Canadian athletes excel in 2006.
Pembroke Daily Observer (ON)

It was a year where Canadians were charmed by speedskater Cindy Klassen, surprised by downhill skier John Kucera, thrilled by freestyle skier Jennifer Heil and happy to learn that swimmer Brent Hayden isn’t in over his head.

Be it on ice, snow or in the water, 2006 was a great year for Canadian amateur athletes. They won Olympic medals, claimed World Cup titles, were the fastest on the ski slopes and proved they could race with some of the world’s best in the pool.

Canada had its best Winter Olympics ever, winning 24 medals (seven gold, 10 silver and seven bronze) at the Turin Games in February. Klassen’s bubbly personality and five-medal performance (one gold, two silver, two bronze) resulted in International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge calling her “the woman of the Games.”

Heil bounced her way down the moguls patch to win gold while Chandra Crawford did a dance on top of the podium after winning in the cross-country sprint.

The Olympic success can partly be contributed to the Own the Podium program, a plan to pour $110 million into Canada’s sport system leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.“We hit the targets we had established,” Chris Rudge, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said in an interview. “What is more important is we knew why we did it. “We didn’t get lucky. We went in with a vision for success and understood what we would have to do. The big payout is, moving forward, we can re-apply those things to continuing to build winter sports and summer sports.”

Also winning Olympic gold was the women’s hockey team, speedskater Clara Hughes, Brad Gushue’s men’s curling team, and skeleton racer Duff Gibson. Besides the podium finishes, Canadians had 13 fourth-place finishes and eight fifth-place results.

But Canada’s success wasn’t confined to the Olympics. Across the world, Canadian athletes won 86 medals (26 gold, 29 silver, 31 bronze) at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. That was below the target of 100 medals, but an indication of a bright future. “I think the encouraging things are to see some of the performances of the young Canadians that have been at their first Games,” said Ross Outerbridge, Canada’s chef de mission at the Commonwealth Games.

One of the most encouraging stories of the year was the re- emergence of the Canadian ski team. Once a joke on the World Cup circuit, Canada’s racers are now having the last laugh. The alpine team had 12 podium finishes in 2005-06. Already this season, Canadians have been on the podium five times, including Kucera’s win in the opening super-giant slalom race at Lake Louise, Alta.

“We’ve been in a building process since 2002,” said Kucera, who proved his win was no fluke by finishing third in a super-G at Val Gardena, Italy, before Christmas. “We’re still an extremely young group as far as World Cup teams. We’re starting to get different guys on the podium. It’s about getting more consistent with three more years to go (before the Olympics). We’ll have more experience and we’ll be a team considered to be medal favourites heading in.”

Canadians continued to be successful in other sports. Swimmers won eight medals (two gold, three silver and three bronze) at the Pan Pacific Swim Championships held in Victoria. Hayden won gold in the 100-metre freestyle, bonze in the 50 metres and was part of two silver-medal relay teams.“I think it’s looking good,” he said about the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics. “Our team has really built up the last year or two.”

Adam van Koeverden was a force on the water, winning the overall men’s kayak title. Mark Oldershaw took third place in the canoe World Cup standings while Karen Furneaux was third in the overall women’s kayak standings.“It was a great season and we are extremely pleased with the performances of our athletes,” said Graham Barton, high performance director for the CanoeKayak Canada.

Pierre Lueders won the combined World Cup bobsled points title, while in skeleton, Jeff Pain took the men’s title and Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards the women’s.

Olympic gold medallist Kyle Shewfelt overcame a nagging Achilles injury to capture a bronze medal in the floor event at the world gymnastics championships in Aarhus, Denmark.

The national women’s soccer team weren’t sidetracked by a controversy surrounding three suspended players and qualified for next year’s World Cup in China.

Canada had a better-than-expected showing a the Winter Paralympics, winning 13 medals. The Canadian team was led by Brian McKeever who had four cross-country skiing medals (two gold, a silver and a bronze). Overall, the 33-member won five gold, three silver and five bronze medals. That’s better than the 10 medals the team hoped to win and raises expectations for the 2010 Paralympics which will be held in Whistler, B.C.

Chantal Petitclerc won two gold and a pair of silver at the world championships for athletes with a disability in the Netherlands. Canada came home with 17 medals ( six gold, five silver, six bronze).

