain topped the medal standings with 16 gold, six silver and eight bronze, the Ukraine was second at 15-6-8 and Poland third at 13-14-6. Germany was fourth and the U.S., fifth.

The non-European countries were somewhat disadvantaged because Europe was guaranteed five spots in every final. As well numerous entries including a handful of Canadian medal hopefuls didn’t compete on Friday as violent thunderstorms marred the competition.

Meaghan Benfeito (CP)

Meaghan Benfeito leads Canada to 20-medal haul at Pan American junior diving championships.
(CSN)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida- Meaghan Benfeito and Maxim Bouchard, both of Montreal, and Rachel Kemp of Victoria won two gold each to highlight a 20-medal haul for Canada this weekend at the Pan American junior diving championships.

In the A group category for competitors aged 16-18, Canada swept gold in all three women’s events. Benfeito won the one-metre and three-metre springboard events while on tower, Roseline Filion of Montreal and Benfeito placed first and third. Filion and Benfeito won the bronze medal last month in the synchronized tower at the world aquatic championships in Montreal.

Taryn Zack of Edmonton was seventh on both springboards.

Patrick Jarvis

Calgary's Patrick Jarvis named to International Olympic Committee Team.
(The Calgary Sun)

Canadian Patrick Jarvis has been named to the IOC team overseeing preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The International Olympic Committee yesterday named Switzerland's Denis Oswald to head the IOC co-ordination commission, which works with host cities in their planning for the Olympics. Oswald will lead a team of 15 men and women responsible for assisting the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.

Jarvis, an Alberta native who lives in Calgary, competed in track at the Paralympics in Barcelona in 1992 and was Canadian chef de mission at the 1998 Paralympics in Nagano, Japan. He is president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

Like Oswald, Jarvis was a member of the evaluation commission that visited all five 2012 bid cities. Oswald took over as chairman of the co-ordination commission for Athens 2004 from Jacques Rogge after the Belgian was elected IOC president in 2001.

Beijing slams on the brakes.
(SUSAN PIGG)

BEIJING - There's been a joke in Olympic circles that Beijing would be ready for the 2008 Games before Athens was ready for 2004. That crack is starting to sound more like a Chinese proverb.

While Greece eventually made it to the finish line after a slow start and almost crippling bureaucratic delays, Beijing is already so many laps ahead, work has been slowed, or was stopped altogether, on some of the 36 venues for the 2008 Summer Games. The main reason for the delays has been cost cutting. The landmark National Stadium — nicknamed the Bird's Nest — has undergone a redesign that got rid of the planned roof and millions of dollars worth of materials.

But a new construction schedule has also been set on other venues, at the urging of the International Olympics Committee, because "they were going so fast that there was a danger of things being ready considerably before they needed to be," said one IOC official. That could have meant massive maintenance costs, he said, adding it was the first time in recent Olympic history that a host city had been urged to slow down. "Right now we think we are racing against time," said Shao Shiwei, a spokesperson for the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee in a recent interview with Canadian reporters.

But a lot of that is clearly self-imposed pressure from an ancient country, and culture, that sees the Games as more than just sport and really its best chance yet to catapult decades ahead, right onto the centre of the world stage.

Beijing is expected to spend more than $30 billion (all figures U.S.) on infrastructure, including three new subway lines, a sleek new airport terminal and new roads, in preparation for the three million tourists, athletes and officials expected in Beijing when the Games kick off at 8 p.m. August 8, 2008 — the triple eights signifying good luck. It's expected to cost another $2.4 billion to actually run the Games, and Beijing is also well ahead of schedule for signing up partners and sponsorships, the IOC official said.

Where Toronto may have finally got a sparkling new waterfront had it won the 2008 Games, Beijing is undergoing a complete transformation aimed at ensuring it's ready in lots of time to host a "green Olympics, a people's Olympics and a high-tech Olympics." "Being able to host the Games is like a 100-year-old dream come true. ... Awarding the Games to China means that the world recognizes China, and we hope that through the Games, we can return to the international community their trust and support," Shao said through an interpreter.

Almost everywhere you look, construction cranes dominate the horizon. By 2008 an estimated 40 per cent of this 3,000-year-old city will have been renovated, restored or redeveloped and land will have been cleared to make way for tracts of trees and green space which were, before the Games, in short supply in this crowded city.

Much of what's being built here, including some 20 new high-rises that will form Beijing's brand new Central Business District, would likely have been built anyway, Olympics officials stress. But even Shao conceded that plans to modernize the ancient capital by 2012 have been pushed ahead.

