Beckie Scott (CP)

2002 cross-country gold medallist Beckie Scott is in her finest form ever.
(National Post)

CANMORE, Alta. - They snuck up into the hills of the Canmore Nordic Centre with their Canadian flags and noisy tin cans filled with rocks, those locals who knew the view of their heroine, Beckie Scott, and her trusty sidekick, Sara Renner, would be better from up close on the trail. As it turned out, Scott's dominance could be seen from as far away as Switzerland, where the folks at Federation Internationale de Ski headquarters have been moving her name up the rankings for the past two weeks.

Before the cross-country skiing circuit's return to Canada for a swing through Vernon B.C. and Canmore, Scott had five World Cup medals to her name. Today she has 10, after a fortnight that has catapulted Scott to No. 3 in the overall World Cup standings.

"I don't think I've ever even been in the top five before," she marvelled yesterday, moments after she and Renner collected silver medals in the women's team sprint.

Scott won an Olympic gold medal in 2002 at Salt Lake City with a very timely career performance. She finished in the top 10 in each of her four events. But, as this quadrennial comes to a close, and with February's Turin Olympics right around the corner, there is no comparing her form to what it was four years ago, said husband and training partner, U.S. Olympian Justin Wadsworth.

"Night-and-day difference," Wadsworth said this weekend. "In Salt Lake, she reached her absolute peak right at the Games. Now, I think her level is beyond that, even now. We haven't even started the shorter, hard intervals. We've been keeping the training hard but not peaking. I think, if she can stay healthy and absorb all this, and get the confidence ... I don't think it can be much higher."

With five World Cup medals in two weekends, Scott is not only No. 3 in the World Cup points race, but No. 2 on the money list with 54,000 Swiss francs ($48,573). On Friday she finished 0.24 seconds behind Russian Julija Tchepalova to take home a silver in the 10-km freestyle, before dragging a trailing Tchepalova through the rolling hills of the Canmore Nordic Centre for 15 km in the classical race on Saturday, and pulling away in the final 500 metres in the most impressive victory of the weekend.

"My strategy was pretty simple," said Scott. "I just wanted to ski with the top [group], if not ski away. I felt as long as I skied conservatively for the first half and I still had enough energy left for the rest of the race, I should be OK. I felt like I didn't ski too hard and I was still skiing away."

On every uphill climb, Scott pulled away from Tchepalova. On the downhills, the Russian regained the ground with better technique. Down the final hill on the approach to the stadium, Scott cleaned up her technique and pulled away for a 4.7-second victory.

"There is huge confidence in holding off Tchepalova, the world champion, the whole race," Wadsworth explained. "That kind of race shows how tough she is mentally. When you have someone so close behind you ... I was so impressed with her mentally, more than anything."

Little did she know, Tchepalova had long before given up on catching the Canadian. Asked when she thought she might not win the race, Tchepalova admitted that realization had set in as she became the only one in a field of 52 who could ski with Scott. "[Second place] was enough for me today," she thought to herself as she chased Scott. Bronze medallist Claudia Kuenzel of Germany finished nearly 51 seconds behind Scott, whose confidence is now sky high after hauling five medals -- two golds, three silvers -- in the last two weeks.

"I knew I was on the podium almost from the start because I felt the pace was nothing that I couldn't match, if not beat," she said Saturday. Yesterday, she said she may have found an entirely new level -- just in time for Turin.

"I don't think I have ever felt this strong, in all honesty," admitted Scott, 31. "There is a really good combination of speed, endurance, power and staying power."

It was Renner who fell short on staying power in anchoring the two-skier team sprint yesterday, failing to hold first place down the final sprint. Scott gave her the lead for her final leg, but Renner couldn't hold on in what still stands as their best team sprint result ever, coming just in time for the event's inclusion in the Turin Olympics.

