Dominique Maltais repeats as Canadian women's snowboardcross champion. Tom Velisek wins men's title.
(CODA Release)

Mont Avila, Que.-Dominique Maltais cruised to victory in the women's snowboardcross event on Saturday at the 2004 Honda Element Canadian Snowboard Championships, marking the second straight season the Charlevoix, Que. native has captured the national title in the sport that will debut at the Olympics in 2006.

The 23-year-old, who had a remarkable season on the World Cup, overcame a group of hard-charging Canadians under sunny skies and perfect conditions in Quebec to repeat as national champion. "I am really happy to win this event in consecutive years, especially because this is my first gold medal of the season," said Maltais. "It was a great event today and an awesome way to finish a very good season on the World Cup."

Maltais knocked off Jessica Kimura, of Vernon, B.C., who finished second in the women's final. Cori Olafson, of Whistler, B.C., grabbed the bronze medal, while Christelle Doyon, of Sherbrooke, Que., crossed the line in fourth.

Meanwhile, Tom Velisek, of Vernon, B.C., who has been leading the way for Canada's male snowboardcross athletes on the World Cup this season, claimed the national title in the men's final. "The course was really good today and we had a lot of fun riding and competing against each other," said the 23-year-old, who was one of eight Canadian snowboardcross riders to win World Cup medals this season. "I'm really happy to have been able to finish the season on top and I'm already looking forward to next year."

Velisek's teammate, Rob Fagan, of Cranbrook, B.C., finished in second spot, while François Boivin, of Jonquière, Que., rounded out the top-three in third.

More national snowboard results at http://www.csf.ca/english/

Jeff Bean back on top with national aerials title.
(Freestyle Release)

SAINTE-ADÈLE, Que. -- Jeff Bean of Ottawa upset the favoured Steve Omischl of North Bay to win the men's aerials final at the Bell Canadian National Freestyle Ski Championships Saturday.

Bean struggled through this World Cup season, failing to reach the podium once, despite winning several medals the previous season. Omischl, on the other hand, was a convincing winner of the World Cup overall men's aerials title.

But Bean, 27, captured his second-ever national crown. He took a big lead in the first round en route to edging Warren Shouldice of Calgary for the win. Omischl was third.

"It was a pretty rough season," admitted Bean, who placed no higher than fifth in a World Cup this season. "I lost the fire a little bit after last season," said Bean of 2002-2003. "I thought I was good and just sort of coasted. But I realized that if you want to be competitive at the Nationals and for the Olympics, you've got to perform."

His other national title came in 1999, while he placed third at the 2003 nationals. "I came here with the intention of winning," said Bean. "I really wanted this one, I really needed it."

Veronika Bauer of Toronto also had a disappointing season, but finished on a winning note. She won her third-ever national aerials title. Amber Peterson of Thunder Bay was second. Elise Pallard, 17, of Edmonton was third. Injured most of the season, Pallard had jumped sparingly. However, she won the junior national title two weeks ago, before capturing her first-ever medal at these senior nationals.

Bauer, 24, had a sparkling 2002-2003 season in which she was the world's third-ranked jumper and won a world championship silver medal. But this past season was another story. "It was up and down, but mostly down," admitted Bauer. "It was nowhere near the level I was jumping at the year before. Overall, I'm really disappointed, but for me to land both jumps today (Saturday) and end on a good note is nice."

More national results are posted at http://www.freestyleski.com.

Freestyle skier Jennifer Heil is a World Cup champion, but like many Canadian athletes, she worries about funding as much as competing.
(National Post)

Jennifer Heil is the best in the world at what she does. She became the first Canadian woman to win the world moguls championship earlier this month and is a favourite to win gold at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, but she remains a sympathetic character to many of her vanquished colleagues. As a Canadian on tour, she is almost the object of pity.

Her funding was not as high as she had hoped this year, and it failed to cover even a third of her costs. Had it not been for the addition of a new sponsor late in the freestyle skiing season, Heil would have been forced into debt to represent Canada.