There also were some fond hellos and sad goodbyes during 2006. Olympic gold medallist swimmer Alex Baumann returned home after a decade in Australia to serve as executive director of the Road to Excellence program, which aims to put Canadians on the podium at the Summer Olympics.

“I don’t have any illusions,” said Baumann. “I think it will be a difficult job and it will take time to implement a sustainable system that will produce long-term results.”

Long distance runner Emilie Mondor , the first Canadian woman to break the 15-minute mark in the 5,000 metres, died in a car accident. She was just 25 years old.

Former Olympic sprinter Mark Graham, a Canadian soldier serving in Afghanistan and a member of Canada’s 4x400-metre relay team at the 1992 Olympic Games, was killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in the Panjwaii district. He was 33.

Beckie Scott, who for years was the face of the Canadian cross- country ski team, retired after winning a silver medal in the team sprint with Sara Renner. Scott, 32, won bronze at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, but that was later upgraded to gold after both Russians who finished ahead of her were later caught in blood doping tests.

Cyclist Lori-Ann Muenzer, who won an Olympic sprint gold at the 2004 Athens Games, also retired at the age of 40.

As good as 2006 was, Rudge sees better results in the future, for both summer and winter athletes.“We still have needs for facilities, investment and the creation of sports institutes in Canada,” he said. “That requires capital dollars and perhaps a longer vision.“We’re in better shape than we’ve been in his country in sport for a long time.

CANADA’S NORDIC SKIERS MAKE TWO TRIPS TO PODIUM IN OPENING DAY OF FIS TOUR DE SKI IN GERMANY.

Munich, GER—A Christmas scrooge may have tried to spoil the holidays for Canada’s elite cross-country skiers, but Santa certainly had the last laugh before the New Year rings in – delivering a present in the form of silver and bronze medals for Devon Kershaw and Chandra Crawford in the sprint competition at the FIS Tour de Ski in Munich, Germany on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., and 23-year-old Crawford, of Canmore, Alta. both proved Canadian cross-country skiers continue to be a force to reckon with after taking on the world in the opening day of the inaugural Tour de Ski, a new concept which is designed to replicate the Tour de France with the world’s best athletes hitting the start line for six races in eight days, and nearly $1 million (U.S.) up for grabs in prize money.

“This is absolutely incredible and it means the world to us,” said Kershaw following the medal ceremony. “This is the goal, to have more than one Canadian on the podium each time we prepare for a race, and to see it come through today is awesome. The team is so jacked right now.”

Kershaw and Crawford, who did not return home for the holidays, were the only two athletes on the national team who were able to train with all their gear after it got lost while travelling from Calgary to Europe on British Airways, getting a bad taste in their version of the 12 days of Christmas.

The Canadian duo, quickly moved their way through the head-to-head heats with the top-30 after qualifying among the leaders on the 1.1-kilometre Olympic course in Munich, Germany. The heats consist of six athletes racing head-to-head, with the top two athletes in each race moving on to the next round.

Kershaw, who qualified a disappointing 14th but nonetheless was good enough to move on, continued his breakthrough season on the World Cup where he has consistently placed in the top of the pack. Nervous and anxious all week, a valuable meeting with his sports psychologist and head coach, Dave Wood on Friday, gave him the confidence to sprint for the podium on Saturday in a chaotic race that saw many of the world’s best crash on a tight and slippery Olympic track.

“They just told me to look back at the success I’ve had in the past and I have no reason to be anxious,” said Kershaw, who won Canada’s first World Cup medal in men’s cross-country skiing in more than a decade last season. “These sprint races are so chaotic that you really have to see the course the way a hockey player sees the ice. I was able to do that today, but more importantly, I think I’ve learned how to race against these guys. The sprints rough you up a bit, and the top athletes don’t respect you if they don’t know who you are, and it is better knowing that going in.”

Kershaw had no problems seeing his way to podium, picking apart the field, and cruising into the thrilling big final where Switzerland’s Christoph Eigenmann took home the gold. While Kershaw settled for the silver medal, it was Roddy Darragon, of France, who grabbed the bronze.

Meanwhile, Chandra Crawford also picked up where she left off at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. The Olympic champion in the discipline continued to prove her dominance in the women’s skate-skiing sprint, and put an early stamp of authority on the field when she qualified in third spot.

