Canada repeats as world hockey champions.
(CBC Sports Online)

Canada successfully defended its world hockey championship with a 5-3 victory over Sweden in Prague on Sunday. The Canadians stormed back from a 3-1 deficit, scoring four unanswered goals en route to its second straight gold-medal triumph over Sweden.

It's the first time Canada has won back-to-back world hockey titles since 1958-59, when amateur clubs represented the country at the event. Atlanta Thrashers forward Dany Heatley was named most valuable player and best forward of the tournament. "It's great to repeat," said Heatley. "Both years are special. Coming together as a group is such a Canadian thing. We came together and really believed in each other. We fought back and clawed back in the last three games, it's such an awesome way to win." "I love playing for Canada, any chance I get I love putting on the Maple Leaf. It's a great hockey country and lots of fun to play for."

Heatley, Ryan Smyth, Rob Niedermayer, Jay Bouwmeester and Matt Cooke provided the Canadian offence on Sunday. Jonas Hoglund, Daniel Alfredsson and Andreas Salomonsson scored for Sweden. Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist finished with 22 saves, while Canadian netminder Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers turned aside 28 shots.

"I couldn't believe it," said Canadian coach Mike Babcock. "We're down 2-0 to the Swedes and they won't let us touch the puck. "I said to the guys: 'Let's stop watching TV, let's get playing. Let's get after them.' And the Ryan Smyth line with (Brendan) Morrison and (Glen) Murray, they came to play tonight and they set the tone."

"They say that repeating is the hardest thing and I have to agree with that. It's a tough thing," said Smyth, Team Canada's captain for the last four years. "We came from behind it and we did it. "We're not only proud of ourselves but we're proud of the Canadians back at home who supported us."

Calgary athletes grateful for support system.
(The Calgary Herald - Lauren MacGillivray)

Even Joanne Malar-Morreale was impressed with the number of quality athletes surrounding her. Malar-Morreale, Canada's Olympic women's swimming hopeful in the 200- and 4x200-metre freestyle, attended an official sendoff luncheon for local Athens-bound athletes at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Friday.

"This is beautiful," she crooned, glancing around at the tables of athletes and supporters in attendance. "If the general public knew how many of these athletes had unbelievable stories of success, they'd be amazed; it's incredible how many great role models we have right in our backyard."

Malar-Morreale was one of approximately 15 Olympic/Paralympic athletes at Friday's gathering. The event was to recognize those summer athletes who sometimes go unnoticed in the winter-Olympic haven of Calgary. It was also to honour the corporate community for its support.

Malar-Morreale, 28, will attend Olympic trials at Toronto in July and attempt to qualify for her fourth Olympics (she also competed at Sydney in 2000, Atlanta in 1996 and Barcelona in 1992). The Athens Olympics are scheduled to run Aug. 13-29 and the Paralympics are Sept. 17-28. While her hometown is Hamilton, Ont., Malar-Morreale decided to live and train in Calgary, with the University of Calgary-National Swimming Centre. "This whole city is so supportive of athletes," she said. "We work four years for one moment and (the public and corporate communities) make it easier. We have a city behind us that loves us."

Malar-Morreale gave a speech during the event, as did Calgary wrestler Christine Nordhagen-Vierling and local sprinter Earle Connor. Like Malar-Morreale, Nordhagen-Vierling appreciated the chance to meet fellow athletes. "I haven't met them all before," said the 32-year-old, who has already qualified to compete for Canada in Athens in the 72-kilogram weight category. "The more events we can go to like this, the better we'll be as a group. Canada will perform stronger as a unit."

She was eager to share her own thoughts with the crowd. "We (athletes) love going out into the community and motivating people to be their best," she said. Nordhagen-Vierling leaves for Germany at the end of the month, where she'll train for several weeks with some of her opponents who she'll meet in Athens. Women's freestyle wrestling is making its debut at the 2004 Games.

Meanwhile, Connor, an above-knee amputee sprinter who will compete in the
Paralympics, said the sendoff "demonstrates to athletes that the city cares," he said. "It's always a fear that as summer athletes, we get lost in the shuffle but events like this show the community does care." The 27-year-old was named Canadian disabled athlete of the year in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Connor was on his way to Spain where he will find out if he will win a prestigious World Laureus Award, to be announced Monday.

