Jenn Heil (CP)

Heil's chasing gold. Defending World Cup champ prepares for Turin
By SCOTT ZERR -- Edmonton Sun

Jennifer Heil has a bull's eye on her back.

Being the two-time defending World Cup champion in freestyle skiing makes you the target of ever single competitor in the field, all of whom are trying to knock Heil off her elite perch.

But the Spruce Grove girl known on the circuit as Little Pepper is also chasing down something - the hunted becoming the hunter. It's a ways off, about five months into the future, yet the 2006 Winter Olympics can't help but creep into Heil's mind.

"Around January is when I'll start to really get more into it," said Heil recently before boarding a flight to Switzerland for the final training camp prior to the start of the World Cup schedule.

On February 11, Heil will hit the moguls run near Torino, Italy, as a heavy favourite to reach the medal podium. She's not there yet, mentally at least, yet even with her focus sternly set on preparation for the World Cup events to come, Heil is well aware what this year is all about.

REIGN AS WORLD CHAMPION

Another Crystal Globe rewarding her for continuing to reign as world champion would look nice in her trophy case, but nothing shimmers like gold hanging around the neck. "I think it's good to keep it away from your mind for awhile but it is a good motivator. It's just a reality that it's out there," said Heil, who turned 22 at the beginning of October.

"It's too early to start focusing on it now, that won't come until late in January, but I do think about it. You have to because you want to be able to prepare yourself as best as you can. The advantage I have is that I have been to one Games before. I know what it all entails."

Heil put herself on the map at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, missing out on the medals by the slimmest of margins - 1/100th of a point from the bronze. Following a year away from the sport to heal injuries that had plagued her for years, Heil's improved training regimen and recaptured spirit sparked her to a surprising comeback in 2004 that saw her capture the World Cup crown.

A year later and buoyed by her sensational return, Heil went out and repeated the feat last season, becoming the first Canadian woman to win back-to-back world freestyle titles. Her celebration was festive but short-lived. The six-year veteran of the national team went back to Montreal, her off-season training centre, and set her sights on this campaign.

Back in the gym under the tutelage of Montreal Canadiens strength and conditioning co-co-ordinator Scott Livingstone and then off to Whistler, B.C., for some training on the glaciers before jetting to Australia to make use of the southern hemisphere's winter weather.

WORLD CUP EVENTS

Heil will make a short visit home at the end of October before making her way to Tignes, France, and Obertsdorf, Germany, for the opening events on the World Cup calendar. Of the two Canadian stops on the tour, there is the usual event at Mont Tremblant, Que., but Heil is particularly excited to see the entire season come to a conclusion at the Apex resort in Penticton, B.C.

Along the way the best in the rest of the world will be gunning for Heil. Her response - bring it on. "Three in a row? I'd love to do it. It's definitely a goal of mine," said Heil, who is developing a wicked full-twist backflip to her routine. "I'm focused on what I do and I'm confident in the way I've prepared. Winning two doesn't mean you're going to win three but I'm going to continue to bring my best.

"What I did last year was nice but I still feel I can better myself. It's definitely a continuation for me. It's an upward climb but that's what motivates me. It's not about winning medals (at World Cups). I couldn't even tell you how many I've won. For me it's about being the best I can be. It's about my day-to-day performances. "'I want to ski faster, do some new tricks and jump better. What I've done in the past has set me up strong to move forward in the future."

Sherraine MacKay (left) (CP)

Another best ever; Canadian women finish sixth at fencing Worlds.
(Fencing Canada)

LEIPZIG, Germany - The Canadian women’s epee team had yet another historical moment today by finishing sixth at World Championships.

The team of Sherraine MacKay from Brooks, Alta., Monique Kavelaars of Appin, Ont., Montreal’s Julie Leprohon and Catherine Dunnette of Calgary, Alta. got off to a flying start with a strong 45-36 victory over Austria to move into the quarter-finals.

