Danielle Goyette (CP)

CANADA TAKES TWO AGAINST USA’S WOMEN’S TEAM IN SASKATCHEWAN.
(Hockey Canada Release)

SASKATOON, SK – Canada’s Women’s Olympic centralized team defeated Team USA 6-0 on Saturday afternoon before a boisterous crowd of over 5,000 at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, SK.

This was the second game between the two teams in Saskatchewan. Canada beat the USA 3-2 on Thursday night at the Brandt Centre in Regina. Canada opened the scoring just under two minutes into the first when Vicky Sunohara slipped one past USA starting goalie, Chanda Gunn. Six minutes later Canada increased its lead when Katie Weatherston scored from the low slot after a nifty pass from Gina Kingsbury.

Canada went up 3-0 when veteran forward Danielle Goyette scored her 100th career international goal on a pass from captain Cassie Campbell parked behind the net. Charline Labonte continued to stand strong in net for Canada and deny the USA any quality chances.

Cherie Piper added a fourth goal on a power play for Canada one minute in to the second period. Meghan Agosta scored Canada’s fifth goal when she fired a shot over USA’s replacement goalie Pam Dreyer’s shoulder 1:25 into the third period to put Canada ahead 5-0. Jayne Hefford scored Canada’s final goal with 25 seconds remaining to give Canada a 6-0 victory. This is the fourth consecutive win for Canada over the USA.

Charline Labonte made 23 saves in the Canadian victory, earning her fifth career shut-out. Danielle Goyette took home the player of the game honours for Canada, and Chanda Gunn was named player of the game for the USA.

Canada will face the USA five more times prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics. The next time these two teams meet will be in a pre-Olympic Tournament in Turin, Italy on November 10. Game summaries and stats for all of Canada's games are available at Hockey Canada’s official website at www.hockeycanada.ca

Brandon O'Neill (CP)

Edmonton’s Brandon O’Neill wins gold at Pan American gymnastics championships.
(Canadian Sport News)

RIO DE JANEIRO- Brandon O’Neill of Edmonton won gold on floor Sunday at the Pan American gymnastics championships with a performance Canada’s head coach feels could be worth at medal at next month's world championships.

O’Neill highlighted a a six-medal intake for Canadian gymnasts in Sunday’s individual finals in addition to the men’s and women’s team bronze on Saturday which assured Canada full teams for the 2007 Pan American Games.

O’Neill, who also tied for third on vault Sunday, earned a 9.475 score for the win on floor with Guillermo Alvarez of the U.S., second at 9.113 and Adam Wong of Calgary third at 8.575. “Brandon soared above the competition today,” said Edouard Iarov, the head coach the Canadian men’s team. “If he can do the same kind of routine at the world championships (next month in Melbourne, Australia), then he has a great chance for a medal.”

On parallel bars, Abel Drigg Santos of Cuba took the gold at 9.325 while Wong earned a second medal posting an 8.988 for silver. Grant Golding of Calgary added bronze with an 8.850.

Golding and Wong were also fourth and seventh on rings, and Nathan Gafuik of Calgary seventh on high bar. Golding, Wong, Gafuik and O’Neill combined forces on Saturday for bronze in the team event.

Sherraine MacKay (CP)

MacKay wins Canada's first ever medal at fencing worlds.
(CBC Online)

Leipzig, Germany — A few days ago Sherraine MacKay was struck by a sense that she would win a gold medal at the fencing world championships. Turns out her premonition was right about the medal, wrong about the colour.

The native of Brooks, Alta., made some history Monday, taking the bronze in the women's epee for Canada's first ever medal at fencing world championships. "I thought, 'You know, this just might be the year I win the world championship,"' MacKay said in an interview. "It didn't end up exactly the way I planned.

Canadians had never finished higher than sixth at the worlds, something accomplished five times in a variety of classes, including twice by MacKay in the epee. "It's quite substantial," she said of her achievement. "It's just that it could have been more and I'm surprised that Canada hasn't had a medal before this because there's a lot of great talent there."

MacKay won her first four matches of the day, advancing to the semifinals with a 15-12 win over Sonja Tol of the Netherlands. There she dropped a 15-9 decision to Danuta Dmowska of Poland, ending MacKay's hopes for gold and leaving her to share bronze with Laura Flessel-Colovic of France, who lost in the other semifinal. Dmowska beat Maarika Vosu of Estonia 12-11 in the final.

"(The bronze) is a huge boost for Canadian fencing," said Danek Nowosielski, the high performance director for Canadian Fencing Federation. "This is a culmination of four years of work for the program."

