Canada finishes second in medal tally at Parapanamerican Games; athletes gain valuable multi-Games experience.

CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE - RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Canada finished the Parapanamerican Games, which wrapped up Sunday, with a total of 112 medals: 49 gold, 37 silver and 26 bronze. The result placed Canada second in the country standings behind host Brazil, but ahead of the United States.

Team Canada Chef de Mission Rob Needham said that the Parapanamerican Games were a great trial run for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

”I’m extremely pleased with the strong performance of our 2007 Parapanamerican team,” said Needham. “We have not only earned valuable qualifying slots for next year’s Paralympic Summer Games, but have given our newer athletes a valuable multi-Games experience in preparation for Beijing.”

Canada’s men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams officially qualified for the Beijing Paralympic Games. Both teams won silver at the Rio Games on Saturday. The country’s seven-a-side football team, which won bronze, earned a spot at the CP-ISRA Worlds in November in Brazil; the top seven or eight teams at the Worlds advance to the 2008 Paralympic Games.

As well, the athletes competing as individuals earned valuable qualification points for Beijing.

Swimmer Benoit Huot, of Montreal, QC, was chosen as Canada’s closing ceremony flag bearer. Huot swam his way to three gold and four silver medals at the Parapanamerican Games. In the process, he broke the world record in the 200m individual medley and the Parapanamerican Games record in the 100m backstroke.

”It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that something like this happens. There are many great athletes on this team and to be chosen is a great honour,” said Huot. “I think it’s also great for swimming, and is a recognition of how great swimming did here.”

Country ranking is determined by the number of gold medals won. Brazil earned 83 gold and a total of 228 medals, while the United States had 37 gold and a total of 117 medals.

Calgary’s Seifert wins two gold at Canada Cup trampoline and tumbling event.

HAMILTON (CP) - Alex Seifert of Calgary made an immediate impact in his first senior level competition with gold medals in tumbling and double mini trampoline on Sunday at the Canada Cup.

Two-time Olympic medallist Karen Cockburn of Toronto also delivered a strong performance with her victory in women’s trampoline. The competition was the final team selection meet for the world championships set for October 31-November 3 in Quebec City.

The 17-year-old Seifert was the big story as he upset veteran Denis Vachon of Burlington, Ont., in both his wins. Vachon was second in both finals while Anton Minayev of Calgary was third in tumbling and Kyle Soehn of Red Deer, Alta., third in double mini trampoline.

“I had personal bests in both events so the victories were equally gratifying,” said Seifert, a two-time world junior team member. “Winning the senior title in my first year is a bit of a shock. “I felt proud of my performances. It’s exciting I’ll be facing the best in the world this fall, I’m already feeling nervous about it.”

In women’s trampoline, Cockburn totalled 109.2 points with Rosannagh MacLennan of Toronto second at 104.6 and Brenna Casey of Ottawa third at 99.5. “I had a great weekend,” said Cockburn, the Pan Am Games champion last month. “In the prelims I got a huge score then in the final today I nailed the hardest part of my routine which is at the beginning. So I’m really happy about that.

“Every competition, my routine is getting better and my form is improving. Now we’re in a busy stretch of competitions, which will be tough, but a good preparation for the worlds.”

In men’s trampoline, Burnett was the victor at 114.6 with Bryan Milonja of St-Bruno, Que., second at 107.6 and Martin Myers of Toronto third at 104.4.“I was very happy with my routines today,” said Burnett, a World Cup medallist earlier this year in China. “I came within one-tenth of my personal best score. I changed both optional routines. “Right now I’m experimenting with ways to increase the degree of difficulty of my routines for the worlds. So far it’s working out well.”

In women’s tumbling, Ashley Speed of Etobicoke, Ont., was the winner with Julie Warnock of Calgary second and Emily Smith of Burlington, Ont., third. Speed broke her ankle this spring and this weekend’s meet was her comeback competition. “I was feeling very nervous but I did all my passes really well,” said Speed, 18. “I only started training again in June and I just learned my basic routines. I felt I could contend for a medal here but I’m surprised to win.”

In women’s double mini trampoline, Warnock took the gold with Erica Hart of Calgary second and Kelsi Semeschuk of Calgary third.

Beijing orders 1.3M cars parked; City testing impact of traffic on air pollution.