Canada’s hopes of winning a medal quickly vanished following a 26-25 heartbreak loss to the Hungarians. As the bout moved along, it seemed to be a mirror image of the match the two countries had in the Athens Olympics last summer. Canada though was on the losing end of the battle as Hungary leaped into the medal rounds and left the women fighting for a possible fifth place at best.

Canada then defeated Korea 32-25 before falling to Poland 45-33 in their last bout to finish sixth. “It feels good to have reached a new level by team but to be honest, it’s a tough pill to swallow knowing that we were only one point from a chance at a World Championship medal.” the team shared. “We had our ups and downs today but we are a team with no individual egos who supported each other all the way.”

France won the gold with a 45-31 win over Hungary who win silver while hometown favourites, Germany got past Russia 26-22 for the bronze. “We each gave it all for one another and our country and that is the most important part about our result.” said team Canada who end the 2005 season ranked sixth overall.

In other Canadian action, the men’s sabre team consisting of Michel Boulos, Pierre-Philippe Gouin, Philippe and Vincent Beaudry, all from Quebec, finished 14th.

Hockey players learn fun way to fuel for game: Special dietary needs of elite athletes met in cooking program.
(The Edmonton Journal)

CALGARY - These beautiful young women, strongly muscled, confident and as sleek as racehorses, would make any mother proud.

They are the Canadian national women's hockey team and they are not what I expected. I had expected that jock stereotype of big and bulky. These gorgeous women are neither.

They are here to learn how to make Prairie-influenced sushi rolls filled with barley, roasted root vegetables and bison wraps -- all delicious dishes high in protein and low in fat that will help fuel their quest for gold.

Our host is Christopher Sprentz, executive chef at the Best Western Hospitality Inn in Calgary, himself a hockey player. He hooked up with the women's hockey team last year, while he was still chef in charge of food services at the University of Calgary. There, fortuitous connections with a pair of dietitians associated with the Canadian Sport Centre turned into a program called Fuel for Gold - a hands-on cooking/teaching program that addresses the dietary needs of elite athletes.

The national hockey team is centralized in Calgary for a seven-month stint leading up to the Olympics in February 2006 in Torino, Italy. They range in age from 18 to 39.

CHRIS'S NORTH AMERICAN BUFFALO TACOS
- 1 pound (450 g) ground buffalo (bison)
- 3 tablespoons (50 mL) taco seasoning
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup (250 mL) low-fat sour cream
- 11/2 cups (375 mL) cooked kidney or black beans
- 6 pieces of flatbread, (pita, tortilla), 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter
- 1 red onion, minced
- 11/2 cups (375mL) organic greens
- 1 tomato, diced
- 2 avocados, cubed or sliced
- 1 bunch radishes, sliced
- 2 golden plum tomatoes, diced (optional)
- 6 raw or roasted Anaheim chilies, jalapenos, Serranos, sliced (or to taste)
Brown buffalo meat in covered saute pan with 1/2 cup (125 mL) water and cover. Cook at least 10 minutes on medium-high, until meat is cooked. Drain all liquid and add the seasoning. Roast the pepper over an open flame until blackened, then put the pepper into a plastic bag for 5 to 10 minutes. Peel, rinse and slice.
Build the tacos by placing 1/2 cup (125 mL) each of cooked meat and beans on each piece of flatbread.
Add greens, followed by diced tomato, avocado, red onion, radishes, golden plum tomatoes, and top with 1 roasted green chile and 2 slices roasted red pepper.

CALIFORNIA ROLLS
Use barley in place of rice in this recipe for more fibre and a decidedly Prairie flavour.
- 1 cup (250 mL) sushi rice or barley
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) rice vinegar, warmed
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) sugar
- nori (seaweed paper)
- cucumber, sliced lengthwise into strips
- avocado, sliced
- crab meat or smoked salmon
- sesame seeds, optional
- water
Rinse rice until water runs clear; drain for one hour. Pour 11/3 cups (330 mL) water into a pan and add the rice. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes, covered, then remove the lid and transfer to a shallow, wide bowl or dish.
Sprinkle with warmed rice vinegar seasoned with the sugar and salt, and gently fold together.
(If using barley, simmer in four times the volume of water until tender, drain, then proceed as above.) Fill a large cup with water and a bit of extra rice vinegar to use between rolls to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers. If you have a sushi roller, place a sheet of plastic wrap over the roller and press a layer of rice (square) onto the plastic.
Place a sheet of nori on a flat surface and dampen one edge with vinegar/water mixture. At the opposite edge, about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm), place a line of crab, cucumber and avocado. Roll up, using the dampened edge to seal. Place nori roll on one edge of rice and use roller to roll tightly.
Peel off plastic and roll in sesame seeds. Slice into 6 to 8 pieces. Repeat and serve before the nori can get soggy.

