Sport Performance Weekly

April 10th, 2006

Duff Gibson (CP)

CALGARY GETS ITS OWN TUR-IN TO SALUTE STARS; OLYMPIC RALLY HAS CITY ABUZZ.
(The Calgary Sun)

Calgarians will get an opportunity to salute the city’s Winter Olympic heroes at a lunchtime bash today that will have the athletic stars mingling with the crowds. Olympic Plaza is playing host to the rally to recognize Calgary’s Turin competitors, kicking off at noon.

Calgary firefighter Duff Gibson, who brought home gold in the skeleton, will join about two dozen athletes, some showing off their medals at the victory party. “I’m enjoying myself as much as I can because I know things won’t be this way forever,” said the 39-year-old. Life has returned to relative normalcy since Gibson arrived home to his day job, but his local celebrity status hasn’t waned. “I’ve had the odd person recognize me walking down the street, people have just stopped to congratulate me—it’s been really flattering,” said Gibson, who, along with hockey gold medallist Danielle Goyette, will address the crowd.

Calgary-trained athletes who competed in Turin captured a wealth of medals, resulting in Canada’s best Winter Olympic medal haul.

Today’s public party was planned following a push by Ald. Craig Burrows to organize more than the originally scheduled congratulatory lunch with members of city council. “I think the athletes would rather be recognized by the public,” said Burrows. “My hope is that Calgarians are going to rally around this.”

The athletes will receive certificates from the mayor and councillors at city hall before the public celebration. The Olympic cauldron and the Calgary Tower flame will also be lit at 12:45 p.m. to honour the athletes.

Burrows said he also plans to introduce a motion today requesting that Turin medal winners, and those who win at future Olympics, be recognized with a commemorative plaque at Olympic Plaza.

Beginning at noon, it will feature appearances by more than two dozen athletes, including:

GOLD MEDALLISTS

Duff Gibson - Skeleton
Danielle Goyette - Hockey
Carla MacLeod - Hockey
Colleen Sostorics - Hockey

SILVER MEDALLISTS

Lascelles Brown - Bobsleigh
Steven Elm - Long-track speed skating
Denny Morrison - Long-track speed skating
Jason Parker - Long-track speed skating

BRONZE MEDALLISTS

Glenys Bakker - Curling
Shannon Kleibrink - Curling
Amy Nixon - Curling
Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards - Skeleton

Also scheduled to attend are Veronika Bauer, Greg Baxter, Jeff Christie, Ian Cockerline, Nathan Cunningham, Samuel Edney, Graeme Gorham, Alex Gough, Mike Moffat, Chris Moffat, Krisy Myers, Michael Nell, Kyle Nissen, Stefan Read, Kaillie Simundson and Jeremy Wotherspoon.

Clara Hughes (CP)

Hughes transforms Olympic gold to charitable cash.
CanWest News Service

WINNIPEG - There have been no telecom companies calling with seven-figure endorsement deals, Ronald McDonald hasn’t been beating down her door for a chance to bask in her reflected glory and no one’s been tearing down any signs in her hometown to rename a sports complex and a street in her honour.

Just as surely as life after the XX Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, has changed forever for Cindy Klassen, life for fellow Winnipeg speed skater Clara Hughes, who now resides in Glen Sutton, Que., looks today pretty much as it looked before Hughes made Olympic history of her own.

With a silver medal in the team pursuit and a gold in the 5,000 metres, Hughes joined just two other Canadians short-tracker Marc Gagnon and sprinter Philip Edwards to win five career medals in the Olympics. Hughes is also the only one to have done it by medalling in both the Summer and Winter Games.

Had Hughes achieved that milestone in any other Olympics but Turin, she would surely be feted in the same way Klassen is enjoying right now. But winning your fifth career medal is just not the same as winning your sixth by medalling in five straight events at one Games.

And yet Hughes continues to carve a niche of her own as she persists with a remarkable campaign to turn her Olympic success to the financial advantage of others, if not necessarily her own.

Hughes’s now famous philanthropic challenge to Canadians on the eve of her gold medal victory in Turin backed up by $10,000 of her own money has resulted in more than $350,000 being raised in this country for Right to Play, an non-government organization that financially supports children in Third World countries to play sports.

