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Sport Performance Weekly
June 26th , 2006 |
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“Celebrating Excellence – An Evening with Canada’s Top Olympians”, Monday, June 26th.
Calgary - ARC Energy Trust and ARC Financial Corporation (collectively ARC) are proud to be hosting and organizing a sold out Gala dinner, “Celebrating Excellence – An Evening with Canada’s Top Olympians”, hosted by Brian Williams. It will be a celebration of the incredible accomplishments of Canada’s top winter and summer athletes and it will also raise awareness and funds for two very worthwhile organizations, Right To Play and the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary.
65 Canadian Olympic athletes will be in attendance, along with 600 members of corporate Calgary, including panellists and Olympic champions Clara Hughes, Hayley Wickenheiser, Beckie Scott, Kyle Shewfelt, and Johann Olav Koss. (Please see attached for a complete list of Olympians confirmed to attend).
ARC Resources - A Unique Corporation, A Landmark Initiative
ARC Energy Trust’s mission is to be one of the top performing conventional royalty trusts in Canada as measured by quality of assets, management expertise and investor returns. Since inception the Trust has been consistent in combining excellent managerial and technical expertise to maximise value to ARC Unit holders.
In 2003, ARC created a partnership with the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary (CSCC), one of the top Olympic sport training environments in the world. The partnership embraces the relationship between Olympic athletes and ARC’s culture of passion, commitment, balanced lifestyle, team effort and innovation. The partnership was developed to offer ARC employees opportunities to learn from successes, attitudes and behaviors of Canadian Olympic athletes and their support teams. The fundamental goal of the ARC/CSCC partnership is to enrich the lives of ARC employees and their families while providing funding to the CSCC through involvement with Olympic athletes events and facilities.
The Canadian Sport Centre Calgary – An Atmosphere of Excellence
As one of the top Olympic sport training environments in the world, the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary (CSCC) provides support to over 300 elite athletes that live and train in the Calgary area. Our mandate is to give Canada’s national team athletes the physical, psychological and competitive edge to reach the podium.
The CSCC strives to develop a positive and comprehensive environment focused on excellence by providing access to leading experts in the fields of exercise physiology, sport medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental training and coaching. All programs and services are offered in response to the individual needs of the high performance athletes and coach, for success in sport and in life.
While podium performances are the goal, the CSCC also endeavours to develop athletes as individuals and as community leaders. For more information, visit our website at: www.canadiansportcentre.com
Right to Play – When Children Play, The World Wins!
Right To Play is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses specially-designed sport and play programs to encourage the healthy physical, social and emotional development of the world’s most disadvantaged children and their communities. Right To Play was founded by four-time Norwegian Olympic speed skating gold medalist Johann Olav Koss, our organization’s President and CEO. Right To Play is supported by a network of over 250 Canadian and international athletes including Wayne Gretzky, Silken Laumann, Charmaine Crooks, Catriona Le May Doan, Steve Podborski, Marnie McBean, Beckie Scott, Clara Hughes, Kristina Groves, Arne Dankers, Lindsay Alcock, and many more. Our Athlete Ambassadors are committed to improving the lives of children, and strengthening their communities, through the power of sport. For more information please visit the Right To Play website at www.righttoplay.com
For more information on this sold out event please visit
http://www.arcenergytrust.com/en-CA/celebrating_excellence.htm
Or call:
Casey Peirce, Communications Manager
Canadian Sport Centre Calgary
403-220-8195
Colin Young, VP Marketing
Canadian Sport Centre Calgary
403-615-8819 |
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Almost $300,000 to go to coaching programs.
JAMES CHRISTIE
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
After 25 years of sport shrivelling, neglected on the back burner, Ontario made a step toward restoring sport at the grassroots level with a grant of almost $300,000 yesterday to the Coaches Association of Ontario for outreach and coaching education programs in small communities.
"It's money that gets us out and into the communities that have been asking for help," said Susan Kitchen, the executive director of the Ontario association. Communities outside the Golden Horseshoe, such as North Bay and Kirkland Lake and Kapuskasing, have a history of providing great athletes, but coaches have had little opportunity or encouragement recently.