Canada’s Blythe Hartley wins bronze at diving Grand Prix.
(Canadian Sport News)

THE WOODLANDS, Texas- Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., won the bronze medal on women’s three-metre springboard on Sunday to conclude the seventh of nine stops on the FINA Grand Prix diving circuit.

Min Xia Wu of China took the gold medal with Irena Lashko of Australia second. ‘’I felt a little sluggish today so it wasn’t an outstanding performance,’’ said Hartley, one of Canada’s Olympic medal contenders. ‘’My first and last dive were pretty good but they all probably could have been better. But it’s nice to be consistently on the podium at almost every event I’ve entered this year.’’

It was Canada’s third medal of the competition. On Saturday Émilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., was second on women’s 10-metre tower and Alexandre
Despatie of Laval , Que., also took silver on men’s three-metre.

It’s been a solid spring for the Canadians on the Grand Prix circuit leaving no doubt they’ll be in the medal hunt in Athens this August. Despatie has six Grand Prix medals this year including four gold. In addition he won the three-metre World Cup title in February as is the reigning 10-metre world champion
heading into the Games.

Heymans has a gold and two silver medals on tower while Hartley has two silver and a bronze on three-metres this year on the Grand Prix.

The next stop on the circuit is May 28-30 in Rome then the Grand Prix Super Final is June 19-20 in Mexico City. The Canadian team Olympic trials are June 4-6 in Winnipeg.

Senior National Wrestling Championships.
(U of C Wrestling)

Helen Hennick won her first Senior National Gold medal this past weekend in the 63Kg weight Class. Hennick relocated to Calgary 2 years ago and has improved steadily since moving up from the 59Kg weight class last year where she placed 4th. Hennick, originally from New Brunswick thilled her family, friends, and former team mates with her performance. Tara Hedican, of Guelph Ontario was the silver medalist and is a 2001 Junior World Champion. It was Hennick's 4th straight victory over the former World Champion. Hennick had defeated Hedican in January to win a spot on Canada's team for the FISU University World Championships this July in Poland.

Also returning to the top of the Medal podium was Erica Sharp at the 55Kg weight class. Sharp lost the best of three final series 2 matches to 1, at the Olympic Trials in December. But had a very strong performance on the weekend. Winning the Gold medal in dominant style. She has now won 5 Senior national Championships.

Breanne Graham took a bronze medal in the 59Kg competition despite suffering a cracked rib while training with Hennick in preparations for the Tournament.

In the Men's Competition, Eric Kirschner fell just short of his first Senior National Gold Medal. The former Commonwealth Games silver medalist lost the gold medal match to Colbie Bell of Edmonton at the superheavyweight division (120Kg).

Calgary athlete's absent from the competition included Christine Nordhagen and Dean Schmeichel. Schmeichel, a former Commonwealth Games gold Medalist, failed to qualify for the Olympic games after winning the Olympic trails in December. He was unable to compete on the weekend. Christine Nordhagen was not in the competiton as it was optional for the seven qualified olympic team members. Christine's coaches felt that she needed a short break, "she has competed alot already this year with the Olympic trials and qualifiers. We need to get some of the nagging injuries healed up and get reenergized to head back to Europe in early June."

The University of Calgary Club was 2nd in the Women's Team Race and 5th in the Men's Competition.

Overall our team competed fairly well. It is always a bit of a strange year, in an Olympic Year. With some of our Olympians not competing or competing up a weight class, it left the door open for some of our younger wrestlers and they seemed to jump all over the opportunity. Hennicks victory was definately a highlight for our team. She has been training and capable of this type of performance for a long time, and it is nice to see her efforts rewarded.

Montreal judoka upsets three-time Olympian to qualify for Athens.
(The Calgary Herald / CanWest News Services)

Marie-Helene Chisholm is Olympic-bound after pulling off an upset at the Canadian senior judo championships Sunday. Chisholm beat three-time Olympian Michelle Buckingham with an Ippon -- judo's equivalent of a knockout -- to win the women's 63-kilogram event.

With the victory she also secured the sixth and final spot on the national judo team heading to the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Greece. "It's a dream come true," said the Montreal resident. "It took me awhile to feel good because I was so nervous. But I gained energy as the fight went on."
"I've been doing qualification tournaments for a long time but today I won and I'm very happy."