As of this week, the Hughes Challenge as it’s been christened was over 70 per cent of the way to reaching her goal of $500,000 from Canadians for Right To Play. And that, says Hughes, is worth a lot more to her than any corporate endorsements.
“For me, more than anything, it’s really rewarding to be able to do something for the kids whose faces and staring eyes inspired me the morning of my race in Turin,” she said this week from her home in Glen Sutton.

Hughes watched a documentary on Right to Play the morning before the 5,000 metres in Turin, and vowed to donate all the money in her bank account to the group if she won the race.

She made good on the pledge with the presentation of a cheque to Right to Play founder Johann Olav Koss during a ceremony in Calgary last month.

Since making the high-profile challenge, Hughes has become a poster child for the Right to Play cause, and has been recruited along with Canadian cross-country skier Beckie Scott to travel to Ethiopia next month to see the program in action and help out for a week.

A TV crew from CBC is expected to film the visit for a documentary, and Hughes is hopeful the piece will drum up even more public interest in the cause. “To be honest, this is exactly what I thought could happen the way this has really caught the public’s imagination. And now that it is happening, it’s made me very happy,” says Hughes. “We’ve got so much we can give in this country, and it’s nice to see people responding.”

Hughes said winning gold in Turin has tweaked the interest of corporate Canada, and she’s in the process of negotiating some endorsement deals of her own. Asked if they were in line with the seven-figure deals that have been dangled before Klassen, Hughes said it would be comparing apples and oranges. “I don’t compare myself to anyone else,” said Hughes. “And what I did was so unique, I don’t think people compare themselves to me. “And I’m not worried about it in no way. I just think of the incredible opportunities I’ve had since these Olympics, and the best is Right to Play.”

Karla Karch (CP)

Karch named manager of Cougar Athletics.

Karla Karch has been promoted to manager, Cougar Athletics as of April 3, 2006. Karla is a two time Olympian in basketball and has helped coach the women’s basketball team at Mount Royal. Karla has worked as an administrator for the World Masters Games in Edmonton, Alberta Summer Games and was a Mission Staff person at the Western Canada Summer Games.

Run, Walk or Volunteer for Canada’s Athletes

In 2010, Canada will play host to the world as the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games come to Vancouver/ Whistler and our athletes will take centre stage. This year the Hbc Run for Canada will focus on providing our brightest young athletes the best chance possible to compete at an international level.

The focus of the 2006 Hbc Run for Canada will build on the spirit of Canada! The fundraising element of the event will now focus on raising money for our Canadian athletes striving for success in the Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth and Pan Am Games between now and the 2012 Olympic games. We want to provide these bright young athletes the best possible chance to compete at an international level.

This year we turn our focus to our young athletes in need of funding to compete and represent Canada at an international level. There are talented athletes that have incredible potential to succeed at the Paralympic, Commonwealth and Olympic Games. They need our help to make sure they get the training, equipment and opportunities necessary to be recognized as world-class athletes.

Two hundred different Canadian athletes have been identified by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Hbc Foundation has pledged to raise a $5000 bursary for each of them. With your help we can help our athletes achieve their dreams!

Click on the links to learn how you can participate in the Hbc Run for Canada.

http://www.hbcrunforcanada.ca

Alexa Loo (CP)

CODA confirms plans for Farnham Glacier ski camp.
Cariboo Press

Canadian athletes competing in ski racing, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing will soon have an official location to hone their skills during training in summer months, thanks to the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA). That home just happens to be on a local glacier in a local mountain range.

CODA, as it is known, was created to ensure that Canadian athletes would get long-term benefits out of the city hosting the Olympic Winter Games in 1988. They’ve done projects like the world-unique Ice House where bobsleigh, luge and skeleton racers can practise their starts. They’ve participated in the modernization of the Canmore Nordic Centre and even worked to create the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park’s Haig Glacier training facility for cross-country skiers.

However the newest project is a summer glacier-based snow sport training facility on Farnham Glacier. After a trial run in the summer of 2003, where a number of athletes and support staff used the glacier for training, it was determined that the area would be perfect for such activities in the summer.