Lesa Stringer (CP)

Mayes-Stringer’s new sled boasts Olympic pedigree: Top women’s pilot inherits Lueders’ two-man rocket.
(The Calgary Herald)

A new season, a new sled. There’s not much more Lesa Mayes-Stringer could have asked for on Tuesday.

Except, maybe, a slightly faster track. “I was the first one down for this season, so that was kind of neat,” said Mayes-Stringer, the pilot of Canada I women’s bobsleigh team.

“But when I got to the bottom and saw my time, I thought, ‘Uh’oh, maybe my sled isn’t working, maybe it’s better in Pierre’s hands.’ But then everyone behind me was slow, too.”

Canada Olympic Park officially opened its sliding track Tuesday and members of the national bobsleigh and skeleton teams took their first runs of the Olympic season with an eye to reaching the Torino Winter Games Feb. 10 to 26, 2006.

There were overhauled teams, different faces and, in the case of Mayes-Stringer, new equipment. She inherited the Canada I two-man sled driven last season by Olympic gold-medallist and world champion Pierre Lueders.

Mayes-Stringer revealed she’ll introduce her new ride to this year’s FIBT World Cup circuit at home, Nov. 9 to 12. The World Cup bobsleigh/skeleton season opener, originally scheduled for Park City, Utah, was moved to COP.

“It means one less weekend away from home,” said skeleton racer Duff Gibson. “Over the years, the travel wears on you. We were going to be gone for almost two months. Now, we’re coming back four days earlier and we’ve not leaving for two weeks later than we would have.”

Plus, opening on their home track gives Canadian athletes a leg up when it comes to starting the season with a positive result.

Alanna Kraus (CP)

(Canadian Olympic Committee)

Alanna Kraus

Sport: Short Track Speed Skating
Events: 500 metres; 1,000 metres; 1,500 metres and 3,000 metre relay

Birthdate: June 30, 1977
Birthplace: Abbotsford, B.C.
Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C.
Residence: Calgary, AB
Trains In: Calgary, AB
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 128 lbs.
Coach: Shawn Holman
Club:Matsqui Blades

2006 Olympic Qualification Standards:

The five members nominated to the men's squad all hail from Quebec as François-Louis Tremblay of Montreal, Mathieu Turcotte of Sherbrooke, Éric Bédard of Ste-Thecle, Charles Hamelin of Ste-Julie and Jonathan Guilmette of Montreal took positions one through five in the overall standings. Hamelin is the only member of the squad who did not participate in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

The women's team nominees are Alanna Kraus of Abbotsford, B.C., Amanda Overland of Kitchener, Ont., Anouk Leblanc-Boucher and Tania Vicent of Montreal, Que. and Kalyna Roberge of Ste-Etienne-de-Lauzon, Que. Kraus and Vicent each have previous Olympic experience, having been members of the 2002 Canadian Olympic Team.

While the Olympic Team is set, Canada must still qualify for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games as a country. The 10-member squad is currently competing on the 2005-06 World Cup circuit which began on September 30 in Hangzhou, China.

The third and fourth World Cups in Europe in November will act as the 2006 Olympic qualifier to determine the eight countries which will compete in Turin. During those two events, Canada is expected to finalize who will race in which individual events at the Games.