Chisholm will join Quebec's Nicolas Gill (100 kilograms), Catherine Roberge (70 kilograms), Amy Cotton (78 kilograms), Carolynne Lepage (48 kilograms) and Alberta's Keith Morgan (90 kilograms) in Athens. The rest of the team had already qualified for the Olympics before Sunday's competition. "Right now we're going to the Olympics with one of the strongest teams we've ever had," said Serge Piquette, president of Judo Canada. "There's a good chance that three of our candidates will get a top-seven finish."

Chisholm's victory capped an impressive day for the Quebec team. The province, known for producing some of the country's best judokas, claimed 14 of 17 national championships in various weight classes during the two-day tournament.

Gill, who won a silver medal at the 2000 Games in Sydney, did not compete at the nationals but was on the sidelines coaching some of the up-and-coming Quebec talent. The 32-year-old has just resumed training after having surgery to repair a torn ACL about six months ago. "Getting back into training was a big test for my knee," said Gill, a 10-time national champion. "It's going well so things are looking good. I'm just taking it slow for now." Gill hinted that retirement isn't far away but admitted he's in no hurry. "I've been taking it year by year for the last four years," he said. "I'm very close to the end. I'm 32 now and have had a couple of surgeries on my knees."

Athlete Profile: Simon's Stretch Run; Whitfield Getting into Gear to Defent Olympic Gold.
(The Toronto Sun - Rob Longley)

THE NEXT time Simon Whitfield travels to Athens, he'll pay a little more attention to what he eats and a little less to the scenery. Canada's gold-medal-winning triathlete from the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney is amping up his training regimen to make a bid at retaining his title this August in Greece. After a pair of impressive victories in April following a disappointing end to the 2003 season, Whitfield has shown the world he will be a medal threat.

One of Whitfield's biggest busts last season was a DNF at an Olympic preview event in Athens. "The focus wasn't there for that race," Whitfield said this week in an interview from his Vancouver Island retreat. "I wanted to take in the course and the environment so I would be ready this summer. The trouble was, I didn't pay attention to the actual fact that I had to race.
"I got to the race and plain and simple I screwed up."

It didn't help that the night before he was to compete, Whitfield enjoyed a tasty dinner of Greek cuisine with his father. That didn't sit to well, nor did a handful of apricots and flax bread he woofed down too close to race time. "It was a good lesson, it showed I have to stay task-oriented," Whitfield said. "It wasn't all bad though. I got out of the race what I wanted, which was learning about the course."

Whitfield hasn't done much to screw up lately as he enters the most serious phase of his Olympic-year training. The Kingston native has been resting for the past two weeks after back-to-back wins in an International Triathlon Union event in Mexico and a U.S. Olympic qualifier in Hawaii. "I did the big winter push in terms of training, now I'm just taking two weeks off and getting ready to go for it again," Whitfield said.

After the bust in Athens, Whitfield finished 31st at the World Championships in Queensland, New Zealand to end his year. While he'll take the two wins to kick off 2004, Whitfield wasn't entirely pleased with all of his mechanics. "I didn't corner well (on the cycling leg), I didn't have much high-end running speed so I'll have to address those," Whitfield said. "Over the next few weeks, we will be very analytical of every aspect. "I made a promise to myself not to get beaten by people who don't prepare well enough. We're all basically of the same physical ability when you are at the top level. Now it comes down to preparation."

Starting Monday, that preparation will get serious. The next eight weeks will be crucial in laying the physical groundwork for what he hopes to be a repeat performance in Greece. "It will basically be eat, sleep and train," said Whitfield, who will alternate between Victoria and Penticton B.C. as training bases. "The attention to detail will be enormous with very little rest involved. It will be more quantity over quality the next four weeks."

As for the Olympic venue he spent so much time admiring last year, Whitfield said the scenery should be a good showcase for his sport. "It's a fantastic course with a tough bike course which I like," Whitfield said. "The course runs along the ocean and up the hill and the run right around these little Greek shops. It's just spectacular." As long as he goes easy on the tzatziki.

Athletes receive funds for Paralympic Games.
(The Record - Sherbrooke / Mike Hickey )

Amid all the potential problems surrounding the upcoming Athens Summer Olympics, there was good news coming out of Ottawa last week concerning the Paralympic Games. The Games will be held in Athens following the 2004 Summer Games.

The Canadian Paralympic Committee, the governing body for Paralympic sports in this country, announced last Thursday, in conjunction with the Canadian Government, that $445,000 has been earmarked to the Paralympic Excellence Fund to support 94 targeted Paralympic athletes in their pursuit of medals at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.

