Sport development receives a gold medal investment from the province.

Calgary... The Alberta government has committed $69 million towards athletic facilities that will strengthen Alberta’s role as a centre of winter sport excellence.

The funding represents 25 per cent of the total $276 million cost of the Calgary Olympic Development Association’s (CODA) proposed project.  It also supports the Own the Podium program, which is designed to place Canada at the top of the medal standings for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver-Whistler.  

“If we want our athletes to be the best, we need to give them the best facilities to train and compete at,” said Denis Ducharme, Minister of Community Development.  “This government made a commitment to continue Alberta’s Olympic legacy so our next generation of athletes could reap the benefits.  With our strong fiscal outlook, the province is now able to follow through on this commitment and be the first partner to contribute to CODA’s vision of Alberta as a world leader in winter sport development.”

CODA’s project includes upgrades to existing facilities as well as a new athletic and ice complex, which will house Hockey Canada.  The project will address natural building lifecycle pressures and major changes to sport training technology and international event hosting requirements.  The project will also provide recreational opportunities to Albertans through the CODA venues. 

“The $69 million provided by the Alberta government towards the planned $276 million rejuvenation of our unique Winter Olympic legacy allows CODA to begin developing the first Centre of Sport Excellence in Canada,” said Bob Nicolay, president and chief executive officer, CODA. “The Alberta government just delivered more Olympic medals to Canada, and CODA is fully committed to raising the additional money required to give athletes the facilities and services required to be the best in the word.”

The Alberta government has already shown its support to renew the 1988 Winter Olympic legacies by providing $25.6 million to renew the Canmore Nordic Centre and $600,000 to upgrade the ski jump facility at Canada Olympic Park.  It also provided more than $91,000 to purchase new safety fencing at Nakiska Ski Resort to address the safety needs of high performance athletes training there. 

The funding commitment also supports the Alberta-British Columbia Memorandum of Understanding on the Sharing of Olympic Training and Competition Facilities.  The agreement strengthens access to training and competition facilities and programs for athletes, coaches and officials in targeted summer and winter sports, as well as promoting sport tourism in each province. 

Nesbitt speeds to pair of skating medals: Takes solo bronze, team pursuit silver in long-track events.
Canadian Press and Vancouver Sun

BERLIN—Canada’s Christine Nesbitt raced to a pair of medals at a long-track speed skating World Cup event Sunday. Nesbitt, from London, Ont., won bronze in the women’s 1,000 metres, then teamed up with Kristina Groves of Ottawa and Shannon Rempel of Winnipeg to collect silver in the team pursuit.

“I’m not surprised with her showing this season,” Canadian national team coach Lacroix said of Nesbitt. “She’s shown a lot of maturity. She relaxes well during her races and never loses control. She’s starting to believe now that she can win these races.”

Canada men’s team of Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, Arne Dankers of Calgary and Steven Elm of Red Deer added a bronze in the pursuit.“The guys had some trouble reading each other during the race,” Lacroix said. “In the middle portion of the race they probably should have gone faster. But still they finished strong.”

Anni Friesinger of Germany remained unbeaten in five races this year after winning the women’s 1,000. Ireen Wust of the Netherlands was second, edging Nesbitt. Groves was fourth, followed by Rempel, who took fifth. The Netherlands won both the men’s and women’s team pursuit to cap three days of racing.

CANADA’S SAM EDNEY SETTLES FOR TOP-20 FINISH DESPITE FAST OPENING HEAT.

Cesana Pariol, ITA- For the second consecutive day, a young Canadian luge athlete was on track to posting a career-best result, but was unable to find the fast line to the finish in the second run on the Olympic Track in Cesana Pariol, Italy.

On Sunday, it was Calgary’s Sam Edney who put down the seventh fastest time in the opening heat of the two-run race after completing each of the 19 curves at the 2006 Olympic venue in a time of 53.29 seconds. But like his teammate, Alex Gough in women’s singles Saturday, the 22-year-old Edney stumbled out of the start in the second heat and fell out of contention, settling for 19th spot and a combined time of one minute 47.252 seconds.

“It was another difficult day for our team,” said Walter Corey, head coach, Canadian Luge Team. “Sam was on track for an outstanding career best finish after a great first heat. Unfortunately his hand slipped on the push and he hammered the left wall. In a field of Olympic and World Cup champions, you can’t afford mistakes like that.”

Calgary’s Ian Cockerline and Jeff Christie rounded out the men’s team, finishing 24th and 25th respectively, resulting in a disappointing day for the young Canadian men’s team poised to threaten for the podium and climb into the top-10 consistently against the world’s best luge athletes.

“It was not the start we were hoping for, but we have to look at the positives and move on,” said Corey. “We need to continue to build on these results and start putting together two great runs. If we can do that, then the Canadian team has tremendous potential to start achieving top-10 results on a regular basis.”