"I didn't want to lead the whole way, so I let Viola Bauer get by," Renner said. She drafted Bauer down the final hill and into the stadium, then pulled out to pass in front of the few thousand fellow Canmorites. "My goal was to slingshot past her and get to the finish line, but the finish line was too far. I ran out of Wheaties."

Emily Brydon (CP)

Brydon, Bourque race to bronze.
(By BEVERLEY SMITH - Globe and Mail Update)

Canadian alpine skiers were a major force in Europe yesterday, and not just because they won two medals.

While Emily Brydon of Fernie, B.C., won a bronze in a World Cup super giant slalom race yesterday in Val d'Isère, France, two other Canadian women cracked the top 10. Kelly VanderBeek of Kitchener, Ont., finished sixth while Geneviève Simard of Val Morin, Que., was ninth.

Also yesterday, in Italy, François Bourque of New Richmond, Que., won bronze in the men's giant slalom to become only the second Canadian skier in history to win a medal in a technical event. The first was Thomas Grandi, who won his first World Cup event last year on the same track at Alta Badia.

Grandi finished 14th yesterday, but Dusan Grasic, men's head technical coach, said the skier was having troubles with his equipment. "He's skiing very strong technically, but we still have to make some fine tuning with his equipment,'' he said.

"At this point, he appears to be more comfortable in slalom."

Bourque said yesterday that Erik Guay's rash of medals over the past week inspired the whole team. Guay won silver in a super G on Friday and a bronze on the downhill on Saturday at Val Gardena, Italy, the same course on which he ruptured a knee two years ago.

Yesterday, Bourque was fourth in his first run, and fastest of the field in the second -- good for third overall, only 0.28 seconds off the winning time.

"I've had a strong start to the season and it's nice to finally step on the podium," said Bourque, who had a fifth and a sixth in the season's first two giant slalom races.

"Alta Badia is one of the toughest courses on the circuit and I had to ski intelligently, knowing where to let it go and where to turn the skis sideways to make the next gate. It's not the kind of hill where you can carve all the way down."

Brydon's medal signalled life on the women's team, after early season disasters. "It's an awesome day for Canada," Brydon said. "We know we're good but it's one thing to know we're good and another to show the world we're good. This is a big step for us and a huge day. I think it will really set the wheels in motion for more and more successes."

Brydon's effort atoned for her 27th in the downhill on Saturday, but she had been blown around by severe gusts of wind. The weather was sunny and calm for yesterday's super G and she finished the course in 1 minute 18.15 seconds, behind Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister, who won in 1:17.59.

"I sucked up the disappointment [from Saturday] and I went out and wanted to redeem myself and wanted no regrets so I charged the course," Brydon said. "I took chances and tried to make the most of it."

Jenn Heil (CP)

Heil Strikes Gold, Richards Wears Silver.
(CBC.ca)

December 18, 2005, OBERSTDORF, Germany – Canada’s two-time defending World Cup moguls champion has started the 2005-2006 freestyle ski season in similar fashion.

Jennifer Heil of Spruce Grove, Alta., won Sunday’s World Cup here Sunday while Kristi Richards of Summerland, B.C., captured the silver medal and the first medal of her World Cup career.“It was a really great day. It’s such a great feeling to be on the podium with another Canadian,” said Heil, knowing the conditions leading into the final were bizarre.

They were the strangest conditions Heil has seen on the World Cup circuit, as a metre of snow fell on the course over the last three days, and left skiers helping organizers on competition day trying to prepare the course as it continued snowing. “They were really tough conditions,” explained Heil. “The landings were so soft that everyone was crashing (in training). I was actually pretty nervous because everyone was having a tough time.” “It was definitely challenging conditions and trying to get into a competition mindset and to get the energy going was difficult,” she added.

Nevertheless, Heil easily won, with a score of 25.86, as Richards – a native of Penticton, B.C. ?? was second in 24.21 and Nikola Sudova of the Czech Republic took third in 23.85. For Richards, 24 years old, the silver medal was a spectacular return from two seasons of frustration while sidelined by injuries much of the time. “Jenn has had such a great career and won so many events, so to be next to the best in the world (on the podium) was amazing,” said Richards. “I was really happy.”