Since then the organization has been “crossing its t’s and dotting its i’s,” according to CODA’s president John Mills. A number of things had to be accomplished, including securing environmental approval, road access and, most importantly, capital funding to make the project fly.

However an official statement last week, announced that it has all been taken care of and athletes will be spending their summers (at least until 2007 when their first environmental approval certificate runs out) training on Farnham.

Reached via the Horsethief Creek forest service road, the large glacier will house temporary facilities for approximately 50 people starting this July and finishing in October. “We think it’s another important step in giving Canadian athletes the resources they need to excel,” acknowledged Mills. “It’s going to be of great benefit to some of the athletes that live in the valley but also to Canadian athletes who would otherwise be chasing the snow around the globe trying to find a place to train and really not having priority when they get there.” He noted, “what we’ve gathered is that the actual facility itself is quite a bit better than what’s available elsewhere in the world.”

Large tents will be the only structures constructed. Wastewater and sewage will be treated on site and removed, along with any garbage produced. “In the winter time I don’t think people will realize we’ve been up there,” Mills assured, pointing out that the facility will be one more competitive avenue for Canadian athletes to threaten the podium in 2010.

Norwegian ski coach presented with tons of maple syrup after Olympic good deed.
CP Wire

OSLO, Norway (CP-AP) _ Bjoernar Haakensmoen’s act of sportsmanship was rewarded Wednesday _ with more than five tons of Canadian maple syrup.

At the Turin Olympics, the Norwegian cross-country ski coach handed Sara Renner a spare ski pole after the Canadian broke one during the Nordic ski sprint relay final. Renner went on to win a silver medal while the Norwegians finished fourth. “It was natural for me to do it, and I think anyone should have done it,” Haakensmoen told The Associated Press. “I didn’t think about it. It was just a reflex ... but the response has been unbelievable.”

After the Olympics, Haakensmoen became famous in Canada, and grateful fans started Project Maple Syrup. Canadians were asked to make donations or bring their own cans of maple syrup to one of 300 participating Bell Canada phone stores. The result: 7,400 cans were purchased and sent to Norway, the Canadian embassy in Oslo said in a statement.

The 5.2 tons of maple syrup was given to Haakensmoen at a ceremony Wednesday. “In the eyes of Canadians, we took a silver medal, but Norway has won gold for sportsmanship,” Geoff Snow, of Waterford, Ont., wrote in an e-mail to the Oslo newspaper Aftenposten.

Haakensmoen said he was stunned by the response. “When you get this kind of response it is, well, just enormous,” said Haakensmoen, who recently stepped down as sports director for the Norwegian skiers.

Norway and Canada agreed to waive any import duties, which might have made the tons of syrup too expensive for Haakensmoen to accept. Maple syrup is little known in Norway, and the 37-year-old Haakensmoen said he recently tasted it for the first time. “It’s sweet, and a little unusual,” he said. “We might have it from time to time, but not five times a day.”

Even the Norwegian ambassador in Ottawa thought it was a great idea to send the pancake topper to his country. “It is not a common product in Norway ... perhaps it’s the best thing you can send to Norwegians,” Tor Naess said.

Naess received more than 400 e-mails from Canadians expressing their thanks for the ski pole. “I am surprised, for a Norwegian it was quite natural to hand over the pole, like we did there,” Naess said. “What is surprising is that we have so much positive reaction on the Canadian side.”

Roger Jackson

Jackson continues to impact athletics at international level: Builder inducted with volleyball, field hockey stars.
The Calgary Herald

Roger Jackson’s induction into the University of Calgary Athletic Hall of Fame doesn’t just signify his past accomplishments. Rather, his recognition as a builder carries into the present as he continues to impact athletics internationally.“I often find myself in positions where I can see things that can be done and find out ways of getting there,” said the 64-year-old Calgarian during Monday’s ceremony at the U of C. “I’m always interested in the general improvement of high-performance sport.”

The former dean of the U of C Faculty of Kinesiology is chief executive officer for Own the Podium 2010, a $110-million initiative to help Canada become No. 1 in medals won at the Vancouver Winter Games. He also worked as a senior advisor for the successful London 2012 Olympic bid.