"A lot of the athletes on tour were just shocked at our position," she said of her team. "Most of them almost laughed because they can't believe that this is happening. To them, it's no question that their country wouldn't pay for them. I know the Americans are completely covered, everything's covered. All the Europeans, they couldn't believe that we were in this position and a lot of them are really bummed for us."

The cost of training camps and competition around the world cost around $27,000 this year, Heil said. Her federation, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, could only afford to provide her with about $7,000. "It's been a really difficult year for the freestyle athletes of Canada," she said. "Basically, we were told at the beginning of the year that there'd be no problem, that we could expect our normal level of funding. And then, in about October, we were told that there was no money and that we would be responsible for paying everything."

By that point in the year, there was no time to get organized or make any other arrangements for funding. Without the support of her sponsors, Canada Post, Oakley and the late addition of advertising firm Anderson DDB, Heil said she would have needed to take out a loan to finish the year. "I'm still very conscious of money," she said. "My prize money's helped a lot, too. But without Anderson DDB, I'd be eating one meal a day, I think, just trying to save all my pennies. I wouldn't be in a position to be able to go out and to perform. It's pretty tough to be under the stress of competition and all that comes with competition -- but also worrying about money. That's a pretty tough burden."

Canadian Freestyle Ski Association president and CEO Pat Smith said the crunch was created by a funding shortfall, and it affected all athletes under her federation's umbrella. Heil's costs were higher, though, because she opted to employ her own coach instead of using the services that were provided.

"It's very, very frustrating," Smith said. "It's a full-time job for these athletes and they put their heart and soul in it. And as an association and as a nation, we expect results from these athletes and its very hard when they're distracted with financial worries."

Heil, a 20-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., earned notice at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City when she missed a bronze medal by a fraction of a point. She took last season off to nurse nagging injuries in her shins and back but returned this year to finish on the podium in nine of 14 events on the Federation Internationale de Ski circuit.

She claimed the crystal globe for the 2004 FIS World Cup earlier this month
in Italy and will finish her season back on Canadian soil at the Bell Canadian freestyle ski Championships this weekend at Mount Gabriel in Ste. Adele, Que. After that, she will resume her business management studies at McGill
University in Montreal and, likely, continue answering questions about her
appearance in Canada's spring issue of Ski Press. Heil appeared on the cover wearing only a hat and a towel -- and removed the hat for another picture inside the free magazine.

"I actually took the Polaroid home from the photo shoot because I thought
it'd be a very good idea if I gave [my parents] the heads up before my mom
walked by the stands and saw it in full size," Heil said. "They were a little shocked at first, but they had time for it to sit well. I think they're pleased with the way it came out."

The same, very likely, could be said of her season.

Women's wrestling qualifies full team for Athens.
(Coach Leigh Vierling)

Lyndsay Belisle and Tonya Verbeek were successful in joining Christine Nordhagen and Viola Yanik in qualifying for the Athens Olympic games last week. Belisle won the 48Kg category at the final Olmpic qualifying event in Spain. Tonya Verbeek also qualified with a Bronze medal performance in the 55kg class.

There will be four weight classes at the Summer Olympic Games and Canada has now joined an elite few countries (USA, Japan, Russia, China) that have managed to qualify in every weight category.

The team members are;
48Kg Lyndsay Belisle (Vancouver, BC)
55Kg Tonya Verbeek (St. Catherines, ON)
63Kg Viola Yanik (Saskatoon, SK)
72Kg Christine Nordhagen (Calgary, AB)

Head Coach Leigh Vierling (Calgary, AB)
Asst. Coach Todd Hinds (Saskatoon, SK)

Sport Matters Group reacts to ten million dollar funding push from federal budget.

OTTAWA – March 24, 2004 The Sport Matters Group (SMG) is pleased with today’s announcement by the Hon. Stan Keyes, the Minister of State for Sport concerning an additional $10 Million investment in sport.

“It’s a prudent down payment on future federal investments” says Victor Lachance, Senior Leader of the Sport Matters Group. “This new money for sport, coupled with the $20 million that was kept in place, is a welcomed contribution that keeps the sport and physical activity file moving forward.”