The Calgary Herald - Beijing embarked on a four-day experiment Friday to see if taking 1.3 million cars off the city’s streets will substantially reduce air pollution at next year’s Olympics.

While officials said it would take some time to judge the impact of the measures, the hazy skies above the Chinese capital suggested they may need to do more to ensure good air when the world’s best athletes arrive next August.Beijing is closing down the worst-polluting factories and switching thousands of homes from coal to gas, but air quality remains the biggest concern for organizers.

Beijing’s car tally hit the three million mark in May and more than 1,000 more are registered every day, snarling up roads and pumping nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter into the air. “The traffic restrictions will definitely reduce vehicle pollutants and will work effectively,” said Du Shaozhong, spokesman for Beijing’s Environmental Protection Bureau.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said last week some endurance events at next year’s Games might have to be postponed if the air quality is not good enough. “Today’s air quality is National Standard Grade 2 -- Grades 1 and 2 are suitable for any activity,” said Du.

An air pollution expert at the World Health Organization (WHO), however, was Friday quoted as saying people with heart problems should think twice about visiting Beijing, as they could face “serious problems” because of the pollution.

Dr Michal Krzyzanowski said he doubted there would be much improvement in the city’s air quality by Games’ time and that the car control measures might not have too great an effect.

Drivers whose licence plates ended in even numbers were warned they would face fines if they drove between 6 a.m. and midnight Friday and Sunday. Odd-numbered cars have been banned today and Monday. Friday at least, the plan appeared to be working. One traffic policeman told Reuters television he had only picked up one even-numbered car plate in one and a half hours.

Some coaches and athletes are concerned air quality tests in China do not record ozone and smaller particulate matter. “Our National Standard is based on our own situation, our own needs,” Du explained. “But when setting it we also learned from international practice. “We have noticed that these secondary pollutants have some influence on the human body, so we have taken some measures to reduce these pollutants.”

Exciting Changes For Oval X-Treme and Women's National Hockey Teams.

Olympic Oval - Calgary, AB - Mario Amantea, a former Calgary Oval X-Treme assistant coach, has been named as Head Coach of Canada’s best female hockey club. “Coaching the Oval X-Treme is a great opportunity to work with what I believe to be the best female hockey program in the country,” says Amantea. “The motivation for me is to help the athletes continue to develop and continue the tradition of excellence the Olympic Oval has established.”

The Calgary Oval X-Treme are four time Esso Women’s National gold medalists and five time league champions, with three WWHL titles and two NWHL. In 2003, when Amantea was part of the X-Treme coaching staff the team won both a league title and gold at Esso Nationals, a feat only achieved twice in Oval X-Treme history.

Amantea has more than 20 years of hockey coaching experience and has been recognized by Hockey Alberta with an award for outstanding coaching.

Meanwhile, the High Performance Female Hockey Program is leading the way in international female hockey development by creating a first-ever program for Chinese National Team players to train and compete with Canada’s best.

“We have to develop the game not only within our country but internationally as well, to continue to make it a viable, competitive sport,” says Kathy Berg, the Director of the Olympic Oval High Performance Female Hockey Program who spearheaded the Olympic Oval Chinese National Team Player Development Program.

The first phase of the program, which started in July, had six of China’s top players come and spend the summer training with the Olympic Oval High Performance Female Hockey Program and then join one of three WWHL Alberta teams (Calgary Oval X-Treme, Edmonton Chimos, Strathmore Rockies) to play for a season.

Phase two of the Development Program includes training and competition for China’s National Team here in Calgary. “The plan is to have the Chinese National squad here for three months to train and play approximately 30 games. That will give them a great basis of development on and off the ice,” says Berg.

The last phase was to help in the search for a National Team head coach. The Olympic Oval was successful in this step with former X-Treme Associate Coach Steve Carlyle accepting the position. He moves to Harbin at the end of August.
“The main goal is to get the Team ready for the 2008 IIHF Women’s World Championships,” says Carlyle. Harbin will host the tournament in April, China’s first-ever international hockey event.  

“Having been part of the coaching staff at the Olympic Oval for the past two years and learning about the top level of Canadian women’s hockey will be very applicable for me in this job,” says Carlyle.

For more information on the Calgary Oval X-Treme visit www.calgaryovalxtreme.com.