The sport aid was one of 11 grants worth a total of $2,254,000 doled out through the casino-financed Ontario Trillium Foundation. These grants targeted programs and services for children and youth, ranging from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, to Spelling Bee Canada, to francophone childhood education services. Big Brothers Big sisters received the largest grant, $443,300 over three years, to recruit volunteers and mentors.
The coaching grant, precisely $296,900 over three years, can help apply brakes to a downward spiral for Ontario sport, Kitchen said. The province has been sharply criticized on the national sport scene in recent years for letting a once-strong presence on Canada's teams wither away. The provincial education system was criticized for cutting sport and music programs to meet budget demands, and parents were angered. Sport facilities crumbled from neglect. Coaches fled with their talents to other provinces or south of the border.
Ontario Minister for Health Promotion Jim Watson noted earlier this year that in 1984, Ontario provided 52 per cent of Canada's Olympic team members for the Summer and Winter Games. By 2004, it was down to 38 per cent for the Summer team and, in 2006 at the Turin Winter Games, it had eroded to a mere 19 per cent -- half of them hockey players.
"With some earlier provincial lottery money, we were able to start getting out in April," Kitchen said. "We were meeting with local coaches in 40 communities like Sioux Lookout, and Leamington and Picton. We had 1,347 coaches in seats, getting inspired by the likes of Barrie Shepley [who helped coach Olympic triathlon gold medalist Simon Whitfield] and Andy Higgins [who coached Olympic decathlon bronze medalist Dave Steen] and marathon swim star Vickie Keith.
"We have a wealth of knowledge and experience that people have to know about. They have to get inspired by it, and we have to share what we've learned with a new generation."
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IOC picks three finalists for 2014 Winter Games
Associated Press
Lausanne, Switzerland — Three cities — two from Europe and one from Asia — made the cut Thursday as the IOC trimmed the field for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Salzburg, Austria; Pyeongchang, South Korea; and Sochi, Russia; were selected as finalists by the International Olympic Committee's executive board.
Eliminated from the race were Almaty, Kazakhstan; Borjomi, Georgia; Jaca, Spain; and Sofia, Bulgaria.
While Thursday's cut was made by the Olympics' 15-member ruling body, the full 100-plus IOC assembly will select the host city at its session in Guatemala City on July 4, 2007.
This race pales in the glamor stakes from last year's vote for the 2012 Summer Olympics, in which London defeated Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow. By comparison, many people might find it hard to locate the 2014 bid cities on a world map.
The campaign began last July when the seven cities made their initial applications to the IOC. Since then, they submitted detailed replies to an IOC questionnaire, outlining plans for venues, financing, transportation, security and other key issues. A panel of IOC experts analyzed the replies and compiled a report for the board, whose decision was announced by Rogge at a news conference.
The cities making the cut will have to pay a $500,000 fee to cover the bidding process, and will be required to submit their formal bid books by January 2007.
Two of the candidates had a head start: Salzburg and Pyeongchang were finalists in the vote for the 2010 Olympics, which were awarded to Vancouver, British Columbia. The little-known Korean bid finished a surprising second, and the Austrian city third.
Salzburg, which represents the traditional European Alpine winter setting, has come forward with a leaner, more compact bid. It announced this week that it completed its venue lineup, with the choice of a 12,000-seat ice hockey arena in Puch-Urstein. Pyeongchang is hoping to build on its momentum from the first bid to establish itself as an Asian winter sports capital.
Sochi is trying to bring the Winter Games to Russia for the first time. The Russian government has thrown its full weight behind the bid, including a $12 billion investment package, in sharp contrast to the lukewarm support it offered Moscow's failed 2012 attempt. |
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MAJOR HUG FOR MARSHAL; COACH WHO HELPED CANUCKS WIN SILVER THRILLED TO JOIN SKIER IN STAMPEDE PARADE
The Calgary Sun
The pause on the other end of the line lasted longer than it took Bjornar Haakensmoen to become an Olympic hero.
Trying to comprehend the sort of reception he'll receive July 7 when he leads the Stampede parade as marshal alongside Sara Renner, the Norwegian cross-country ski coach asked yesterday how many people would line Calgary's streets that day.
