Howard earns his own gold.
Canadian Olympic Committee Release

EDMONTON–There are no longer any shadows around world curling champion Glenn Howard.

The beer store manager from Penetanguishene turned himself into one of the legends of the game by leading Team Canada in one of the most incredible performances the tournament has ever seen.

Howard overwhelmed Germany’s Andy Kapp yesterday with an 8-3 win in the final of the 12-team tournament at Rexall Place. “I can’t quite believe that we won it,” a dazzled Howard said after he and third Richard Hart, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill collected gold medals in front of a crowd of 10,082.

It’s his third world title but first as skip. He won in 1987 and 1993 playing third for older brother Russ, arguably the most famous curler on the planet. Glenn has always felt his older brother’s presence since forming his own teams after Russ moved to New Brunswick in 1998. “Russ Howard is the greatest curler to play this game, so to me there will always be a shadow because I’ll never do what he’s done,” he said.

But it is the younger Howard that will have as his legacy the most powerful performance ever seen at a world championship. Team Canada scored 108 points during 11 round-robin and two playoff games and gave up only 45.

“For me, it was the best team I have ever seen,” said Kapp, who now has two silver medals and three bronze. “I have travelled around for some years and this team was the best over the whole week and they really deserve it.”

“It was a pretty special week,” Laing said. We curled great from start to finish. To come out in the final and see Glenn and Rich put on that show, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that in curling.”

Howard and Hart were unstoppable, with both shooting 98 per cent in the final. Howard wouldn’t accept full credit for the performance and insisted that winning as skip wasn’t any more significant than his two previous titles.

“It doesn’t mean a thing. It’s a team game. I’ve been fortunate to win with two other great teams and it’s great to be a part of this team,” Howard said.

The team heads to Calgary shortly for the World Curling Tour’s $200,000 Players Championship that starts Wednesday. A win there would qualify them for the Canadian Olympic trials ahead of the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

Hayley has Canadians looking pretty in pink.
Toronto Star

WINNIPEG – Even wearing gaudy pink, Hayley Wickenheiser plays like a superhero.

In a game that Team Canada had no business winning, Wickenheiser grabbed the reins to steer them to a 5-4 shootout victory over archrival United States last night in a round-robin playoff contest at the women’s world hockey championship.

“I thought Hayley won the game for us,” said Canadian defenceman Delaney Collins. “She made different plays throughout the game that wound up resulting in goals.”

The biggest, of course, was in the shootout when she skated in on American goalie Jessie Vetter, gave her a couple of fakes and slid the puck through her pads with the game-deciding goal. None of the U.S. shooters could solve Team Canada netminder Charline Labonte.

It’s Wickenheiser’s instincts more than anything that seem to separate her from the crowd in the women’s game.

They were in evidence with Canada trailing 4-2 in the second period and things looking rather grim before a suddenly moribund record crowd of 15,003 at the MTS Centre, the largest in history to witness a women’s hockey game.

“I knew if I could stay patient and wait for that opportunity, you only need one or two chances in a game sometimes to make a difference and that seems to be the way this game went,” said Wickenheiser.

The Canadians were outfitted in the same garish pink uniforms worn in 1990 at the first-ever worlds by Team Canada’s championship squad, most of whom were honoured on the ice after the first period.

“I think it was a nice game for us to win for those women who brought the game to where it is today,” said Wickenheiser.

Hughes’ deeds do not go unnoticed by IOC; Canadian to receive sport/community award from IOC.
National Post

CALGARY - When the 2006 Winter Olympics ended, work just began for Clara Hughes.

After winning the fourth and fifth Olympic medals of her career in Italy, the 34-year-old who lives and trains in Calgary, turned her focus towards raising awareness and funds to assist children in disadvantaged areas of the world through the Right To Play humanitarian organization.

As she spoke to media after winning gold in the 5,000-metre long-track speed skating event, Hughes mentioned she would take $10,000 from her own bank account and give it to Right To Play. She then challenged other Canadians and businesses to do the same. More than $430,000 has been raised to date.

Hughes also went on a Right To Play mission in Ethiopia last May, rolling up her sleeves and helping to spread the gift of sport.

For all this, it was announced yesterday that Hughes been awarded the 2006 International Olympic Committee Sport and the Community Trophy. “I’ve always searched for ways to go beyond normal competition—winning and losing—to really show people that you can do so much more as an athlete,” Hughes said from Toronto, where she’s doing a sponsorship appearance with Bell Canada.

