Canada Heads to Olympic Winter Games Ranked  Second Overall in Total 2005-06 World Cup Medals.
(COC)

TURIN, February 6, 2006 – After concluding one of the most successful seasons in the history of Canadian winter high-performance sport, Canada remains on track to achieve its goal of being one of the top three nations at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games after finishing second overall in the final pre-Olympic 2005-06 World Cup medal standings.

From the start of the season, through last weekend’s competitions, Canada ranked second overall in the number of total 2005-06 World Cup medals won with 136 (accomplished in a nation-leading 42 events and nine sports).  Germany led all nations with 175 podium finishes (39 events and 12 sports) followed by Canada, the United States of America with 132 (40 events and 10 sports), Austria with 100 (24 events and nine sports) and Norway with 86 (31 events and eight sports).

Overall, Canada’s current medal haul of 136 in 2005-06 is 28 ahead of the pace set in 2004-05 and 37 ahead of the pace set in 2003-04.  

The Canadian Olympic Committee’s (COC) findings were compiled using the results of the 75 events on the 2006 Olympic Winter Games program which have been contested on the World Cup or Grand Prix circuit to date.  The 2006 Games in Turin will feature a total of 84 events in 15 disciplines.

“The 2005-06 World Cup season has been an unequivocal success for Canadian winter high-performance sport,” said COC Director of International Performance, Alex Gardiner.  “Heading into the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, the Canadian Olympic Committee continues to encourage and support this momentum as we strive to achieve our goal of a top-three finish in Turin.”

Last season, World Championship podium performances indicated that Canada was on target for a top-three finish at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games after ranking third overall in terms of total medals won at 2005 World Championship events.

Canada’s 2005 World Championship medal tally of 28 trailed only Norway and Germany which captured 33 and 32 medals respectively. The United States ranked fourth with 25 while Russia finished fifth with 20.

In 2002, Canada finished fourth at the Olympic Winter Games with 17 total medals after garnering a fifth-best total of 18 medals in 2001 World Championship events.

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s involvement in the Olympic movement, including Canada’s participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For more information, see the COC website: www.olympic.ca.

Sara Renner (CP)

Renner wins cross-country world cup silver.
(CBC Sports)

Canada's Sara Renner won a silver medal in the women's World Cup cross-country 10-kilometre classical race Sunday in Davos, Switzerland. Finland's Virpi Kuitunen easily won the gold medal. Renner, a native of Canmore, Alta., finished second, while Slovania's Petra Majdic took third.

Renner said she felt strong heading into Sunday's race. "I'm on my form right now," said Renner. "The training program and the peaking program that I have are designed for me to ski as fast as possible. I started ahead of all the really big shooters today, and I was getting hints along the way that I was in medal contention. "I just charged uphill when I had to and I felt very relaxed going into the race."

Salt Lake City Olympic gold medallist Beckie Scott of Vermilion, Alta., finished fourth. Her teammate Chandra Crawford, 22, of Canmore, Alta., placed 50th in Sunday's 10 km. Crawford captured a bronze medal on Saturday in the women's World Cup cross-country sprint. "This is just great timing for me with the Olympics less than a week away," said Renner. "Plus I also have to keep up with the rookie [Crawford]."

"The whole climate of our team right now is really take no prisoners," said Crawford, whose focus now turns to the Olympic Games. "We are unforgiving and ready to challenge the best. There is a real vibe going through our entire team. Today I was as excited for my podium finish as Drew's (Goldsack) amazing result in the men's race - that was awesome too."

Renner, a bronze medallist at the world championships last year, improved her World Cup medal total to three this season. She won a silver and a bronze medal during World Cup events last December in Vernon, B.C., and Canmore. "Sara had an incredible performance today, one I would say is certainly as good as she had at the world championships last year," said Canadian coach Dave Wood. "It was a huge, huge breakthrough for her."

On the men's side, in the 15 km event ,George Grey of Rossland, B.C., placed 35th, Devon Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., finished 43rd, and Chris Jefferies of Chelsea, Que., took 59th. "The guys are moving in the right direction," said Wood. "George was just a few seconds out of the top-30 today and that shows he's on the right track."

with files from Canadian Press and the Calgary Olympic Development Association

Gen Simard (CP)

Simard 4th in women's GS World Cup.
(CBC Sports)

Canadian Genevieve Simard just missed the medal podium Saturday by finishing fourth in a women's World Cup giant slalom race. "I'm really happy, especially with the second run," said Simard. "I skied much better today than I did yesterday. To finish fourth just before the Olympics is great."