Told the number would approach 400,000, the man who quickly handed Renner a ski pole in Turin to win sprint relay silver was suddenly unable to react at all. "Wow ... I don't have words for that," said Haakensmoen, 37, trying to digest riding a horse past more than 20 times the number of people who live in his hometown.
"I think I have to exercise. This is a once-in-a-lifetime honour -- that's pole position in Formula One. It's hard to believe. We will try our best to say thank-you, but it's tough to say that to so many people."
Single-handedly rejuvenating the Olympic spirit by aiding the Canmore skier whose dreams appeared to be dashed mid-race by a broken pole, Haakensmoen has since received a bottle of wine from Renner, 8,000 cans of maple syrup from a Canadian businessman and free stays at Fairmont's top three Alberta resorts.
Truth is, all the husband and father of three really ever wanted was a "great big hug" from Renner. He'll finally get that when he arrives. "I think it's nice because usually in sport you hear the bad stories about blood doping," said Renner of the Stampede's refreshingly innovative selection. "This is a story where a stranger helped a stranger and had no moment to react. I'm glad the stampede recognizes it as a great Olympic moment."
Perhaps the beauty of his act, which contributed to Renner and Beckie Scott finishing second, while his Norwegian pairing finished fourth, is the fact he fails to see the heroism involved. "Hero is far away from what I'm thinking because it's a normal happening," said the since-retired ski coach.
"After a few weeks it was in our newspapers, but I was surprised it was a much bigger issue in Canada. That explains a lot about what the Games are globally. Cross-country skiing is a small sport and this was so big."
Having met Haakensmoen once for pancakes since their on-course meeting, Renner says he comes by his humbleness naturally. "He is overwhelmed with this and doesn't know what he's about to get into when he gets here and how grateful people are for what he did," said Renner, who figures 80% of all ski officials would've done what he did that day. "It's a part of our sport that is fairly unknown in Canada. Now if I ever break a pole, there's going to be people fighting to give me one because of the response."
In a year in which Cindy Klassen or any of the 40 Olympic medallists who'll take part in the parade would have made fitting marshals, Stampede head honcho Steve Allan said the choice was well received from the start. "It's such a neat story as it symbolizes all we're celebrating here -- neighbourliness, sportsmanship and community spirit," said Allan, whose invitation to Scott was declined due to her busy schedule.
"I was kidding about the hug but I'm ready," chuckled Haakensmoen, whose family will spend 25 days being embraced by Albertans. "Please tell everyone 'thank-you so much for this possibility.' "
In 15 days, pardner, you can tell em' yourself. |
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Hooper's goal in second minute lifts Canada to 2-1 victory over Italy.
CP Wire
TORONTO (CP) _ Canada's plan Sunday was to strike early. The Canadians couldn't have orchestrated it any better.
Charmaine Hooper's goal in only the second minute of the game proved to be the winner as Canada's women's soccer team beat Italy 2-1 in a friendly at Centennial Stadium. ``What we really needed to do was go out there early and pressure them and capture them by surprise, and I think we did,'' said Hooper.
The game marked Canada's first victory over Italy and the first of a number of international matches the Canadians will play in their march back to the World Cup.``It's nice to get another international game in and to win is very important because I think one of the things this team needs to do is learn how to win when we have to,'' said striker Christine Sinclair. ``Our team, you can see we're starting to come together, starting to play better as a team.''
The victory came without one of the team's biggest stars in Kara Lang. The 19-year-old striker tore her anterior cruciate ligament 10 days ago in training camp and is expected to be out for up to eight months.
The No. 11-ranked Canadians were all over 10th-ranked Italy in the second half, much to the delight of the crowd of 4,325, dotted with young girls with painted faces and decked out in Canadian soccer jersies. ``It was a great crowd, it's always nice to play in Canada, we don't have enough games in Canada,'' said Hooper.
``We started strong and finished strong,'' said head coach Even Pellerud.
Sunday's friendly was the first of a string of international matches Pellerud has planned this summer in Canada's preparations for World Cup qualifying. A top-two finish at the Gold Cup in November will assure the Canadians a berth in the 2007 World Cup in China.