“I was a little nervous after I saw how fast I qualified, but this feels good for sure to be back on the podium after a difficult start to the season,” said Crawford. “After the race Dave (Wood) said ‘I’m back.’ This is the first skate sprint we’ve had all season so I really appreciated the opportunity to race it, and it was a huge day for our team.”

Overshadowed by the medal-winning day for Kershaw and Crawford was the remarkable performance turned in by the entire Canadian men’s team. Sean Crooks, of Thunder Bay, Ont., posted his best ever result at the World Cup level, and qualified for the World Championships after finishing in 16th spot in the sprint.

Crooks’ teammate, Drew Goldsack, of Red Deer, Alta., was also fast in the qualifying round finishing third, and settled for 26th spot after coming up short in the opening round of the heats.

Other Canadian results in the men’s race include: Stefan Kuhn in 27th; George Grey in 45th; and Dan Roycroft, who finished 75th. Three other Canadian women also suited up in the sprint. Amanda Ammar was 39th, while Perianne Jones was 40th and Dasha Gaiazova was 46th.

Second gold for Clara Hughes and Arne Dankers at Canadian single distance championships.

CALGARY- Olympic champion Clara Hughes of Winnipeg and Arne Dankers of Calgary each collected their second gold medal on Sunday to conclude the Canadian single distance championships in long track speed skating.

In the women’s 5,000 metres, Hughes clocked six minutes and 59.15 seconds for the victory.  She also won the 3,000 on Friday.  Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg, also a double victor at these championships, was second in 7:02.21 and Shannon Sibold of Calgary third in 7:25.20.

“I’m really pleased to go below seven minutes,” said Hughes.  “This whole week has been a great stepping stone to the rest of the season. I’m in race mode now and I know every time I step on the line I can improve.  I’m looking forward to getting back on the international scene.”

In the men’s 10,000, Dankers took the crown.  Steven Elm of Red Deer, Alta., was second and Mark Jesney of Saskatoon third.  Dankers, a member of Canada’s silver medal winning pursuit team in Turin, won the 5,000 on Friday.

“The last 10 laps were pretty good,” said Dankers, who was breaking in a new pair skates this week.  “I was able to keep my focus and I didn’t worry too much about split times.  In a race like the 10 km, it’s very important to find a rhythm.  I feel my racing is very solid right now and I’m on track for a successful second half of the season.”

The nationals were used as a selection event for the world sprint championships, the winter World Cups and the continental championships which is a qualifier for the all around worlds.

Canuck skiers lead the way; Slope off to some superb settings and tracks.
The Toronto Sun

As a skier, you can’t help but be wowed by the momentum of Canadian ski racers this season.

Our skiers are re-establishing their international Crazy Canuck status. Calgary’s John Kucera scored a Super-G World Cup win at Lake Louise, Kitchener’s Kelly VanderBeek won a Super-G bronze, Manuel Osborne-Paradis skied to a Downhill silver, Michael Janyk scored a second silver in Slalom—and that was just in the World Cup’s opening weekend.

It’s no wonder FIS officials—ski racing’s equivalent to the IOC—had no qualms about adding two more Canadian stops on the World Cup tour starting next season. Panorama Mountain Village and Whistler Ski Resort—both in B.C.—will be added to the roster. They join Lake Louise, Alta., which traditionally hosts the season’s opener.

The additions are significant. Skiing’s World Cup is traditionally Europe-based. But with Vancouver/Whistler’s 2010 Olympic Winter Games approaching, lack of snow in Europe, and the Canucks’ redux, establishing two more Canadian stops is more than timely.

For everyday skiers, additions are also significant. The setting of World Cup speed courses at Panorama, The Lake and Whistler means huge fun for skiers who like to ski fast. Schussing a track designated for a World Cup or Olympic Downhill is to skiers what racing around California’s Laguna Seca or Germany’s Nuerburgring is to auto racing fans.

Panorama, for one, has the fitting reputation for being the spot in B.C. for throttle-down skiing. The resort’s consistently pitched, corduroy-groomed runs are long and achingly smooth. Adrenaline-seekers can let ‘er rip on Panorama’s slopes. Women’s World Cup GS and Slalom racers are scheduled for November 2007 on Hay Fever and Old Timer, which stretch directly up from Panorama’s village.