Christina Lustenberger of Invermere, B.C., ended up 10th while Allison Forsyth of Canmore, Alta., was 17th. "I'm really stoked to be here," said Lustenberger. "I had four awesome runs this weekend so I'm really pleased. I'm looking forward to the Olympics, representing my country and skiing well."

Alex Bilodeau (CP)

Bilodeau wins freestyle gold.
(CBC Sports)

Canadian Alexandre Bilodeau struck gold by winning a World Cup freestyle moguls event Saturday in the Czech Republic. The 18-year-old native of Rosemere, Que., posted a score to beat out Dale Begg-Smith of Australia and Nathan Roberts of the United States.

With the victory, Bilodeau climbed into second place with 436 points in the men's overall standings behind Begg-Smith (585). "I'm feeling really confident and I did my two big jumps I want to do at the Olympics," said Bilodeau, who earned his third World Cup medal Saturday.

With the Torino Games a week away, many skiers and all other members of the Canadian Olympic team skipped the event. Bilodeau decided to compete in order to keep the heat on Begg-Smith in the battle for the overall title. "Not everybody was there today, but a lot of them were, like Dale Begg-Smith," he said. "My plan at the beginning of the season was to be training (with the rest of the Canadian team), but obviously everything has gone better than I thought."

Sherraine MacKay (CP)

Fencer MacKay golden again.
(CBC Sports)

Fencer Sherraine MacKay won her second straight World Cup gold medal on Saturday, becoming the first Canadian fencer to ever be ranked No. 1 in the world. MacKay, a native of Brooks, Alta., defeated Imke Duplitzer of Germany 15-14 in the final of the Saint Maur Grand Prix in France.

The victory was enough to move MacKay past Duplitzer to No. 1 in the women's epee fencing rankings. She also won gold at the Prague d'Or Epee World Cup on Jan. 29. "I'm thrilled," MacKay said. "Sometimes you just have to pinch yourself to realize that for this moment, there's no one in the whole entire fencing community ranked above you."

MacKay opened the day with a 15-14 win over Li Zhang of China, then topped Poland's Malgorzata Stroka 15-10. She escaped with a 7-6 overtime win over Romania's Loredana Iordachioiu before dumping Olga Aleksejeva 15-10 in the quarter-finals. In the semifinals, MacKay beat Laura Flessel-Colovic of France 15-9.

Dr. Kimberley Amirault (CP)

Olympic head games: 12 sports psychologists join Canadians.
(RANDY STARKMAN TORONTO STAR)

In six days, Canada's best winter athletes will march into the chill air of Turin's Stadio Olimpico while trying to cope with grim expectations.

A study conducted by 13 major sports groups concludes that the country's Olympians have a history of choking on their big days, meaning Canada consistently returns home with a medal haul well below targets. With hopes at their highest level ever — the Canadian Olympic Committee aims to win a record 25 medals in Turin — sports officials are trying to shrink the problem.

One of their weapons is psychology. The Canadian team in Turin will have 12 sports psychologists, nearly double the seven it had in Salt Lake City four years ago. Their job will be to help eliminate infamous flops like speed skater Jeremy Wotherspoon's sprawling wipeout at the 2002 Olympics. Wotherspoon's slip from grace — he was a heavy favourite for gold — is emblematic of Canada's medal struggles.

According to a study done by Own The Podium, a $110 million program aimed at dramatically boosting Canada's Olympic standing, Canadian medal contenders did woefully in Salt Lake City, even though Canada finished with a national record 17 medals. Canada's "conversion rate" was 27 per cent, compared with 92 per cent for Germany and 65 per cent for the United States.

Part of the problem may be that our athletes are too nice. "People performing at a high level need to have a bit of an edge to them," said Kimberley Amirault, who is the Director of Sport Psychology for the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary and will be in Turin working with the speed skaters. "We're a culture of wonderful, really nice people, but I think if you're going to compete and perform you have to be tougher in some ways."

Amirault developed her theory in part while working with the New York Rangers and their former captain Mark Messier, an NHL legend for his mental toughness and leadership. "It's (becoming like) those people who perform regardless of the challenge around and are also optimistic they can handle any (problems) and believe they can overcome it. ... "It takes a long time culturally to make that change. Our athletes sometimes get too caught up in not wanting to offend anybody."