Biography & 2006 Olympic Winter Games Outlook:

A member of Canada's bronze-medal-winning 3,000-metre relay squad at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Alanna Kraus is coming off an exceptional performance at the recent Canadian Short Track Olympic Trials. During the event, the eight-year National Team veteran assured herself a spot on the 2006 Olympic squad by concluding the competition as the number one ranked Canadian woman in the field after posting victories in the 500 metres and 1,000 metres.

Through the first two World Cup races of the 2005-06 season, Kraus helped lead the Canadian women to two bronze medals in the 3,000-metre relay event. During last weekend's World Cup stop in Seoul, Kraus recorded her best finishes of the season after placing fourth in the 500 metres and eighth in the 1,000 metres.

The 2004-05 international season was filled with many bright spots for the 28-year-old Abbotsford native. Among her highlights, she set a new Canadian record in the women's 1,000 metres at the National Team Trials in November 2004 with a time of 1:31.130.

On the World Cup circuit, Kraus concluded her seventh amateur season as the highest ranked Canadian in the overall standings, coming in ninth. In her three individual disciplines, she finished fifth overall in the 500 metres, 13th overall in the 1,000 metres and 14th overall in the 1,500 metres.

In total, Kraus recorded a total of five top ten results in her three individual disciplines and helped the 3,000-metre relay squad to two podium finishes.

Her season was capped off by helping lead Canada to the gold medal in the 3,000-metre relay event at the 2005 World Championship in Beijing, China. In her individual events at the World Championship, Kraus finished seventh in the 500 metres, 11th in the 1,500 metres and 12th in the 1,000 metres. At the conclusion of the event, Kraus was ranked as the 10th-best skater, two positions behind fellow Canadian Amanda Overland.

Despite her prominence in the sport over the years, Kraus' first athletic love was surprisingly not speed skating but rather dancing. After watching Patrick Swayze in the movie Dirty Dancing, Kraus had aspirations of becoming a professional dancer. It wasn't until a neighborhood friend convinced her to take up speed skating that she elected to trade in her dancing shoes for a pair of blades.

Gillian Apps (Hockey Canada Photo)

This Apps didn't fall far from the family tree: Supersized talent: Making a name for herself in 2006 with Team Canada.
(National Post)

SASKATOON - At six feet tall and 177 pounds, Gillian Apps is almost exactly the same size as her grandfather was when he starred with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1930s and '40s.

And when it comes to talent, the supersized Team Canada forward doesn't fall far from the family tree. If you don't know her now, you will in February when she skates for Canada at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

She's making a name for herself and adding a new chapter to the Apps family's legacy in hockey. Grandfather Syl Apps won three Stanley Cups with the Leafs and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Her father, Syl Apps Jr., was the Pittsburgh Penguins' career assists leader until Mario Lemieux came along. Her older brother -- yes, his name is Syl Apps, too -- starred at Princeton University before enjoying a minor-pro career. "I was able to talk to my grandfather and my dad and my brother about hockey and get a wise word back from them," says the latest Apps. "But I was in a no-pressure situation."

The 21-year-old native of Unionville says her parents are her biggest fans and the family name isn't a burden. "It's something that I'm proud to be a part of," she says.
Apps was just 17 when she was a late cut from the team that won gold at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. She won't be left behind this time. "These young kids coming up are way better than we were at that age," says Cassie Campbell, Canada's 31-year-old captain. "They're chomping at the bit to take the game to the next level and that's important for the program."

"The other day in practice," says Campbell, "I was telling her: 'Gillian, when you go to net there's no one who can stop you. When you put your mind to it and combine that with your shot, no one can stop you.' "

Wally Kozak, head scout for the women's program, says Apps' all-around game is fast and furious. "She has an uncanny knack of getting open for stretch passes. She probably has more breakaways than anyone on the team. She's tremendously physical and she probably has to find an acceptable level of contact."

Apps and Cherie Piper, who are teammates at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, first teamed with Hayley Wickenheiser last month when Canada won the Four Nations Cup in Finland. They are the perfect complement for the world's best female player, says Kozak. "You need very fast people to play with [Wickenheiser]. Apps is very fast and it allows everybody on that line to get the best of what they bring." "We don't have bodychecking," says Piper, "but you're still throwing picks and creating space and time for your linemates. That's something Gillian does really well. She'll step in the way of a player and give us more time to create offence. Even after that, she'll roll off and give us another option on a pass."