In preparation for 2010, Whistler will host World Cup races in late 2007. Men’s Super-G and Giant Slalom, plus Women’s Downhill and Super Combined will test Whistler’s speed mettle—the B.C. resort’s last World Cup was a Super-G in 1996. If you’re Whistler bound, swap your freeride skis for some race boards and test Whistler Mountain’s Women’s Olympic Downhill course, also known as Franz’s Run. If you’re really into scaring yourself, choose the Dave Murray Downhill, the site for 2010’s Men’s Downhill.

Anderson 3rd in World Cup snowboard.
CBC Sports

Jasey-Jay Anderson of Mont-Tremblant, Que., finished third in a World Cup parallel slalom snowboard competition Thursday in Bad Gastein, Austria.

Switzerland’s Simon Schoch won the gold to take first place in the overall standings. Roland Haldi, also of Switzerland, won the silver. In the quarter-finals, Haldi defeated Austria’s Siegfried Grabner, who had shared the overall lead after winning Wednesday’s race. Anderson beat Izidor Sustersic of Slovenia in the small final to make the podium. Matthew Morison of Blackstock, Ont., finished fifth.

Schoch has 4,200 points, 600 more than Grabner. Slovenia’s Rok Flander is third with 2,850. Anderson is in 10th spot with 1,177.6 points.

Doresia Krings beat Heidi Neururer in an all-Austrian final to take the lead in the women’s World Cup standings.

Klassen is female athlete of year.
CBC.CA News

Speed skater Cindy Klassen, who won five medals at the Torino Olympic Winter Games last February, is the landslide winner of the 2006 Bobbie Rosenfeld Award for Canadian female athlete of the year.

Klassen, from Winnipeg, is the first repeat winner since fellow speed skater Catriona Le May Doan in 2001 and 2002.“There were so many good moments,” Klassen said. “I just had so much fun with my team at the Games.”

Klassen took 131 of 144 first-place ballots in voting by sports editors and broadcasters surveyed by the Canadian Press and Broadcast News. She finished with 412 points in the Canadian Press award voting, well ahead of teammate Clara Hughes of Winnipeg, who was second with 104 points and three first-place votes.

“Simply put, Cindy Klassen delivered the biggest performance on the biggest stage in sports,” stated Steve McAllister, sports editor of The Globe and Mail.

Hayley Wickenheiser of Shaunavon, Sask., who helped the Canadian women’s hockey team win Olympic gold, had five first-place votes and finished third with 83 points. Soccer player Christine Sinclair, from Burnaby, B.C., freestyle skier Jennifer Heil of Spruce Grove, Alta., wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal and cross-country skier Chandra Crawford of Canmore, Alta., were also considered.

Klassen’s five medals at the Torino Games made her Canada’s most decorated Olympian ever as she surpassed the previous record of four medals shared by Hughes, runner Philip Edwards and short-track speed skater Marc Gagnon.

Klassen has six career Olympic medals, having won the bronze in the 3,000 at Salt Lake City in 2002. Klassen also set world records in the 1,000 and 3,000 metres, won the overall title at the world all-round championships, and was crowned World Cup champion in the 3,000.“The whole season was so much fun,” she said. “We just tried to enjoy every moment of it.”

But Klassen wasn’t worried about the pressure or high expectations heading into the Games. “I’m not trying to focus on what people are saying about medals and stuff like that,” Klassen said at the time. “I’m just going to go out there and just try to do my job.”

It turned out to be the right approach. Klassen opened with a bronze medal in the 3,000 and followed it with a silver in the team pursuit, a silver in the 1,000, a gold medal in the 1,500 and a bronze in the 5,000. “I think I definitely left it out there in every race,” she said. “But there were a couple races that I thought were perfect races for me.”

Klassen’s accomplishments drew praise from Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee.“She was definitely the woman of the Games,” Rogge said prior to the closing ceremonies, in which Klassen was Canada’s flag-bearer.“It’s something I will remember forever,” Klassen said of the honour.

She was given a hero’s welcome when she returned home, feted at events around the country and invested in the Order of Manitoba. She also signed a $1-million, five-year endorsement deal with MTS Allstream Inc., a Manitoba communications company.