`The Olympics stir up emotions ... that have never been stirred up before' says Pierre Lueders, Canadian bobsled pilot.

Judy Goss, athlete services co-ordinator for the COC and a trained sports psychologist, said the increased presence of sports psychologists at the Turin Games isn't a magic pill to put athletes on the podium but is part of a long-term strategy. All 12 psychologists have been working extensively with the athletes and teams leading up to the Olympics, a change from the past when they were often brought in just for the Games. "There are so many things that are at the Games that make it so different and so overwhelming that sometimes when you have that person who can maybe refocus you one more time, you can get back to what you need to do," Goss said.

As bobsled pilot Pierre Lueders of Edmonton notes, the "Olympics are a different beast." The thing I found over my career is the Olympics stir up emotions in an athlete or in a person that have never been stirred up before — and that's something you have to be careful of," said Lueders, who won Olympic gold in 1998 and is one of the country's brashest and most confident competitors.

Veteran sports psychologist Terry Orlick, who works with gold-medallist cross-country skier Beckie Scott as well as the Canadian alpine team, teaches athletes to look for reasons to be confident and not to dwell on mistakes by debriefing them after every race to refine the focus points that consistently give them their best performance. "At that level, it is a mental thing," said Orlick, who guided 1992 Olympic women's downhill gold medalist Kerrin Lee Gartner. "It is mindset, it is focus, it is putting away distractions and the better you are able to do that the better your chances of being on the podium."

Skeleton racer Lindsay Alcock, who rockets face-first down icy tracks at speeds of more than 100 kilometres an hour, can relate to the need to ignore distractions. "When I try to control too much, the flow is gone," Alcock said. "With our sport, you have to let things flow."

Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg, a speed skater with a shot at four medals in Turin, said she usually talks to coach Neal Marshall and sport psychologist at the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary Derek Robinson when she's nervous before a race. "We talk about anything, joke around. That helps a lot. (Robinson) is great. ... I think it's helped me realize I'm doing sport because I like it and enjoy it. When you're out there alone, it's easy to get nervous and anxious."

Athletes also need to know how to cope with the media. To prepare for sudden attention after years of near-anonymity, Amirault set up simulations with a reporter and TV crew for speed skaters and their coaches. "They hounded them from different angles with questions that may or may not throw skaters off, everything from about Jeremy (Wotherspoon) falling to medal expectations," said Amirault, who worked with Canada's gold-medal winning women's hockey team in Salt Lake City. "It's about making people learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. "My job is to help people accept the fact there will be distractions, but to perform regardless."

Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards (AP)

RIDIN' AND SLIDIN'; MARRIAGE IS AN ADVENTURE FOR SKELETON RACER MELLISA HOLLINGSWORTH-RICHARDS AND RODEO COWBOY BILLY RICHARDS.
(The Edmonton Sun)

What's most scary?
Spending eight seconds on a bucking bronc? Or sliding down a bobsled track head-first? It's a family debate.

Billy Richards you may remember from appearances in Canadian Finals Rodeos, riding rough stock in saddle bronc - especially the one two years ago where he set the second-highest points total in history (87.5) despite riding on a broken leg. His wife, Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards, has made it to the Turin Olympics, going the head-first-down-a-bobsled-run in the event known as skeleton. "My theory is that rodeo is tougher because at least in skeleton, you always know which way the next turn is going to go. On a bucking bronc, you don't,'' said the Eckville slider on the phone from Igls, Austria, yesterday.

It was enough of a debate in the family that Billy made a wager with his wife, who is one of the best stories in Canadian sports having just won the World Cup championship and finishing on the podium in all seven events this year. "The bet was that I'd have to ride a bucking bronc if he did a skeleton run. He did it in Calgary this summer. So now, I have to ride a bronc. I don't think I'll pay that bet off until after Vancouver 2010, though.''

A bet you wouldn't have made last summer was that Mellisa would be going into the Turin Olympic Winter Games as a gold-medal favourite and one of the best stories on the 198-member Canadian Olympic Team. Until this year, she'd only made it to the World Cup podium three times in total in 10 years in the sport. This year she's not only the World Cup champion but has shown remarkable consistency in not finishing lower than third. "I don't think it has been done before,'' said Teresa Schlachter, GM of Canada's skeleton program.
It's all about love and money, says Mellisa.