The bronze shouldn't have been overly surprising for MacKay, who has ended up fifth in her last three World Cup events. "My coach's nickname for me is quasi-champion," she said laughing. "So I thought, 'I refuse to have another bronze medal.' Unfortunately that's what I was stuck with today."

MacKay finished 18th in the singles epee and fourth in the women's team epee at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She'll lead the Canadian team into Friday's team epee event at the worlds and has hopes for another medal. "We stand a very good chance," she said. "We're ranked fourth and the teams we're matched up against, they seem to be a very reasonable draw for us."

Canada vs. Japan (CP Archive)

Canada beats South Africa for first win at men’s world junior water polo championships.
(Canadian Sport News)

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina- Brandon Jung of Vancouver scored three goals to lead Canada to a 7-6 victory over South Africa and its first victory at the 22-country men’s world junior water polo championships.

The Canadians are 1-2 in round robin play after 13-3 and 11-5 losses to Japan and Argentina respectively to open the tournament. In the loss to Argentina, one of Canada’s top players Steve Ardell of Calgary suffered a finger injury and is out for the tournament.

“The guys cameback and showed a lot of character and intensity,” said Canada’s head coach Chris Hammer of Calgary. “It was a very important win. South Africa is a team we could face later on in the tournament.”

Kevin Graham of Regina added two goals with singles to Clem Hui and Con Kudaba, both of Vancouver. The Canadians led 3-2 at the half.

In other Pool A matches, Japan defeated Argentina 10-6 and Spain beat Hungary 16-9. Spain at 3-0 leads the group with six points, Hungary and Japan follow at 2-1 for four points, Canada and Argentina are next at two points while South Africa remains pointless.

The top-four from each of the four groups advances to the playoff round. The Canadians play Hungary next in a must-win situation and close out the round robin against Spain.

Charles Hamelin (CP)

Canada wins two bronze medals in relays at short track speed skating World Cup.
(Canadian Sport News)

SEOUL- For the second straight short track speed skating World Cup event, Canada won bronze medals in the men’s and women’s relays on Sunday to conclude the second stop on the circuit.

In the men’s 5,000-metre relay, South Korea won the gold medal clocking six minutes and 47.235 seconds with China second at 6:47.696. Canada, gold medallists in the event at the last two Olympics, was third in 6:48.068 with Francois-Louis Tremblay of Montreal, Eric Bedard of Ste-Thecle, Que., Charles Hamelin of Ste-Julie, Que., and Mathieu Turcotte of Sherbrooke, Que.

“It was an average race for us but still we posted a very good time,” said Hamelin. “But I nearly fell with four laps to go we got passed for second. So we made some little mistakes and lacked some finish on the exchanges.”

In the women’s 3,000 relay, China was the victor in 4:15.883 and South Korea second in 4:16.777. The Canadians followed closely in third at 4:16.877 with Kalyna Roberge of Ste-Etienne-de-Lauzon, Que., Tania Vicent of Vercheres, Que., Anouk Leblanc-Boucher of Montreal and Alanna Kraus of Abbotsford, B.C.

“We waged a very good battle with the Koreans,” said Leblanc-Boucher. “We showed a lot of improvement and really bounced back from a couple of mistakes in the race. The time was absolutely fantastic. Canada hadn’t clocked 4:16 in a very long time and it’s the fastest time ever for this relay.”

In Sunday’s individual races, there was one Canadian finalist with Turcotte placing fifth in the men’s 3,000. In the men’s 1,000, Turcotte and Bedard were eliminated in the semifinals for sixth and eighth overall respectively while Tremblay was ousted in the quarterfinals for ninth. Apolo Anton Ohno of the U.S., won both individual races Sunday to place first overall with Turcotte the top Canadian in fifth.

In the women’s 1,000, Kraus was eliminated in the semis for eighth while Vicent and Amanda Overland of Kitchener, Ont., didn’t get past the quarters for 10th and 15th.

Canada finished the competition with five medals. On Friday, Turcotte won silver in the 1,500, on Saturday, Bedard was second in the men’s 500 and Roberge third in the women’s 500.

The next stops on the World Cup are November 11-13 in Bormio, Italy and November 18-20 at the Hague, the Netherlands. Those events will serve to determine the eight countries that compete in short track speed skating at the Olympic Games this February in Turin.