Klassen took some much-needed time off this fall and recharged her batteries in Canmore, where she spent time training with Canada’s cross-country ski team.“It was just a really nice break. I loved being out there,” Klassen said. “I loved the pace of life and how it’s a little slower than Calgary. I think it was perfect for me, just what I needed.”

Klassen returned to Calgary earlier this month to prepare for her upcoming return to the World Cup circuit. She also is looking ahead to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.“It’s such a tremendous opportunity, to be able to race in your home country and have the home crowd,” Klassen said. “You have such a huge advantage,” Klassen said.“I’ll be 30 then. I hope I get stronger and that I’ll be peaking at that age.“As I’ve seen with a lot of speed skaters, your career goes up and down. I’ll just keep trying and hope for the best.”

Victoria’s Steve Nash, who plays for the Phoenix Suns and is the reigning two-time most valuable player in the NBA, was named Canadian Press male athlete of the year for the second straight year on Tuesday.

Women's ski jumping won't fly, IOC affirms.
JAMES CHRISTIE Globe and Mail Update

The International Olympic Committee will not revisit its decision to keep ski jumping a men's only event at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, despite protests from female jumpers that they are victims of discrimination.

"It is a decision taken by our executive board [in November]. The sports federations proposed seven new events for the Olympic program. The decision on women's ski jumping was that it is not sufficiently developed to be included," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said.

Among the criteria that kept women's ski jumping off the five-ringed stage is that no world championship has taken place. According to the Olympic Charter, a discipline must have been included in at least two world or continental championships for it to be considered eligible for the Games. The International Ski Federation, known by its French acronym FIS, won't be staging the inaugural world championship for female ski jumpers until 2009.

"And that is too late to be added to the program," Ms. Davies said. "Hosting of a world championship must take place at least four years before a Games for the event to be approved and added to the program. This is to allow for all the relevant preparations to take place at venues, among organizers and to allow athletes enough time to train for the Olympics.

"They are not being kept out because they are women. It's totally, wholly and utterly incorrect."

Canada's Minister for Sport, Peter Van Loan, said he is "very disappointed" by the IOC decision as he joined a multiparty expression of support for female Canadian ski jumpers who want to compete at Vancouver. "I want to commend these ski jumpers for taking the incredible effort to change the minds of the IOC and I encourage these efforts -- it's quite heartening."

Four 14- and 15-year-old female ski jumpers on Canada's national ski-jumping team, including Continental Cup champion Katie Willis, are preparing to file a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, arguing they are being discriminated against on the basis of gender.

But the IOC has no plans to revisit the issue for these Games, Ms. Davies said. "Women's ski jumping did get words of encouragement to increase its number of competitors, to holds its world championships and to apply again for the next Games. The other events that were turned down didn't get that encouragement."

There are female competitors in 16 countries registered with FIS, though about 200 countries are members of the IOC. The ski federation, however, backed the women's bid to get into the Vancouver Games, voting 114-1 to recommend to the IOC that women's ski jumping be included.

2006 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
From Randy Starkman

It started innocently enough, but he soon developed a cult following at the Turin Olympics. He got his picture taken with Chandra Crawford, surprise gold medal winner in cross-country skiing. And with her parents, too.

He was there to share beers with skeleton racers Duff Gibson, Jeff Pain and Paul Boehm a few days after their amazing 1-2-4 finish. And when Cindy Klassen posed with her five Olympic medals, he was in on the action, too.

We’re talking about Flat Stanley - the cardboard people cutouts that kids make in school.

My childhood buddy Morry Helfan’s daughter, Carly, asked me to take her Flat Stanley to the Olympics for a Grade 2 school project. I wasn’t sure at first, because the Olympics are a busy, pressure- packed assignment. But it occurred to me that Flat Stanley could help keep things light.

And he did. It became a running joke among the press corps as I would pull him out at events to get his picture taken. He was an unofficial Olympic media mascot.
The Canadian athletes were incredibly good sports. No one flinched at getting their picture taken with “Flats,” as one colleague called him.

I put together a little book for Carly and her classmates, emphasizing the fine qualities exhibited by the athletes in Turin. One mom told me she cried when she read it. I hope Stanley’s got his bags packed for Beijing.