Melissa, when she walked down the aisle last summer to marry her bronc rider, says she decided that was the time to stop playing it safe in both her normal life and in her sport. She not only acquired a husband, she acquired a sponsor and the 'Own the Podium' money kicked in. "I'm a poster girl for what sponsorship and 'Own the Podium' can do. Our whole skeleton team is a great example of what funding can do.''

"I met my sponsor, Paul Bray of True Energy Trust, at the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary's annual Golf with an Olympian tournament. He set up a contract for three years and bought me a new sled. With the money, I didn't have to worry about working.

"The 'Own the Podium' money really helped our whole team with the coaching and support staff we have now. A great example is what it did for me. I was able to have 40 hours in the new wind tunnel built in Ottawa. That's worth about $1,500 an hour. I made a lot of changes because of what I discovered in that wind tunnel. I'm an example of what happens when somebody invests in you.''

But being married to the rodeo cowboy has added a stability to her life, too. "He's my security blanket,'' she said. "He's that little extra something in support that's there. It works so well between us. I know what he needs to do when he's gone for a month at a time, and he knows what I need to do. There's never any whining on the other end of the phone.''

Born in Lacombe, which hasn't produced many Olympians (sports columnists don't count), Hollingsworth-Richards grew up in Eckville, pop. 600, about 40 km to the west. And Eckville is where they'll hold their own opening ceremonies to celebrate on Feb. 10. "My aunt Cheryl Gelinas has set up a website, www.go-mellisa-go.ca. They're selling bracelets and T-shirts.
It sounds like it's going to be a pretty good deal.'' Too bad she can't be there. "I'm going to be marching in the opening ceremonies and I'd have carried the flag, too, if they'd asked me,'' she laughed.

Beckie Scott (CP)

Beckie Scott heads to 2006 Olympics as a star after surprise gold in 2002.

Canadians hardly knew Beckie Scott prior to the 2002 Olympics, when she left for Salt Lake City as a rising star in a sport little known on this side of the globe. Four years later the native of Vermilion, Alta., will arrive at the Turin Winter Games as the defending cross-country skiing pursuit champion and one of the best-known faces on the Canadian Olympic team.

There are new pressures, new expectations and more demands this time around on the 31-year-old, who has grown into one of Canada's most prominent amateur athletes. Scott has also become one of sport's most passionate anti-doping advocates since her memorable run through the Soldier Hollow course.

"I know what my own expectations are and what I hope to bring the table to when I have to during my races and that's where my pressure will be coming from," Scott said Friday on a conference call from Davos, Switzerland. "I'm approaching these Games with much of the same attitude - that I want to enjoy them, enjoy every day, enjoy my team and have it be an all-around positive time."

She should, particularly since the road from Salt Lake City to Turin was so gruelling, she contemplated leaving the sport altogether.

Scott finished third in the five-kilometre pursuit in 2002, making history as the first North American woman to win a cross-country Olympic medal. But she really left her mark over the coming months when the women who finished ahead of her, Russians Olga Danilova and Larissa Lazutina, tested positive for banned substances.

Those doping infractions triggered a lengthy 22-month run of court battles from Switzerland to Russia that would eventually lead to her receiving gold at a ceremony in Vancouver on June 25, 2004. During that time, Scott spoke eloquently about the need to punish drug cheats in sports and to protect athletes who competed clean. Her battle helped rewrite Olympic rules so athletes caught doping at a Games loses their medals.

But that fight, along with regular competition, took a toll on her and by the end of the 2003-04 season she was spent. "I actually prepared myself for retirement," said Scott. "I had decided to either retire or take a very long break. I wasn't sure, I just needed some time away from sport. . . . I just wasn't convinced I had it in me to give 100 per cent anymore. . . .

"I ended up taking five months completely off training and stepped away from sport and it gave me enough time to get some perspective and balance and some appreciation for the sport. I came back with tremendously renewed enthusiasm and excitement for it."

It has really shown this season. Heading into this weekend's event, she has three World Cup victories and a total of six podiums. And she's been helping teammate Sara Renner of Canmore, Alta., who won a World Cup bronze on her own and a silver with Scott in the team sprint. "I'm the Beckie Scott in waiting," Renner joked. "I train with Beckie and I get to see her strengths and I can always compare myself to the best in the world. That's pretty much an ideal situation."