Stéphanie St-Pierre of Victoriaville, Que., was sixth in 21.84, while Audrey Robichaud of Val Bélair, Que., was the fourth Canadian finalist, finishing 14th. Elisa Kurylowicz of Manotick, Ont., was 22nd and Sylvia Kerfoot of Vancouver emerged 30th, a placing behind Hannah Kearney of the U.S. who had won last Wednesday’s World Cup.

Top Canadian male was Jean-Francois Therrien of Laval, Que., with an eighth-place score of 23.15. "I went conservative, but it paid off," said Therrien, who was 7th in the qualifiers as he remains in contention for an Olympic team berth. The other Canadian in the 16-skier final was 11th-place Alexandre Bilodeau of Rosemère, Que. Other Canadian placings were Warren Tanner of Grimsby, Ont., in 18th, Chris Wong of Prince George, B.C., 22nd, Stéphane Agnard of Quebec City 25th, Marc-André Moreau of Chambly, Que., 27th and veteran Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau of Drummondville, Que., 31st.

Pierre Lueders (CP)

CANADA'S PIERRE LUEDERS RETURNS TO WORLD CUP BOBSLEIGH PODIUM.

Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA - The wait is over for veteran bobsleigh pilot Pierre Lueders, who made his return to the familiar position of the World Cup podium after racing to the bronze medal in two-man sledding action Saturday.

"Today is a step forward," said Lueders, the 1998 Olympic gold medallist in the two-man event and Canada's most decorated sliding athlete. "Finally we had a couple of consistent runs, the starts were great and the driving was relatively stable. Even though we hadn't previously been on the podium this season, we've been very competitive in every race we've been in so this felt good today."

The 35-year-old Edmonton native teamed up with brakeman Lascelles Brown. The result was the best thus far in 2005-06 for the tandem of Lueders and Brown, the defending world champions in the two-man event.

Although Saturday's result was a nice shot of confidence for Lueders heading into the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, he admitted the uncertainty of Brown's citizenship status has taken its toll. A native of Jamaica, the 31-year-old Brown has not yet been granted the necessary Canadian citizenship needed for him to slide in Torino, although he remains eligible to compete for Canada on the World Cup circuit. "It's been a tough season with the uncertainty of Lascelles's situation hanging over the team," said Lueders. "That's the focus right now. We need to get him on our Olympic team."

In other Canadian results from Saturday, the Canada 2 sled of pilot Serge Despres and brakeman Nathan Cunningham slid into the 20th position. The Canada 3 sled, comprised of pilot Jayson Krause and brakeman Mike Ransky, finished 29th.

On the women's side, Helen Upperton continued her recent streak. If recent results are any indication, Upperton is on track to becoming one of the most dominant athletes of the international bobsleigh track, with the 26-year-old pilot once again blasting her way into the top-four in World Cup action Friday.

The top-four, incidentally, is becoming familiar terrain for the Calgary athlete, who captured her first career World Cup medal, a bronze, last month on her home track, only to outdo the feat last week after racing to silver in Igls, Austria.  "Overall it's been a wonderful start to the season for her," said Malcolm Lloyd, coach of the national women's bobsleigh team. "Her performances have provided a huge boost to the whole program."

And with two Canadian women's sleds qualified for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, Upperton and the entire national program are sliding on an upward trajectory into an international force to be reckoned with. "I think at the start of the season a lot of people maybe had doubts that Canada could qualify two women's sleds in the Winter Games," said Upperton. "It just shows that our national program is getting so strong. It's very exciting for the team."

In other Canadian results, Lesa Mayes-Stringer, a 37-year-old native of North Battleford, Sask., teamed up with brakeman Nadine Walker, 24, of Borden, Sask., to post a 13th-place finish.