“The Sport Minister clearly intends to fulfill sport and physical activity’s contributions to our social foundations, from healthy living to sporting excellence, from playground to podium” says Lachance. “His intention to develop a 2010 Olympics and Paralympics investment plan is a welcomed development.”

“We welcome the Minister’s intention to support and raise the profile of sport within the federal government” says Tim Page, Executive Director of Diving Canada.

The SMG believes the federal government has taken a fiscally responsible approach to current and future investments in sport that will benefit all Canadians.

2010 group on target; Vancouver/Whistler Olympics CEO doesn't expect deadline rush like Athens.
(The Calgary Sun)

The shovels haven't broken dirt but it looks like Vancouver's Olympic committee is right on schedule when it comes to the 2010 Winter Games. John Furlong, president and CEO of the organizing committee, said construction is set to begin next summer in Vancouver and Whistler on many of the new venues needed to stage the big event.

Unlike in Athens, where officials are scrambling to get everything built in time for the Summer Games Aug. 13-29, Vancouver, which has a $1.3-billion
operating budget, will have facilities open years before the Games begin. "You can never start too early or get too far ahead," said Furlong, who was
in Calgary yesterday to meet the media and some of Canada's winter athletes at Canada Olympic Park's Ice House.

Vancouver/Whistler will boast two athletes' villages, one in the downtown core, the other in Whistler, so competitors don't have to travel as much getting to their events. They're also building a new sliding centre for skeleton, luge and bobsleigh, a ski jump hill, a speed skating oval at Simon Fraser University and a new curling arena.

In 2008 and 2009, the area will host 'test events' of national and international calibre in every Olympic and Paralympic sport as a means of finding out how well organized the group is before the Games. With the new facilities, questions arise on where Canadian athletes are going to train and live before and after 2010.

Some, like Calgarian Lindsay Alcock, voiced concerns about the cost of training in an expensive town like Whistler. "I'm getting the indication they want to sit down with the athletes and figure out what it is we need," said Alcock, last season's overall skeleton World Cup winner and world championship silver medallist. "If we know going in we've got a bed to sleep in, we have a cafeteria to eat in, what more do you need?" Organizers want to build an athlete centre where competitors can stay but Alcock said she'd still likely remain in Calgary.

Canada's finest winter athletes also might get some extra cash from the organizing committee, which wants to raise money to help Canadians reach more podiums. Medals, as well as buses running on time, ticket sales and corporate support will be the criteria on which the Games are judged. "The definition of success must include the performance of the Canadian team," said Furlong, who is working closely with CODA in preparing for the Games. "There's never enough money for athletes and everyone should get involved and if everybody would give a little, we'd get it done."

Furlong's words rang true in light of the federal government's refusal to commit more money to sport funding. While the athletic community was hoping for a $50-million addition to the $90 million in spending, the feds announced a disappointing $10-million increase in Tuesday's budget.

TORONTO, March 23 /CNW/ - Kick starting its commitment to encourage all
Canadians to support elite amateur athletes, Molson today announced a unique one-day promotion.

On Saturday April 3, five dollars from every 24 Molson Canadian beers sold will be directed to Canada's elite amateur athletes who are heading to Athens. "We wanted to find a way to raise awareness and encourage all Canadians to participate in supporting our top amateur athletes who represent the country on the world stage," says Daniel J. O'Neill, President and CEO of Molson. "On April 3, most Canadians will be adjusting their clocks and looking forward to summer. With the 2004 games in Athens only a few months away, we thought it was time for people from coast-to-coast to 'spring forward' and show their support."

The funding raised from this promotion will supplement the $500,000 commitment Molson has made to help amateur athletes gear up for the 2004 Games in Athens. This promotion, which is not limited to beers sold in stores, includes a five dollar flow to the See You in Athens Fund for every 24 Molson Canadian beers purchased in restaurants or bars, up to a maximum donation of $250,000.