These Games are meant to be "a celebration" and "a legacy" for China, according to Wang Wei, executive vice-president and secretary general of Beijing's Olympics organizing committee. And no detail is being overlooked. Thousands of Beijing's 14 million residents have signed up for "Olympic English" classes and the capital has launched a "courtesy campaign" aimed at teaching "dress codes for different occasions and how to talk to people in the street," said Shao.

The newspaper and TV campaigns are intended to change "impolite behaviour" such as the habit among men, and women, of spitting in the streets. Men are also being urged to keep their shirts on, and not rolled up above their bellies, as is the common practice to counter 40 C temperatures. "The behaviour of residents goes hand in hand with developing the standard of the city," said Shao. "I think in 2008, Beijing will be a much better city."

The major challenges remain Beijing's chronic smog and the gridlock caused by the fast-growing number of cars on its roads (there are now some 2.3 million), which Shao said the city is struggling to tackle by moving heavy industry out of the core, setting strict controls on which vehicles can use downtown roads, and buying 800 electric shuttle buses.

Beijing has promised high-level Games with distinguishing features— and judging by many of the venues now being built north of the 14-metre high Olympic countdown clock overlooking Tiananmen Square, China will more than deliver.

A total of 36 stadiums, gyms, swimming pools and other facilities are planned for Beijing and the five co-host cities of Shanghai, Qingdao, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. Fourteen of them — including the spectacular Bird's Nest National Stadium and "water cube" National Aquatics Centre — will be constructed from scratch. Fourteen are existing facilities that will be renovated — such as Beijing's massive sports complex used to host the 2002 Asian Games — and eight will be temporary venues.

One, the Qinghuangdao Stadium, which will host soccer preliminaries, has already been completed. Construction has started on 10 other venues including the Olympic Village, where backhoes just broke ground June 26. The rest will follow shortly.

The pride and enthusiasm for these Games is evident almost everywhere here, right down to the traditional courtyard homes off of Beijing's historic dusty alleyways, called hutongs, many of which have been razed, and their residents forced to move to modern high-rises north of the core, to make way for widened streets, treed boulevards and new office towers.

The Olympics "has helped the city move 20 years ahead," says Yuan Jin, whose husband is the fifth generation to live in their 200-year-old courtyard home. "As Chinese, we feel very, very proud that the country is improving."

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PODIUM is a monthly electronic newsletter aimed at keeping athletes, the sport community, our members and our partners informed about our activities and initiatives.

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Athlete Funding: Reaction to $5 Coin Savings Suggestion.
(The Toronto Sun)

IT WAS all too disappointing -- if not surprising -- to read the snarling "notable hostility" some Canadians spewed at the audacious idea of directing savings from a new $5 coin to amateur athletes.

This isn't a new tax, or a new taxpayer-funded program designed to directly support athletes: It's a federal cost-saving plan which simply directs the money saved. Sounds pretty harmless to me. "Give me a break!" one focus-group participant sniffed. "There are so many other burning issues where the money could be spent."

Such logic ignores the countless billions of dollars our federal government annually burns on dubious cultural and heritage grants, not to mention the countless billions lost on various boondoggles over the years, including HRDC, the gun registry and the already forgotten Adscam.

It also ignores the fact that our society is physically degenerating on the couch, and the inspiration that successful national athletes can deliver to both young and old could help save countless billions in future health-care costs.

Another participant, obviously mortified by the concept, said he or she was "embarrassed to be Canadian sometimes."

My greatest embarrassment happens every two years, when Canadians leap on to the Olympic bandwagon, cheer lustily for these non-professional competitors, and whine when they "fail." Incredibly, many have the audacity to actually agree -- temporarily -- with the concept of additional support for the athletes they would otherwise snub. Of course, such ideas quickly die out, until the next Olympic cycle draws near.

One wonders if the focus-group's reaction might have been more tempered if it took place during the dark days of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, when Canadian finger-pointing was sky high.

Now simply imagine the furor if Canada fails to win a gold medal at Vancouver 2010 -- particularly mentioned by the Royal Canadian Mint as an area of the $5-coin savings focus -- as we failed to do in Montreal 1976 and Calgary 1988.

As it is, we're less than 170 days away from Turin 2006, which means there is plenty of time for Canadians to scoff at their Olympic heroes and heroines, then suddenly leap to their defence and support ... and promptly forget about them, returning to the burning issues of the day.

Shame.

George Karrys,
Richmond Hill,
1998 Canadian Olympian