Jeff Pain (CP)

CANADA'S JEFF PAIN SLIDES TO SKELETON GOLD WHILE SETTING NEW TRACK RECORD.

Sigulda, LAT-No pain, no gain: It's one of sport's time-honoured nuggets of wisdom and it's one that holds special resonance for the Canadian Skeleton Team in the wake of a dominating performance by Jeff Pain.

On the day he turned 35, the Calgary athlete set a Sigulda track record in the first heat and won a snow-shortened World Cup race on Thursday. "It was a bitof a relief to take the gold medal," said Pain, the defending world champion and last season's overall World Cup titleholder. "It's definitely a great feeling."

The medal was the second this season for Pain, who took bronze in the debut World Cup race of the 2005-06 season on his home track in Calgary last month.

Teammate Paul Boehm slid to his second medal this season, and his second-best career result, claiming the bronze medal. As a result of Thursday's races, Pain now has 310 points in World Cup seasonal standings, second only to Switzerland's Gregor Staehli, while Boehm is fifth with 258 points.

A third Canadian racer, 39-year-old Toronto native Duff Gibson, also recorded a strong performance Thursday, sliding to fifth place. All of which meant a highly successful showing for the skeleton team as a whole in Sigulda - three male and three female athletes finished in the top-ten, and the Canucks collected three medals in the process. Women's races went yesterday and produced a fourth medal on the season for Canada's Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards.

This latest medal, a bronze, adds to an already impressive collection of hardware gathered this season by the Eckville, Alta. native, who now has four medals in four World Cup races. "It really sunk in with me today that I was wearing the yellow leader's jersey and that I could conquer this track," said Hollingsworth-Richards, who had never previously recorded a top-10 result in Sigulda. "It felt awesome to win a medal here, because I've been terrified of this track the last two years. Every track has its scary points and this one has a lot of very abrupt corners. But my confidence grew over the last few days and I felt great coming in today."

Calgary's Lindsay Alcock was in fifth place, while Michelle Kelly, a native of Fort St. John, B.C., slid to seventh for her best result of the season thus far. Lethbridge, Alta. native Carla Pavan, who won her first career gold medal last week in Igls, Austria, tied for the 13th position.

After Wednesday's race, Canada leads the nation standings in women's skeleton with a commanding 225 points, enjoying a sizable margin over the 198 accrued by second-place Germany, and looks sure to earn two entries for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Cindy Klassen (CP)

CINDY KLASSEN: SPEED SKATING
(The Ottawa Sun)

It’s far too early, not to mention unfair, to say Cindy Klassen will carry the weight of a nation on her shoulders in Turin. She might want to get prepared, though, for the added load she’ll lug over to Italy, come the Winter Olympics.

The Winnipeg speed skater with the red hair and big smile will not only be a gold-medal favourite, she’s a real threat to win more than one. Of the five events she’ll enter (the 1,000, 1,500, 3,000, 5,000 and team pursuit), Klassen is a medal contender in at least four.

So, yes, February will bring a few expectations for the 26-year-old, as sure as it’ll bring chilly temperatures to her home town. Given this country’s occasional Olympic stumble in the past, you’d expect Klassen to shudder at the prospect. Instead, she offers a simple shrug. “I’m just trying to remember I’m doing the best that I can,” Klassen told the Sun. “It’s the same distances I’ve been racing my whole career, the same people I’ve been racing against. Just try to stay focused on that and not anything else. “And remembering you’re doing it for yourself, you’re not doing it for anybody else. That’s a big thing.”

That said, Klassen appears geared up for the Games, showing the world she meant business the moment she got out of the starting blocks this season. She kicked off the World Cup circuit by setting a world record in the 3,000 metres. Next came a world record in her specialty, the 1,500. When Germany’s Anni Friesinger topped that, Klassen promptly one-upped her rival again. “I’m satisfied with the way things have been going,” she said. “And when we get to Torino, I hope I’m completely rested and ready to go.”