Much of the credit for the profile the Canadian Nordic team now enjoys also belongs to Scott, whose Olympic medal helped attract the backing of corporate sponsors. Canada is sending 12 cross-country skiers to Italy, including a young men's team led by veteran George Grey of Rossland, B.C., that is building toward Vancouver in 2010 "Heading into these Olympics we've shown . . . that many athletes can fight at the front of the pack," said national team coach Dave Wood. "We can chase the podium in more than a single event and I don't think we could have said that ever before."

After World Cup races Saturday and Sunday, the cross-country team will travel to Italy on Monday, get their credentials and then head for their rented apartment, which is right by the trail. They plan to isolate themselves there, with no visits from friends or family, as they make their final preparations. "And avoid anyone who sneezes," Scott said laughing.

Scott is going to have a busy Olympics, competing in the 15-kilometre double pursuit, the sprint, the 10-kilometre classic, the 30-kilometre free, the team sprint and the 4x5-kilometre relay. "It has to be a perfect day, a perfect race with everything coming together in complete harmony to be a gold-medal winning race," she said. "And I just hope that when that day comes, that will be the case."

Kristina Groves (CP)

Groves works for stardom: Olympic skating medal threat 'a late bloomer'.
(The Calgary Herald)

There's a girl on Kristina Groves' street back in Ottawa that pretty much sums up her own speed-skating career. "She's this skinny, awkward, knock-kneed little kid," says Groves, with great fondness. "She started skating six or seven years ago. I babysat her when she was four and she kind of reminds me of me.

"She's 16 now and there are kids her age who are just way better than her. "I tell her, 'Sometimes it's not good to bloom really early and be really good without working for it.' I had to work for it a lot and I guess I appreciate that."

Indeed, nothing has come easy for Groves. Nor has it come quickly. Her nine seasons on Canada's national team have been marked by gradual, constant progress. Little by little, year after year, she closed the gap between herself and the world's best. The angle of her ascent looked like a metre stick with a marble under one end.

But the thing is, she never stopped rising. Still hasn't. "Everyone's on a different path," says the 29-year-old, who lives and trains in Calgary. "I never really had any doubts that I was going to continue improving. It's just that my path has been perhaps a little windier and longer than others. "But I always saw little improvements that were motivating to me."

It's a good thing Groves stayed patient because she's now approaching the pinnacle of her sport. She heads into the Winter Olympics as a medal threat in the 1,500m, 3,000m and team pursuit events. She'll also race the 5,000m and 1,000m, but those distances aren't her strengths. "It's hard to explain exactly how I got here," says Groves, who has skated 15 personal-best times in the past year. "I just do what I do every day. Work hard.

"It took time to get everything to come together -- mentally, the way I approach racing, I'm more consistent, I'm stronger, I'm powerful, I'm fitter. Technically, I've improved drastically in the past four years. "I'm just a late bloomer. It takes a long time to get things done. I'm OK with that. I'm not sad that I didn't win a medal when I was 20, or anything."

Although, admits Groves, it stung a few years back when two athletic marvels joined the long-track program and quickly zoomed passed her. Cindy Klassen arrived six years ago and almost immediately became a sensation. A year later, Clara Hughes made the jump from cycling and quickly emerged as one of the top distance skaters.

Meanwhile, Groves was somewhere in the middle of her lengthy progression. "Initially, I was taken aback," says Groves, who didn't win her first World Cup medal until November 2004. "I spent a couple of years skating with girls who were older than me and I expected them to be better because they were older. Then, these two came in and just blew everyone out of the water."

"When I was younger, it was a little hard to take initially. I was like, 'Aw, I've been working so hard and I'm not getting there.' But as time went on, I just saw how good these girls were and how fit they were. They showed me that it's possible. "We never had girls like that before in (distance) speed skating, winning medals all over the place. To be honest, I don't know if I'd be where I am today if they weren't here to do that. "They just opened the door for everyone on the team. Now, I'm just so thankful that we have a chance to skate together and our team is so strong."

And on any given day, Groves can top them on a podium. Although -- and this is one big reason for her improvement -- racing to her is not all about winning. "I spent a lot of years caring about what the number was beside my name," she says. "I went through a couple of years where some of the results weren't so good and I really had to change how I felt about results.

"The feeling I get now when I cross the line, I know instantly if I had a good race. Before, I crossed the line and looked to see how everyone else did. Then, I would be disappointed about seventh, or happy about fifth. "Now, it doesn't matter to me. I remember the first couple of times I was on the podium, it was kind of surreal because that wasn't the moment I was happiest about -- it was the way I skated in those races."