Because they do not have the same public profile as Olympic athletes, members of the Canadian Paralympic team do not have the opportunity for sponsorship as National Team athletes and teams. Yet they remain some of our most successful athletes on the international scene.

The Government of Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee identified those athletes and teams with a high probability of winning medals in the upcoming Paralympic Game and earmarked the funds at allow these athletes the receive the proper training heading into the Games.

In 2004, 10 summer sports will benefit from the funds including track and field, wheelchair basketball, boccia, cycling, goalball, swimming, wheelchair rugby, tennis, sailing and judo. Additional funds will be awarded to winter sports recipients later this year. "In addition to the large number of athletes returning from the Canadian Paralympic Team's record-setting performance in Sydney, the emergence of new athletes whose performances also demonstrate strong potential to climb the podium in Athens is an excellent sign," said Rob Needham, CPC's Program Director.

"The selection committee did not lower our qualification standards from last year, and we are pleased to see previous recipients who maintained their podium standing joined by emerging athletes for Athens." "I believe it is better to have more recipients in a Paralympic year. The athletes must focus more on their performances with the Games a few months away. Certainly a benchmark has been set by the implementation of these funds. The money can make the difference between seventh place and a medal. It's a privilege for these athletes to get this support," said Louis Barbeau, Team Canada's Chef de Mission in Athens.

In 2000, Canada won a team record 96 medals at the Sydney Paralympics and finished third in the nation medal standings. Overall, the Government of Canada provides $100 million in annual funding to support participation and excellence in sport from the playground to the podium.

Fund and Games: Are We Willing to Pay for Success? Cross Country Canada had no choice but to go for broke.
(The Toronto Sun - Jason Paul)
Series: Part 2 of 3

With the Athens Olympics just four months away, the debate over funding for amateur sports in Canada will intensify. In this three-part series, The Sun's Jason Paul looks at Canada's commitment to gold:
---

With a scarce budget, the cross-country skiing organization was faced with making tough choices heading into the 2002 Winter Olympics. It chopped staff to the bone, halted most of its programs and focused its money on high-performance athletes.

When Beckie Scott won an Olympic medal, it may have saved the future of competitive cross-country skiing in Canada. Cross Country Canada was able to secure a major sponsorship deal now worth $150,000 a year and has slowly begun to replenish its development programs.

"We were a prisoner of the framework, but it was a success and it paid off," Cross Country Canada executive director Bruce Jeffries said. "We made massive sacrifices for three to four years. Now we've been able to increase the profile of the sport and we're investing in other programs.

"We mortgaged the ranch leading up to Salt Lake City and Beckie benefited from that. She helped put our sport on the map and we're in debt to her for the exposure she has helped give us. Without that success, it would have been desperate."

Cross Country Canada is just one example of how stretched some national sports bodies in Canada are. Jeffries works as a volunteer, while national coach Dave Wood has been called upon to broker its sponsorship deal with Haywood Securities, a Vancouver-based investment company.

"Everyone wants to have good results, but no one wants to have to pay for it," Wood said. "If you want us to be competitive in 2010 (for the Vancouver Olympics) we have to start now. It's almost too late already."

Of the $90 million the federal government invested in sport last year, about $36 million went to 54 national sports organizations, ranging from $1.8 million to Swimming Canada to $51,000 to the Canadian Lacrosse Association.

The money each sport receives is evaluated by Sport Canada -- an umbrella group under Canadian Heritage -- and is based on international performances, involvement in providing coaching and services, and membership numbers.

Funding levels are reassessed on a four-year cycle, with the next formula model to take effect April 1, 2005. So sports bodies, such as Cross Country Canada (which received $628,000 last year), with improved performances will get an increase. A sport can become eligible if it has 3,000 members, is affiliated with eight provinces/territories and has had a team or athlete finish in the top 16 or top half at a world championship or Olympics since 1992.

Some restrictions apply on Sport Canada contributions:

- Organizations can't spend more than 25% of its budget on administration fees.

- Purchase of national team uniforms is not covered.

- Administrative salary caps of $55,000.

- Salaries of national team coaches not to exceed $65,000.

In Sport Canada's previous funding cycle (pre-2001), 38 sports received funding. In 2000-01, the Canadian Snowboard Federation received nothing except for an event grant of $15,000 -- barely more than the $5,000 that was given to the Canadian Amateur Tug-of-War Association. After the 1998 Winter Olympics, though, snowboarding became eligible under Sport Canada's guidelines and now has annual funding of $250,000.