Life in traffic isn't always easy, but that's the only way Apps knows how to play. "That's hockey to me," she says. "To fight off someone, get to the net and battle in front for the puck, that's what I love about the game."

Call for Nominations for the Inaugural Sport Leadership and Excellence Award.

The Calgary Sport council is excited to present the inaugural Sport Leadership and Excellence Award – it’s a new award to recognize a Calgary based club or organization that makes a significant contribution to the betterment of sport in Calgary. Please help us promote the award and the nomination process – and please consider submitting a nomination. The deadline for nomination is Oct 31, 2005. Information is at www.calgarysportcouncil.ca/award.htm. The award will be presented at the inaugural Mayor’s Breakfast Honouring Sport in Calgary on Nov 16 at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel on November 16th, 2005

Announcing the First Annual Mayors Breakfast Honouring Sport in Calgary.

The Mayor’s Breakfast Honouring Sport in Calgary is a new event being organized by the City of Calgary, the Chamber of Commerce and the Calgary Sport Council.

The breakfast will bring together a mix of grassroots and elite athletes, corporate Calgary and sport leaders. This is a great opportunity for Calgary Sport Council members. We are looking for your help to identify one “up and coming” athlete from your sport or organization to attend the breakfast as our guest (no charge to the athlete). We will be seating “up and coming” athletes and elite athletes at each table.

Can you please identify one athlete between the ages of 16-21 who would be able to attend the breakfast on Wednesday November 16th from 7:00 – 9:30 am. Dress will be business casual. Please send the name and contact information for your athlete by Oct 31st to info@calgarysportcouncil.ca. And if you are interested in finding out more about the breakfast or purchasing a table, please email for more information.

Canadian gymnast Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs wins gold on beam at Massilia Cup.
(Canadian Sport News)

MARSEILLES, France-Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs of Sport Seneca in Toronto earned her first international victory on Sunday with the gold medal on balance beam at the Massilia Cup women’s gymnastics competition.

Hopfner-Hibbs, 16, received a 9.363 score from the judges in the balance beam final finishing ahead of Ashley Priess of the U.S., second at 9.225 and Ashleigh Brennan of Australia third at 9.035. Canadian junior team member Charlotte Mackie, 12, of Omega Gymnastics Academy in Coquitlam, B.C., was fifth at 8.788.

“It feels really good to win, I’ve worked so hard to improve my routines, especially on beam,” said Hopfner-Hibbs. “On beam I have an original routine with a couple skills no one else in the world does. With the world championships coming up I’ve gained a lot of confidence by performing under pressure here.”

The U.S., finished 1-2 on uneven bars with Kassi Price taking the gold at 9.563 and Shayla Worley the silver at 9.500. Anja Brinker of Germany was third at 8.975 edging out Marci Bernholtz of ASF Gymnastics in Richmond Hill, Ont., fourth at 8.962, for the bronze. Hopfner-Hibbs was seventh at 8.588.

On floor, Price won again at 9.512 with Isabelle Severino of France second at 9.413 and her compatriot Emilie Lepennec third at 9.038. Mackie was fifth at 8.625 and Bernholtz seventh at 8.262.

In the team event, Canada 1, with Hopfner-Hibbs and Bernholtz, won the bronze medal finishing ahead of powerhouses Russia, Germany and Australia. France was first and the U.S., second. Canada 2 with Nansy Damianova of Gymnix of Montreal and Dawn Patulli of of WIMGYM, in Beaconsfield, Que., was eighth, Canada Junior 2 was ninth with Mackie and Brittany Rogers of Coquitlam and Canada Junior 1 was 12th with Kristina Vaculik of Gemini Gymnastics in Oshawa, Ont., and Sydney Sawa of the Calgary Gymnastics Club.

In the individual all around standings, Price won gold while Bernholtz was the top Canadian in fourth and Hopfner-Hibbs was eighth.