Regan Lauscher (CP)

(Canadian Olympic Committee)

Regan Lauscher

Sport: Luge
Event: Women's Singles

Birthdate: February 21, 1980
Birthplace: Saskatoon, Sask.
Hometown: Red Deer, Alta.
Residence: Calgary, Alta.
Trains In: Calgary, Alta.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Coaches: Walter Corey
Club: Calgary Luge Club

2006 Olympic Qualification Standards:

Canada will be eligible to send a total of three female, three male and two male doubles athletes to compete in luge at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. As per the criteria put forth by the International Luge Federation, all female luge athletes must accumulate a minimum of 20 World Cup points to qualify for Olympic consideration.

In the event that more than three Canadian women meet the Olympic qualification standards, the CLA will select the top three athletes, based on overall results, to represent Canada. The women's luge team is set to be finalized by January 30, 2006.

Biography & 2006 Olympic Winter Games Outlook:

As the veteran of the Canadian Luge Team at just 25 years of age, Regan (pronounced Ree-gan) Lauscher will be looked upon to lead the deepest and most talented Canadian squad at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin.

A member of the 2002 Canadian Olympic Team, the Red Deer native finished in 12th-place in the women's singles event as Canada's lone female luge athlete in Salt Lake City.

During the 2004-05 season, Lauscher became a part of Canadian luge history when she became the first Canadian athlete to win a silver medal in the 28-year history of the World Cup after accomplishing the feat on December 4, 2004 in Lake Placid, New York.

Previously, Canada had captured two bronze medals on the luge World Cup stage as Marie Claude Doyen and Tyler Seitz each accomplished the feat in 1987 and 2002 respectively.

After making Canadian history, Lauscher followed up that performance one month later with a bronze medal at the Suzuki Challenge Cup in Austria. The race in Igls featured 12 of the top sliders in the world and came on the heels of a fourth-place finish in a Challenge Cup event in Latvia.

The Canadian track record holder at Canada Olympic Park, Lauscher is a four-time Canadian Champion who first started on natural luge at the age of 14 before switching to the traditional form of luge, consisting of refrigerated tracks and banked curves, at age 17.

Outside of competing on the international stage, Lauscher recently completed her journalism degree at Mount Royal College in Calgary.

Melanie Turgeon (ASA Photo)

Melanie Turgeon retires from competitive alpine skiing.
(Alpine Canada)

Montréal, Québec (October 6, 2005) - After more than 10 years as a high-profile member of the Canadian national team, Mélanie Turgeon announced on Thursday that she was now putting her career as a competitive alpine skier behind her.

The 2003 world champion in downhill was aiming to take part in the next Winter Games, and she followed an intensive and rigorous rehabilitation program over the last several months. But she realized it would not be enough to allow her to compete with the best skiers in the world, as she once did.

"After spending close to half of my life as a member of the national team, I am announcing that I am very proud of my skiing career, and I have decided to retire from competition," said Turgeon. "I am retiring at a time when my back is still strong, but cannot support the weight of competitive skiing. Over the last two years, I never lost my motivation to come back among the best in the world and that is why I spared no effort to strengthen my back as much as possible. But during recent training camps on snow, I realized that my lumbar structure may have too much wear and tear, and that it no longer resists to the gravitational demands that are specific to competitive skiing."

The Canadian athlete, who will turn 29 in two weeks, will be able to start her new career in style as her partnership will continue with RONA. "Mélanie Turgeon is a superb example of courage and determination in sports and we support her decision to retire from competition," RONA president and CEO Robert Dutton said. "RONA has always been proud of our association with Mélanie. In fact, we're very happy to be able to continue our relationship with her by welcoming Mélanie as RONA Ambassador for our Olympic Program," he explained.

Epcor's Road to Champions Gala - Calgary, Alberta

Tuesday, October 25th, 2005
5:30 pm - Round Up Centre, Palamino Room

You are invited to join Silken Laumann and some of Canada's most celebrated, medal-winning athletes, along with Swimming Canada's CEO, Pierre LaFontaine for a gourmet five-course gala dinner, in support of the hopes and dreams of our upcoming young Canadian athletes.

Enjoy exquisite food paired with fine wines as the highlighted athletes of each course will speak about their journey on the road to becoming a champion, supported by fascinating footage of their career. You will be inspired as Canada's great athletes Silken Laumann, Adam van Koeverden, Kyle Shewfelt, Lori-Ann Muenzer and Simon Whitfield talk about the profound experiences that had a crucial impact on their athletic journeys.

The evening finale will feature Pierre LaFontaine, Swimming Canada's CEO, who will bring another perspective to the struggles of Canada's elite athletes. Funds raised will support these five featured athletes respective National Sport Federations: Rowing Canada, Canoe-Kayak, Gymnastics Canada, Cycling Canada and Triathlon Canada.

Road to Champions - Tickets available online (www.roadtochampions.com) or at the local number 403-874-3572.