"We need to take a look at the structure, the funding models and resources of how Sport Canada interacts with amateur sports," Canadian Olympic Committee CEO Chris Rudge said.

Here's a sampling of where some of the government money available to amateur sport went in 2003:

- Aug. 22: $15,000 to table tennis, to help organize the Canadian Junior Open that took place in Edmonton, Aug. 24-30.

- Oct. 27: $33,000 to flag football, to support Football Canada's schools programs.

- Dec. 4: $40,000 to badminton, to support Badminton Canada's initiative to promote the sport among Aboriginal youth.

- Dec. 4: $65,000 to table tennis, this time to help promote participation in the Canadian Table Tennis Association's schools programs.

Even though funding is partially based on a sport's international success, Minister of State for Sport Stan Keyes is willing to re-evaluate the funding formula, but not at the expense of lower profile sports.

"I'd rather be inclusive than exclusive," Keyes said. "The current model works. It isn't a model that was made out of the air and I think we can find the money that will give all sports an equal shot at achieving their goals."

Not all sports organizations are experiencing the crunch. Hockey Canada, with annual funding of about $1.6 million, is by far the most successful.

Tennis Canada, with $695,000 of funding, reaps the rewards of being host of two professional tournaments for the ATP and WTA that not only keep it above board financially but have helped fund the construction of the $45-million Rexall Centre at York University.

The tournaments generate profits of close to $5 million with $3 million of that going into development, according to outgoing Tennis Canada CEO Bob Moffatt.

"We're able to get great sponsorship and the net profit from that we're able to invest in the sport, which other sports may not be able to do," he said. "Sponsors look at sports that they see being able to get a return so you have to find a way to make your athletes visible."

Former skiing great Ken Read has had tremendous success since becoming president of Alpine Canada in 2002 maintaining sponsors and improving the sport's profile, especially after its poor results at the Salt Lake City Games.

"We're aided by the fact we have a pretty high participation base. We can have receptions at events in beautiful locations and that lends itself to client hosting," Read said. "At the same time, you're selling a product and you have to have a clear understanding of that. Sometimes the emotional side is the selling tool. We're well past the point of just putting a logo on a suit and hanging some banners.

Alpine Canada has annual $1-million deals with CIBC and Pontiac GMC along with its government funding of $1.084 million.

"A lot of sponsors come in for the Olympics and leave," he said. "It's important to try to negotiate sports packages that don't end just after the Olympics but a year after that, because that is the most challenging year to fundraise."

According to the COC, 10% of the sports in Canada get 85% of the pie of marketing and sponsorship dollars. Rowing Canada is expecting $400,000 this year in sponsorship while Synchro Canada has an agreement with Speedo worth $100,000 over four years. Hockey Canada's is more than $5 million annually.

"The goal has to be to look at the private sector for money, because just to keep going to the government is embarrassing," said former sprint king Donovan Bailey, a longtime critic of how sports bodies are run. "I would bring in some new blood. The system is so political that the people who can make a difference are not involved."

Despite the lack of sponsorship dollars in relation to professional sports, the COC's executive director of sport, Mark Lowry, estimates 50 to 60 major corporations in Canada invest in amateur sport.

Molson, which is most closely associated with the NHL, has been a big supporter of the women's national hockey team and gave the players $500,000 after winning Olympic gold in 2002.

"The bulk of our money goes to professional sports, but the total number of events we sponsor is way more for amateur sports," Molson spokesman David Jones said. "It's understandable that a company is being approached because a sport needs your money to operate, but they also have to show what you'll get and that you're receiving a value in return."

Welcome to the Canadian Olympic Committee's Newsletter!

PODIUM is a monthly electronic newsletter aimed at keeping athletes, the sport community, our members and our partners informed about our activities and initiatives.

Our online newsletter features:
· Podium-Bound: Bosshart Kicking for Gold
· Canadian Olympic Athletes Join Canada's Top Chefs for a Night of Fundraising
· 2004 Athens Mission Staff Training Seminar
· Dressed to Win: Canadian Olympic Team Clothing by Roots
· COC Congress and Hall of Fame
· Slava Corn Receives Carol Anne Letheren Award
· Athlete Service of the Month: An Olympian's Job Search is Made Easy
· 2010 Update

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