Jackson served two five-year terms as dean at the U of C from 1978 to ‘88 and was president of the Canada West University Athletic Association during his tenure. He was behind the expansion of the Physical Education Building and construction of the Olympic Oval, co-ordinating those projects with the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

The three-time Olympic rower—who captured pairs gold in 1964 with George Hungerford—is a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Canadian Olympic Order, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Former Dino field hockey player Michelle Conn and volleyballer Randy Gingera were also named to the Athletic Hall of Fame. “It’s a special day for my family, for sure,” said Conn, a 42-year-old Red Deer resident who’s originally from Calgary. “I graduated here in 1988 and didn’t get my photo taken for the Faculty of Science, so now I’m in the legacy with the U of C athletes."

Craig Burrows (CP)

Aldermen pitch Olympic plaques.
The Calgary Herald

Legacy - In a bid to preserve Calgary’s Winter Olympic legacy, two aldermen want the city to recognize its Olympians and Paralympians by putting up plaques in honour of local medal winners.

Craig Burrows and Ray Jones are proposing that every four years the city inscribe the names of medal winners who train or live in Calgary on plaques in Olympic Plaza, located across from City Hall.

It could retroactively include all of those local athletes who’ve reached the podium since 1988. The aldermen will take their idea to city council for approval today.

Michaelle Jean (CP)

Sport from the Throne: Leading Edge Sport.
(Sport Matters Group)

Well, sport got a mention. Not bad in the context of the shortest Speech from the Throne in living memory and in relation to the bread and butter focus of the big 5 priorities: wait times, crime, GST, accountability, and childcare. But let’s not kid ourselves; we still have some hard skating to do. We had a good 1st period with the election. Some Sport from the Throne in the 2nd. Let’s close out the 3rd period with some good work on the federal budget. Here is what the Governor General had to say in the section entitled: Building a Stronger Canada. (Read it all here: www.sft-ddt.gc.ca.)
 
Canada is uniquely blessed in the strength and diversity of its people and regions. Through hard work, foresight and good fortune, we have come together to make our vast country one of the most successful the world has ever seen. The distance we have travelled is remarkable. A country once perceived to be at the edge of the world is now at the leading edge of science, business, the arts and sport. Whether it is on the podium in Turin, on the rugged hills of Afghanistan, or in the bustling markets of Asia, Canadians demonstrate time and time again that they are leaders. The Government is proud of what Canadians have accomplished so far, and is inspired by the country’s bright prospects. It believes in the capacity of Canadians to seize the enormous opportunities before them and build an even stronger Canada, striving for excellence, anchored by enduring values, and infused with growing confidence that they can make a difference at home and in the world.
 
What this means is that the Harper government has positioned Canadian sport at the leading edge, and as part of their “Canada as a world leader” vision – the leadership frame that we’ve been seeing over the past 2 months. What we know is that for Canada to take up the leading edge position, implementation of the 1% commitment ($300m) is the required next step. Why? Because leading edge sport requires a comprehensive approach that includes aligning fiscal policy with sport and physical activity policy. Because leading edge sport is…

1. implementation of the Canadian Sport Policy and the Physical Activity and Sport Act
2. OTP plans resourced and on track for 2010 and 2012
3. the 10% goal achieved with provinces and municipalities on board
4. integration of physical activity and sport – LTAD taking root
5. professional coaches and the new NCCP in all contexts
6. new and innovative sources of revenue – tax credits, national lottery, sport bond
7. phys ed, school sport, and universities
8. a designated infrastructure envelope/program that is trilateral
9. sport institutes and centres
10. a 2014 Commonwealth Games in Halifax
11. moving forward on the ethics and youth strategy for sport
12. <insert your leading edge sport element

 Let’s crack open the discussion right there. What is leading edge in your sphere of physical activity and sport? What will it take to get there? Don’t hold back from telling us if you haven’t already, ok? Your feedback will form the basis of the new memorandum to cabinet that we are feeding into and our follow up briefing with the Minister, Sport Canada and Finance officials.

All for now,
Ian

On behalf of the Sport Matters Group
Au nom du Groupe Le Sport est important
For more information, please visit www.sportmatters.ca