“Sport should be something that contributes to society in a positive way. For me, that meant connecting to children on the other side of the world and helping their world be a better place.”

Hughes has been a Right To Play Ambassador since December, 2003, and became co-chair of its Canadian advisory board last April. She regularly participates in school visits, fundraisers and other public speaking engagements. Her message never changes and always inspires.

“That I’ve had the chance to help the many children who are born into dire life situations that are beyond comprehension, is a gift I am grateful for,” she said. “It shines far brighter than the gold medal I won in Turin. I hope this can inspire other athletes to make a difference in this vast world that we are all a part of.”

Besides the two medals won at the 2006 Winter Olympics, Hughes won another speed-skating medal and a pair of cycling medals at the Summer Olympics. “I cannot think of anyone who is more deserving of this award than Clara Hughes,” Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers said in a statement.

“Throughout her Olympic Summer and Winter Games career, Clara has always represented Canada both on and off the field of play with such grace, class and character.
Through her athletic success and her exemplary, warm and caring humanitarian efforts, Clara truly embodies the spirit of the Olympic movement. She is, and will forever remain, one of Canada’s greatest Olympians.”

Freestyle’s Nicolas Fontaine to enter Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.
Airborn News

One of Canada’s most successful international athletes, former Canadian Freestyle Ski Team member Nicolas Fontaine, will be inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame on April 19th at a gala ceremony at the Chateau Cartier in Gatineau, QC.

Now head coach of the CFSA’s “Jump 2010” program, Nico had an incredible athletic career: Four time Olympian, winning an silver medal at the 1992 Albertville Olympics;84 top ten finishes in 116 FIS World Cup competitions;Five time FIS World Cup aerials champion including four in a row;World Champion in 1997.

He was recognized for his success and role in Freestyle winning the Canadian Snowsports Association John Semmelink Award three consecutive years.

Nico has been an inspiration to all who have gotten to know him and continues to make huge contributions to his sport. Everyone involved in freestyle skiing knows that Nico is a more than worthy inductee, based on both his athletic accomplishments and the way that he conducted himself as a representative of his country, sport, team-mates, family and sponsors. He is an outstanding person, and we are very proud that he has been recognized in this way.

He will be joined as new members of the Hall of Fame by Max Gartner, Edi Podivinsky, Bjorger Pettersen, and Karolina Wisniewska.

OLYMPIC CROSS-COUNTRY SKI QUEEN SET TO WELCOME NEW HEIR.
CODA Release

Calgary—Canada’s most decorated Olympic cross-country ski athlete, Beckie Scott, is set to add an heir to the family home, Cross Country Canada announced last Thursday.

The Olympic gold and silver medallist, along with husband Justin Wadsworth, a  three-time Olympic cross-country skier who is now a  coach for the United States, are expecting their first child in September.

“We are totally thrilled and excited to be adding a little one to the family,” said Scott.  “It’s a new chapter opening up in our lives and, we couldn’t be happier about it.”

Prior to officially announcing her retirement nearly one year ago, April 12, 2006, Scott spent the last two decades travelling around the world’s nordic highways with fellow Olympians, Sara Renner and Milaine Theriault. Now, Scott follows her teammates into the world of motherhood. Renner welcomed a baby girl into the world two months ago, while Theriault competed for two years on the international circuit after having a boy in 2004.

“Both Milaine and Sara have been great examples to follow, and I’ve already been calling on them frequently for tips and advice,” said Scott.  “We’ve had so many memorable moments together as teammates and friends, and to be able to share this experience now…..it’s really something special.”

Scott skied into retirement having rewritten the Canadian record books in the sport, which also firmly established her as one of the world’s best all-round cross-country ski racers. The remarkable trail for the Vermilion, Alta. native concluded with: 15 World Cup medals; four World Cup victories; two Olympic medals – including gold in the five-kilometre pursuit race at the 2002 Games, and a silver medal that she claimed with teammate Sara Renner in the sprint relay in 2006.

Despite retiring from competitive skiing, Scott continues to blaze her trail around the world as a member of the IOC’ Athletes’ Commission. Scott was elected to the position, which holds an eight-year term, by her peers at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. She just recently finished up a month-long working tour of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games candidate cities with the IOC Evaluation Commission.

In addition to her role with the IOC, Scott has been active in a variety of public speaking engagements over the past year, while also holding positions on a number of commissions and committees including; WADA, Right to Play, VANOC, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and the Canadian Olympic Committee.