That preparation has included regular work with a sports psychologist, to help Klassen deal with the expected pressure. Her coach, Neal Marshall, says it’s all about perception. “If you perceive the pressure is on you, then there will be pressure on you,” Marshall said. “If you get a good perspective on it and frame it the way you want to, then you have the ability to feel as free as you want to, also. “I’m extremely confident in how she’s going to handle that. It’s something she’s been thinking about and starting to work on right from the beginning of the training in May.”
Based on her season to date, Klassen brushes aside pressure like it’s second-rate competition.

Of course, no dress rehearsal can replicate the real thing. When it gets right down to it, Klassen says she’ll lean on her faith, as much as anything else. “I believe I’ve been given this gift, and I want to use it to my full potential,” she said.

Zina Kocher (CP)

Canadian Kocher fifth at biathlon World Cup event.
(CBC Sports)

Clean shooting and a little patience saw Zina Kocher of Red Deer, Alta., claim a surprising fifth-place Saturday in the women's 7.5-kilometre race at the World Cup biathlon event in Osrblie, Slovakia. "This is a good mental breakthrough for me," said an emotional Kocher from her hotel room after the race. "I've shot clean twice in one week, so I'm extremely happy."

Kocher, 23, who started ninth, was perfect in both rifle rounds and came through the finish second. She then had to wait for the more than 100 entries to complete the sprint course before learning her fate. "We were thinking I was in a strong position to be top-15 as I was entering the last lap," said Kocher. "I was coming out of the cool-down when [coach] Richard [Boruta] told me I was pretty much guaranteed fifth and had to line up for the prize-giving ceremony. "My team was down there shouting and hugging me, and I just lost it. It was so unexpected.

The Brezno-Osrblie course has turned into one of Kocher's favourites, as it's now the site of her best-ever result. "I really enjoy the course – it's like a roller coaster," she said. "It has a long downhill into the range where if you skate-ski, you can really make up some time.

Kocher's finish also put her into Sunday's pursuit, a race that included only the top 60. She came 30th overall. Kocher's teammates Martine Albert of Rimouski, Que., and Marie-Pierre Parent, of St-Paul de Joliette, Que., narrowly missed earning berths in Sunday's pursuit. Albert and Parent finished 65th and 66th respectively.

Kyle Shewfelt in the U of C Training Centre (CP)

U of C boasts host of national team members: Seven of 14 athletes make the grade.
(The Calgary Herald)

Kyle Shewfelt doesn't have to go far to train with his Canada teammates. No more trips across the country just to see his Maple Leaf-wearing ilk. No more team bonding by MSN. All he has to do now is take a quick look around the University of Calgary gym to see half his Canadian pals going through their routines.

In what is likely a first in Canadian gymnastics, seven of the 14-strong men's squad -- named a week ago -- are from the same club, a club that a decade ago hardly rated an optimistic 8.4. "I don't think there's a program in Canada, ever, that has had seven national team members at the same time," said Tony Smith, head coach of the U of C's gymnastics club. "We've never had this many on the national team before. Certainly in Canada, this is the best program for sure."

The university team solidified its position at the top of Canadian gymnastics at a recent Elite Canada meet in Ottawa. The team won several medals -- Nathan Gafuik won bronze in the men's all around and Grant Golding was first in rings and parallel bars, and second in the pommel horse -- but it was the performances of the newcomers that really surprised.

Four gymnasts -- brothers Mike and Luke Boyd, Warren Yang and Matt Beiler -- made the national team for the first time, after moving to the Calgary club just four months earlier. And this, while Olympic gold medallist and U of C member Kyle Shewfelt watched from the sidelines, still recovering from a broken foot suffered nine weeks ago.