Canada finished fourth at the 2003 World Cup, but failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics. The game was Canada's first in Toronto since a friendly here against Norway in 2002. |
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Mint takes top spots on podium.
The Vancouver Province
The hottest mementoes of the 2010 Winter Olympics will be made in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mint will produce the gold, silver and bronze medals prized by athletes worldwide, as well as collectible Olympic coin sets. "These medals will be around for 1,000 years," said John Furlong, VANOC's chief executive officer. "They will be one of the most talked-about items at the Games. "Every athlete at the games wants one."
Furlong is pleased the mint is paying a pretty penny for the privilege of producing medals and commemorative coins.
The seven-year agreement will cost the mint $13 million, with another $2 million provided in goods and services. The mint gains rights for the Canadian Olympic Team for three Olympics -- 2008 in Beijing, 2010 in Vancouver-Whistler and 2012 in London. "The mint is known around the world for its excellence, innovation and high quality -- all of which are characteristics that will embody the corporation's Olympic program," said Ian Bennett, president of the Royal Canadian Mint.
The mint will produce medals for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and -- starting next year -- will produce Olympic-themed coins. |
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Beach could be route to Beijing for city pair: Niemczewska and Moppett share v-ball dream.
The Calgary Herald
Between working shifts at a building supply store, Joanna Niemczewska will be laying the foundation for her Olympic dream.
The University of Calgary volleyball star has teamed up with former Dino Amanda Moppett on the beach volleyball court and will travel to several international tournaments this summer.
"I was just itching to play beach and I really want to see how far I can take it," says Niemczewska. "I set big goals for myself so I wanted to take it super seriously. I don't think I could do both (indoor and beach) 100 per cent, so I needed to pick one and I really enjoy beach and saw a huge opportunity."
Niemczewska's usually an indoor gal, having played for the national B team two summers ago and the first-string Canadian team last summer. She's still adjusting to sand. "It's really tiring," says the 22-year-old, who trains at the Volleydome. "The first few weeks I felt like I wasn't moving at all, but over time it keeps getting better."
Making the Canadian team last summer allowed Niemczewska to reach a longtime goal. Last August, she played in a world championship qualifying tournament in the Dominican Republic.
She believes Moppett's the player to help her reach the 2008 or 2012 Olympic Games. "It's awesome because we're friends even when we're not practising," says Niemczewska. "We get along really well. It's great because I think we're not the same type of player and we both have things to contribute."
On the indoor court, Niemczewska, who's five-foot-11, plays right side and Moppett, also five-foot-11, plays left-side. So they complement each other nicely in beach. "We both can pound pretty hard, which is what our coach (Kathy Tough) is excited about," says Moppett. "Sometimes in women's beach volleyball, you don't find very many big hitters. They just shoot it over the block because it's really easy to score with only two players."
Niemczewska and Moppett have a tough road ahead. It isn't likely they'll be ready for Beijing in 2008, because they need sponsors and more time to collect Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) points.
But their coach sees potential for London 2012. "That's what their summer's about, is getting immersed, seeing what beach volleyball's all about and what it takes on the international stage," says Tough, a 1996 indoor volleyball Olympian who's played in four world beach volleyball championships. "They're a developmental team that's going to do really well for Canada in years to come if they stick with it. I think they're excited. I'm excited." |
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Swiss miss by Canucks at Grand Slam beach event.
JAMES CHRISTIE
Globe and Mail Update
The third round was over almost as fast as it began for Canada's Mark Heese of Toronto and Rich Van Huizen of Langley, B.C. with a straight-set elimination at the hands of two hometown favourites at the Swatch Beach Volleyball World Tour Grand Slam event in Gstaad, Switzerland.
The Canadian pair was shut down by the Swiss duo, of Stefan Kobel and Patrick Heuscher 21-16, 21-16, knocking them out of the tournament.
Heese and Van Huizen leave Switzerland after being ranked 17th in the tournament and add 160 tour points to their seasonal points tally. Next stop on tour for all the Canadian teams will be another Grand Slam event in Stavanger, Norway from June 27 to July 2
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