Given the route Groves travelled to prominence, she developed one of the healthiest attitudes an athlete can possess. She has a fulfilling life outside of the sport -- she has a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology, she's learning to play guitar, she took classes in meditation and woodworking -- and realizes that speed skating doesn't define her as a person. "We'll talk every once in awhile," says sports psychologist Cal Botterill, "and when Kristina leaves the office, I feel like I should thank her for her time."

Charmaine Reid (CP)

Calgary athletes win 3 out of 5 national badminton titles.
(Charmaine Reid)

We just finished our nationals in Whitehorse with Calgary athletes capturing 3 of the 5 titles. Charmaine Reid, Will Millroy, Mike Beres and Helen Nichol come away from Whitehorse, Yukon as national champions in three events.

Women's singles Charmaine Reid (Calgary) defeated Anna Rice 11-9, 13-10

Men's doubles Will Milroy (Calgary) and Mike Beres defeated Philippe Bourret/ Mathieu Leforest 15-5, 15-13

Daniel Igali and President of Lottery Gaming for BC, Jim Lightbody (CP)

British Columbia Lottery Corporation launches SportsFunder lottery to support amateur sport in B.C.

(Vancouver) Thursday, February 2, 2006 — Today, British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games announced their new partnership with the unveiling of SportsFunder, a suite of lottery games that will produce an estimated $20 million for amateur sport in B.C.

Funds generated through the sale of SportsFunder-branded products will be targeted at four areas: 1) Sport BC’s KidSport™ program providing sport registration grants to financially disadvantaged children; 2) Game Plan/Team BC, providing support for high-performance B.C. athletes; 3) financial assistance for coaching development; 4) travel assistance for B.C. athletes to attend sporting competitions.

SportsFunder lottery games feature prizing that will provide winners with exciting Olympic opportunities, such as travel, merchandise and even tickets to events including the Vancouver 2010 opening ceremony.

“We’re giving lottery players an exciting new choice of play with the opportunity to win great prizes while directly supporting the dreams of amateur athletes across the province,” said Vic Poleschuk, President and CEO of BCLC. “Amateur sports are an important part of many people’s lives and these lottery games reflect our commitment to strengthening B.C. communities.”

“Today marks another milestone in our exciting journey to Canada’s Games," said John Furlong, VANOC CEO. “We are very proud to welcome BCLC and its employees to our family of Olympic partners. The Corporation shares our commitment to create a climate of possibility that celebrates everyday champions. The SportsFunder initiative provides a unique way for British Columbians to share in the spirit of the Games while supporting the dreams of amateur athletes. As a recognized corporate leader in our province, BCLC will help to ensure that we achieve our goal to inspire greatness.”

BCLC net income generated from SportsFunder products will be administered by the provincial government through the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and the Arts. Funds generated are over and above any current funding provided to B.C.’s sport and recreation system.

CANADA OLYMPIC PARK TO HOST 17-DAY CELEBRATION DURING 2006 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES.

Calgary-Canada Olympic Park, the launching pad for many of Canada's Olympians, will kick off the 2006 Olympic Winter Games with an opening ceremony, to set in motion, a celebration that will run for the duration of the Torino Games, February 10-26, 2006.

On February 10, the day the torch is lit in Torino, Italy, Canada Olympic Park will welcome dignitaries, Olympians and development athletes to once again salute its shining legacy of Olympic excellence and sport development, and to usher in the grandeur of the Winter Games. The event will feature breathtaking spectacle, athletic demonstrations, and a torch parade down the slopes of Canada Olympic Park's ski hill.

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games have the power to bring our nation together in a celebration of sport excellence," said Jim Younker, general manager, Canada Olympic Park. "Hearing O' Canada, and seeing the maple leaf on the podium, will inspire our youth to pursue sport and encourage all Canadians to lead healthy, active lives."

The public is also invited to the grounds of the nation's premiere Olympic venue for the festivities and a free barbecue, while watching the opening ceremonies in Torino broadcasted live from a large TV screen at the base of the Canada Olympic Park ski hill.