Smith expected little out of his new proteges. Certainly not spots on the Canadian squad. "They aren't used to the system here, so they had a huge learning curve in just three months, which is ridiculous in gymnastics," said Smith. "None of these guys had ever competed well in Canada before. They really performed poorly over the last couple of years. So I would never have guessed that all the new guys would make the national team."

Shewfelt, who joined the university gym club after last year's Olympics, credits his new teammates with reigniting his passion for competing at the highest level. After 16 years at Altadore, under coach Kelly Manjak, Shewfelt has embraced the team atmosphere, something rare in Canadian gymnastics. "This is something I never had before the Olympics, training with a big team. Every day, I come in here and there's seven national team members here," said the 23-year-old. "It's a change for the better. I spent 16 years at Altadore and I wouldn't change that for the world, but this is something different, a nice change. "Now I am gearing up for the Commonwealth Games and the worlds. This is exactly the place I need to be to do that."

Mike Boyd, who with his younger brother Luke left Toronto to join the U of C in September, had never made the national team until now. When their coach in Toronto returned to Russia to take over that country's program, the Boyds packed up and headed west. "This place has had nothing but a good reputation," said Mike Boyd. "You almost have no choice but to improve. The amazing part is three of us came here with absolutely nothing under our belts and now we are on the national team. "I could injure myself and have to stop gymnastics right now and I could hold these past few months as one of the best experiences I've had."

Coming to Calgary has also meant setting new goals. "Growing up, my long-term goal was always to make the senior national team, and now that's happened," said Boyd. "It's time to set some new goals.

Mass Start Mens Race at Canmore

Alberta Centennial World Cup 2005 in Canmore a Huge Success.

Canmore, December 18, 2005: The Alberta Centennial World Cup ofcross-country skiing wrapped up today with another great medal-winning performance by Canadian athletes in Canmore. Beckie Scott and Sara Renner teamed up for a silver medal in the women’s 6x1.2 km team sprint event.

Beckie Scott also won a silver medal in the 10 km. individual start and a gold medal in the 15 km. mass start events. “This week has been a tremendous success. Over 10,000 fans came out this week to see the world’s best skiers,” said Chief of Media Jason Hatcher. " We had great weather, great skiing, and one of the world’s top Nordic venues. What a way to close out Alberta’s centennial celebration!”

Entrance to the event was by way of a donation to the Calgary and Canmore Food Banks. Spectators generously donated 3000 pounds of food and $2500 in cash over the three-day event.

The Government of Alberta invested over $23 million into the Canmore Nordic Centre to upgrade the 1988 Olympic facility to be one of the world’s best current venues. The event was televised across Europe with an audience of over 50 million. “The world was watching Canmore this weekend and they got a great show,” said Hatcher. “Hopefully our Canadian athletes will take the momentum from their success on home snow all the way to the Olympics.”

“The Local Organizing Committee is very pleased with the success of this event but we will be working hard to bring the World Cup back to Canmore in 2007 and 2009 as we head towards the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver,” said Hatcher. “The investment from the Government of Alberta will not only bring international competitions to Canmore but will also provide training facilities for future Olympians, and recreational trails for any level of skier to enjoy."

Momentum builds: With Turin in sights, Canada second in World Cup medals.
(The Vancouver Sun)

Canadian athletes are flying high as they take aim at the medal podium for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

And we're not just talking freestyle ski aerialists like Calgarians Warren Shouldice and Kyle Nissen, who soared to gold and bronze, respectively, on Friday in a World Cup event in China. Or even Quebecer Erik Guay, who flew down the famed hill in Val Gardena, Italy, the same day en route to a history-making silver in a Super-G race.

Earlier this week, the Canadian Olympic Committee released numbers that showed that in competitions through last weekend, Canada was second in total 2005-06 World Cup medals with 74, behind only the 84 of the U.S. Since Monday, Canada has added a handful more medals in freestyle, alpine and cross-country skiing and skeleton.

The slip, slide and airborne twist to the podium is a signal, the COC said, that the country remains on target for a top-three finish in the medals table at Turin and a first-place finish at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver-Whistler.