The Viessmann Luge World Cup will now head to North America where the world’s best sliders will compete in Salt Lake City, Utah, December 1, 2006.

Strong result makes Kershaw first Canadian male in more than a decade to crack top-15.

Gaellivare, SWE-Canada’s Devon Kershaw took a deep breath, convinced himself to finally relax, and welcomed the cold and hard conditions in Swedish Lapland to post a 15th-place finish in the men’s 15-kilometre skate-ski race in the opening World Cup event of season for the Canadian squad in Gaellivare, Sweden on Saturday.

The performance by the Sudbury, Ont. native, which marks the best-ever finish for a Canadian male in more than 10 years in a distance event, is another chapter in the freshly-cracked history book for the young 23-year-old Canuck. Following the 2006 Olympic Games, Kershaw began turning heads on the international circuit when he won Canada’s first-ever medal in a World Cup sprint event, capturing the bronze.

“This was such an awesome day for me,” said Kershaw, who skated his way around the Swedish track in a time of 34 minutes 7.2 seconds. “It was so tight today throughout the entire pack, and I just wanted to fight for ever second and focus on what I can control. I did it and I’m very happy with this early-season start.”

Filled with energy and youthful enthusiasm for the sport and life, Kershaw has struggled to remain calm in races. But today, he kept his focus on little pieces of the race, and every stride, rather than getting worked up and thinking about the challenges he faced ahead in addition to racing against the best nordic skiers in the world.

“I’m not the most relaxed guy in the world so it is hard for me to calm down and focus on the moment, but I just chilled out and was able to put it all together,” said Kershaw, who said he was aiming to break into the top-30 regularly. “I know it’s early, but I hope our team can carry some momentum from this result and continue to compete for the top.”

The performance was definitely a breakthrough for Canada’s most promising men’s skier since Pierre Harvey. Known more for his sprinting and classic skiing skills, the result is proof Kershaw is evolving into an all-round skier.

“I think Devon had a psychological barrier that he couldn’t skate well in these races, but I think with his exceptional performance today he’ll be able to get over that now,” said Dave Wood, head coach, Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team. “He is in great shape, has been training very hard and is now applying himself effectively in all disciplines.”

George Grey, of Rossland, B.C., was the only other Canadian in the men’s field, and finished 49th (34:07.2). Two Canadians also suited up in the women’s 10-kilometre skate race. Montreal’s Dasha Gaiazova was the first maple leaf-clad female to cross the line. Olympic gold medallist, Chandra Crawford, of Canmore, Alta., was in 82nd.

This year will be different: Brydon overcomes disappointment, welcomed back.
The Vancouver Province

Turn the clock back nine months and it was a frustrated Emily Brydon who stood on the side of a ski hill in Italy pondering her future and expressing her doubts after a disappointing 20th place finish in the Olympic women’s downhill.
Stay in the sport? Quit? Take a year off? “I think if I left now I’d feel like I didn’t give it all I had but on the other hand there’s more out there,” she said that day as the snow swirled outside and the thoughts swirled in her head.

“There are other things I want to do but I don’t want to go out a loser. If I stopped this year I’d feel like I was giving up and that would be hard to live with.”

Well, Brydon’s no loser. And after a summer of contemplation she’s back and preparing for the start of the 2006-07 season. Only this time things are going to be a little different. “This year it’s nice to step back a bit and enjoy racing again,” the 26-year-old from Fernie said Monday as she and a group of her Canadian Alpine Ski Team teammates met in Vancouver for a fundraiser. “Last year wasn’t that enjoyable. It was a tough season for me because you want something so bad and then there were all these random setbacks.

“All I thought about was the Olympics and the result at the Olympics and you’ll never succeed like that. It’s not healthy. It’s not fun. You put so much into every race and there’s so much disappointment when you don’t succeed and your emotions are so up and down. It’s just not enjoyable.”

After the Olympic downhill Brydon finished 13th in the Olympic combined and ninth in the super-G. Then after the season ended she took a solo trip to Australia where she did some soul searching. Somehow the season didn’t seem so bad. She had, after all, placed third in a World Cup super-G Val D’Isere. And finishing ninth in the Olympic super-G wasn’t exactly a faceplant.“Ninth is not a medal but it’s not the end of the world,” she said. “It took me a long time to appreciate it.

“When I was in Australia, I was thinking that the season was an utter failure, even though I made the (World Cup) podium last year. It took me a long time to realize that it wasn’t the end of the world. It wasn’t the dream season but it wasn’t horrendous either.”

So this season Brydon has vowed to enjoy her sport more.“This season I’m a little bit more relaxed but I’m excited to race again this year,” said Brydon who plans to maintain that focus through the 2010 Olympics at Vancouver/Whistler.
“I’ll go to 2010 as long as I’m having fun,” she said.“It’s something that to be reassessed at the end of every year. If it’s not working for me I won’t go. If everything goes smoothly I will be there.