The Park will continue to buzz with Olympic excitement for the duration of the Games, and will offer a number of activities and promotions available to the public, including:

          *        The Olympic Winter Games will be televised throughout the Park including the theatre in the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum which will be open free to the public;
          *        On February 13, Canada Olympic Park, in partnership with local radio station VIBE 98.5 FM, will offer a public luge contest for visitors to experience the fastest sport on ice, on the same day that Canada's women's luge team will take to the track in Torino.
          *        On February 15, Canada Olympic Park will host a media bobsleigh event during which a number of newspaper, radio and television news and sports personalities will experience the hair-raising twists and turns of the Olympic Track. Public will be able to take advantage of extended track times on the weekends to experience the thrilling bobsleigh rides;
          *        From February 18-20, Canada Olympic Park will again be the site of annual Winterfest Olympic Celebration, featuring numerous interactive sport opportunities and live entertainment;
          *        On February 20, Canada Olympic Park will stage a public viewing at the base of the ski hill for the women's gold medal hockey game in Torino, Italy, with an ice bar located around the television area;
          *        On February 21, members of corporate Calgary will square off into skiing and shooting squads to compete for prizes as they try their hand at the unique sport of biathlon.

Owned and operated by CODA, Canada Olympic Park is Alberta's second largest tourist attraction outside the Rocky Mountains, welcoming more than 1.3 million visitors each year. C.O.P. offers a wide range of Olympic summer and winter sport programs for all ages and abilities. For more information on Canada Olympic Park, please call 403-247-5452, or visit us at www.canadaolympicpark.ca on the Internet.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper (CP)

Harper sworn in as 22nd prime minister. 3 Ministers with connection to sport.
(CBC News)

Stephen Harper was sworn in as Canada's 22nd prime minister on Monday, 14 days after his party's narrow victory paved the way for the country's first Conservative government since 1993. "It is a great honour and a feeling of great responsibility to be sworn in as the 22nd prime minister of Canada," said Harper during an outdoor news conference following the swearing-in ceremony.
He named a western-dominated, 27-member cabinet (including the prime minister), down from the 39 that Paul Martin named in 2004. The average age of the new cabinet is just under 51."I've assembled a smaller cabinet, but one I believe is more focused and more effective," said Harper, adding that the new ministers are "talented and diversified and reflect Canada."

There are six women in Harper's cabinet, including Rona Ambrose and Bev Oda. Noticeably absent is outspoken Calgary MP Diane Ablonczy, one of 14 Conservative women who were elected.

Harper appointed five representatives from Quebec as well as party veterans Stockwell Day, Monte Solberg, Chuck Strahl and Peter MacKay.

There are nine MPs from Ontario, 10 from the West, including four from Alberta, four from B.C. and one from Manitoba. He appointed three from the Atlantic provinces. Prince Edward Island was shut out from cabinet, having elected no Tory MPs, but MacKay will act as government minister responsible for the Island.

Sport related cabinet postings include: (see full list of ministers at http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/02/06/harper-ottawa060206.html)

Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women - Bev Oda.
Durham MP who is a former CRTC commissioner and served as heritage critic during the last Parliament, becomes minister of Canadian heritage and status of women. Oda, a former teacher, has also worked for various broadcasting companies, and served on the national advisory committee to the president of the Treasury Board on employment equity in the federal public service and Crown corporation

President of the Queen's Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister for Sport - Michael Chong.
Chong was first elected to the House of Commons in June of 2004. He is a conservative who believes in fiscal responsibility, while at the same time acknowledging that a good society takes care of its most vulnerable.  Prior to his election, Michael worked as Chief Information Officer for the National Hockey League Players’ Association,

Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics - David Emerson.
David Emerson was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and was named Minister of Industry in July 2004. He was re-elected in 2006. His past titles include President and CEO of the Western and Pacific Bank of Canada, Deputy Minister of Finance for BC, Deputy Minister to the Premier, and President of B.C. Trade Development Corporation. In 1992, Mr. Emerson was appointed to lead the newly created Vancouver International Airport Authority. In 1998, he was appointed President and CEO of Canfor Corporation.

Christine Nordhagen with husband Leigh Vierling

Athens Olympian: Christine Nordhagen Corporate Presentations.

Your company would love to hear from one of Canada's most unforgettable Sport Heroes.
Christine Nordhagen is a six time World Champion and an accomplished Public speaker.

Renew, inspire and motivate your group. 

Christine's passion and personality enables her to deliver a message your employee's and leaders will not forget.

Please contact lvierling@shaw.ca for more information.