The Road to Champions Gala Dinner is a five-city national tour that presents an incredible opportunity to combine a gourmet culinary experience with the remarkable stories of our greatest athletes.

There are many opportunities for you to become involved in this extraordinary fundraising event. To find our more about becoming a Sponsor, please contact Tracy Taubert at 403-874-3572.

International Water Ski Federation crowns Jaret Llewellyn World Cup jump champion.
(Canadian Sport News)

OTTAWA- Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., added more hardware to his overflowing trophy room on Wednesday as he was officially crowned the men’s World Cup jump champion for 2005 by the International Water Ski Federation.

Llewellyn tabulated 752.5 points this season on the circuit in the jump event which included two victories. He finished ahead of arch rival Freddy Krueger of the U.S., in second and Mark Lane of the U.S., in third in the overall jump standings.

It’s Llewellyn’s fourth career World Cup title on the fledging circuit which stopped for two years in 2002 and 2003 and returned last year. He earned $6,500 (U.S.) for the title.

The World Cup title caps another big year for the 35-year-old who completed his 22nd season on the national team. He won his fourth career world jump title in August and now has nine world titles overall to his credit making him one of Canada’s most successful international athletes.

“The World Cup and the world championships were the two biggest events of the year and it was nice to get those titles after a tough start to the season,” said Llewellyn. “I started the year real slow because I was doing work to promote the sport and I wasn’t consistent at all. Plus the main focus was the worlds so it wasn’t as big a deal to come out strong from the start.”

Llewellyn sounds like an exuberant rookie when he talks about the future. Slowing down is not in the plans.

“This year was a real learning experience for me,” he said. “In the next three years we have a plan to continue promoting the sport through videos in particular. And I’m still fired up about the water skiing and chasing the records. And new events, such as the World Cup, bring new blood into what I’m doing so I’m excited about the next couple of years. I’m back in the gym now and my goal is to be in the best shape possible in the new year.”

Llewellyn was also second to Nicolas LeForestier of France in the World Cup tricks standings. Also Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., was fifth in the men’s slalom World Cup standings.

Calgary-The Alberta Government injected $600,000 into the Ski Jumping Training Centre at CODA's Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, a critical investment that will provide Canada's ski jumping and nordic combined athletes with a place to train at home leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the two organizations announced on Thursday.

The provincial funding, provided through the Alberta Lottery Fund, will pay for urgent safety and infrastructure improvements to the 20-year-old ski jumping complex at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary - the only major ski-jumping facility in the country. With the funding, the landing bowls will be rebuilt, safety improvements implemented, and summer training facilities enhanced.

"This $600,000 investment from the Alberta Lottery Fund will allow the athletes to prepare for the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games right here in Calgary," said Gaming Minister Gordon Graydon. "We are also very proud that the road to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver/Whistler passes right through the province of Alberta, and that the legacy of 1988 Winter Olympics will continue to live on in Alberta."

CODA estimates it will cost up to $200,000 annually to operate the modernized training facilities for the next four years leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver/Whistler.

"With the Alberta Lottery Fund's investment of $600,000 to address critical capital needs, CODA will operate the complex so that Canadian athletes will have the opportunity to train for 2010," said John Mills, president, CODA. "With modern training facilities, this partnership gives new life to the sports of ski jumping and nordic combined, and guarantees the road to Vancouver will continue to wind through Alberta."

Facing cost pressures and aging facilities, CODA previously announced late last year it would discontinue funding for the two Olympic sports, and make a final determination of the future of the ski jumping training centre in Calgary this year. Since then, CODA decided to spend $110,000 making immediate capital upgrades, and allocated $80,000 for operational costs so that training could take place from June through October in advance of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Italy. Over the summer, CODA coordinated a planning process involving the two national sport organizations, senior governments, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Vancouver 2010 that resulted in this successful partnership between CODA and the Province of Alberta.

The sports of ski jumping and nordic combined in Canada have made major strides forward in the last five years, and are the healthiest they have been since the 1980's. For the first time in more than a decade, Canada fielded a ski jumping team of four athletes at the World Cup level in 2004, and will do so again this season. Also, Jason Myslicki of Thunder Bay, Ont. became the first Canadian since 1992 to ski full-time on the World Cup nordic combined circuit last season, and is eligible to be named to the Canadian Olympic Team.

CSCC welcomes new Athlete/Coach Services Coordinator.

The Canadian Sport Centre is happy to announce a new addition to the team - Shelly Sochr. Shelly comes to us from Ontario, and will be the new Athlete and Coach Services Coordinator. Come say hello to Shelly at the front desk in the Athlete Resource Centre.