The World Cup success follows a strong 2005 world championship season, during which Canada claimed 28 medals with all the best athletes competing, trailing only Norway (33) and Germany (32). "There's a momentum building," says Alex Gardiner, the COC's director of international performance. "When athletes see other athletes in their own disciplines or in other disciplines on the podium, when they see that gathering of high-level results, they can drop that complex that we've had nationally that we can't get there, that we can't win. "'If her, why not me?' or 'if him, why not me?' There's a psychological momentum and a psychological readiness that comes with success."

As good as the results are, however, there's still a wariness about dancing too jubilantly around the old Maple Leaf.

Last January's Own the Podium report, in which the COC set a bold target of 25 medals in Turin -- up from 17 at Salt Lake City in 2002 when Canada was fourth -- and a table-leading 35 in 2010, noted Canada's checkered history when Olympic gold is on the line and the pressure to perform is at its most intense.

At Salt Lake, Canada's potential medallists -- anyone who had two top-five finishes in the World Cup or equivalent during the season leading to the Games -- only had a 27-per-cent success rate in reaching the podium. The Olympic average was 45 per cent, and the four other top-five countries -- Germany, the U.S., Norway and Austria -- had a conversion rate of 65 per cent.

At those Games, speedskater Jeremy Wotherspoon, a gold-medal favourite, tripped over his feet at the start of the 500-metre sprint and snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson, another gold-medal favourite, had the slowest time in qualifying for the parallel giant slalom.

Gardiner says Canada has already begun to address some of the identified reasons for Canada's poor conversion rate. There are more physiotherapists, massage therapists, psychologists and wax tuners travelling with athletes this season.

And some sports are already taking advantage of technological advances through Own the Podium's Top Secret program, which has brought together some of the sharpest minds in sport research and development. "That's the standard," said Gardiner. "In the past, in some sports we haven't had that. You have to have the pit crew around the athlete. These are not luxuries. It's a basic standard of care and Own the Podium has to deliver that.

"The early numbers [on World Cup circuits] haven't always guaranteed top results at the Olympics, but we're seeing athletes this season put together repeat performances, they're doing it consistently time and time again."

In particular, he noted the strong seasons by long-track speedster Cindy Klassen, the four medals in four events by skeleton athlete Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards, and cross-country skier Beckie Scott's three medals this month when the World Cup circuit in that sport came to Canada for two weekends for the first time since 1994. "In the world of high-performance sport, you look at the profiles of athletes coming into the Games," said Gardiner, a former track and field executive. "Look at [sprint gold medallist] Donovan Bailey coming into Atlanta [in 2000]. His credentials were there all season, he was healthy and his runs were in a certain range. Everything was right for a peak performance.

"On occasion, you'll get someone come out of nowhere. But when you see what Mellisa is doing, when you see Cindy Klassen repeating over and over again, that's the kind of tracking we're looking for."

Having a couple of yearly World Cups at home has been critical for Canada's freestyle and snowboard teams. It's clearly paid dividends this season for Scott, a 31-year-old from Vermilion, Alta. "My training and the racing has gone better than ever," Scott said after a silver Thursday in a 10-kilometre race at Canmore, Alta. "We had the opportunity to stay home and not have to travel throughout Europe this fall. That allowed us to have solid, continuous training. I notice that I have more endurance and I can be faster longer."

Golden native Sara Renner, who was third in a 1.1-kilometre sprint won by Scott at Vernon, says the athletes will be helped by the fact the public seems to be slowly discovering that Canadians are among the top competitors. "Canada is just starting to move to become a little more interested in Olympic sport and winter sport," Renner told the National Post this week. "Canadians love the Olympic sports. I mean, Canadians love the Olympics. But we disappear for four years in between."

They'll be front and centre in two months in Turin, when it will be time for Canada to up its conversion rate and make good on its commitment to excellence.