“This year, whether I win or lose, I’m going to enjoy the process. Then I’ll have no regrets. I know if I’d walked away after last year I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.”

Ken Read, Alpine Canada’s president, is glad she’s decided to hang in.“She’s still young,” said Read. “She’s had success and because she’s tasted success her standards are very high and when you don’t meet those standards you’re disappointed.

“What we want to see from an athlete is 100 per cent commitment. We knew she was going to take time off to think about what she wanted to do. All we wanted to hear is an athlete who’s 100 per cent in. What I’ve seen is an athlete who’s having fun, enjoying her team, enjoying what she’s doing. “She has a tremendous amount of experience and we can’t afford to lose her. She is a leader on this team and we still have a relatively young team. We need her.

Beijing Olympic Hopefuls to Attend Olympic Excellence Series Workshop in Collingwood.

TORONTO, November 16, 2006 – In preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) will host a group of 60 Olympic hopefuls and 70 coaches, team leaders and other support staff as part of a four-day Olympic Excellence Series designed to provide athletes and their support team with the practical skills and strategies to assist them in striving for podium success in Beijing.

Held at the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ont., from November 18-21, the COC’s fifth Olympic Excellence Series will bring together potential medallists with previously successful Olympians and prominent sport technical experts for inspirational meetings focused on team building and planning.  Speakers will include Olympic medallists Jeffrey Buttle (figure skating), Catriona Le May Doan (long track speed skating) and Mark Tewksbury (swimming).

As part of the Series, the COC and its Performance Enhancement Team will meet with the coaches, team leaders and high-performance members of each summer National Sport Federation to provide an overview of the Olympic environment and further information on some of the on-site challenges their sport may encounter in Beijing.

Steering Committee members involved in creating the entire athlete portion of the agenda include Olympians Lisa Alexander (synchronized swimming), Rob Marland (rowing), Marnie McBean (rowing), Anne Montminy (diving), Anne Ottenbrite (swimming) and Bruny Surin (athletics).  The coach and team leader portion of the workshop was prepared by coaches Les Gramantik (athletics), Pierre Lafontaine (swimming) and Danièle Sauvageau (hockey) and as well as high-performance and technical experts Graham Barton (canoe/kayak), Dr. Bob McCormack and Dr. David Smith.

The Olympic Excellence Series is not open to members of the media however participants and Steering Committee members will be available for phone interviews prior to, during and following the completion of the workshop. 

Richmond Oval construction on target for 2008 opening.

Richmond, BC – Building construction was officially launched today for the Richmond Oval, home of the speed skating competition for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The City of Richmond was joined today by Paralympic medallist Shira Golden and Olympic speed skating hopeful Andrew Godbout, along with representatives from the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, Four Host First Nations and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to mark the start of building construction.

“The Richmond Oval will be a world class facility and the premier legacy of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “We can’t wait to see to see Canada’s next Olympic champions step to the top of the podium in Richmond Oval and listen to O Canada while our flag flies high. We’re just as excited about the generations of Richmond residents who will come to the Oval to take advantage of its outstanding services for sports and wellness or to take part in the many community, cultural and special events that will be held here.”

The Governments of Canada and British Columbia have each committed $30 million toward construction of the Richmond Oval, as part of their overall commitment to the venues budget for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The City of Richmond is responsible for additional project funding. Total budget of the Oval and related projects, including the waterfront park and plaza and parking structure, is $178 million.

The Richmond Oval will be home of the long track speed skating venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, with a 400-metre track and seating for approximately 8,000 spectators. The Richmond Oval is expected to be home of up to 12 medal events in 2010, with a potential 36 medals to be awarded.

“The Richmond Oval will be a signature venue for the 2010 Winter Games and will serve as a stage for countless Olympic moments that will inspire the country and the world,” said VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong. “We’re excited about today’s construction milestone and look forward to continued progress as we anticipate the arrival of Canadian athletes in 2008.” 
During the next two years, more than 1.1 million cubic feet of concrete, 5.6 million kilograms of steel rebar and one million board feet of lumber will go into completing the mammoth 33,650 square metre Richmond Oval.

The Richmond Oval is on target for its scheduled opening in the fall of 2008. In addition, approximately 55 per cent of the construction trade tenders have now been awarded and the project remains within its $178 million budget. Most of the remaining construction tenders will be awarded within the next month and current projections continue to indicate they will also fall within budget estimates.

Post-Games, the Oval will become BC’s premier multi-purpose sports, recreation and wellness facility. The project also includes the creation of a new international destination and meeting place. The Oval, along with an adjoining waterfront plaza and park, will be the centre piece of a major new City Centre community to be developed on 32 acres along the banks of the Fraser River.