Canada wins team silver at World Cup of women’s wrestling.
(Canadian Sport News)

TOKYO- Six-time world champion Christine Nordhagen-Vierling of Calgary and Ohenewa Akuffo of Brampton, Ont., helped Canada to the silver medal in team competition on Saturday to conclude the World Cup of women’s wrestling.

A Japanese ‘’Dream Team’’ with six former or reigning world champions completed the round robin tournament with a perfect 5-0 record trampling China 23-4 to regain the title they lost last year.

The Canadians finished at 4-1 winning their last four matches including victories Saturday over India 25-2 and defending champion U.S., 19-9. China won the bronze in the six-team tourney.

In Canada’s final match against the U.S., the match was deadlocked 8-8 when Emily Richardson of Burnaby, B.C., hit a single leg throw in overtime to throw her opponent Sally Roberts to her back for a 4-1 win in the 59 kilos category. Helen Hennick of Burton, N.B., and Nordhagen-Vierling sealed the victory with pins to assure Canada the silver.

Canada lost its opening match against Japan 24-4 before registering wins against China, 15-12 and Russia 17-7.

Nordhagen-Vierling and Akuffo added individual silver medals in 67 kilos and 72 kilos respectively while Carol Huynh of Burnaby, B.C., in 48 kilos, Erica Sharp of Whitehorse in 51 kilos and Richardson all won bronze. Hennick was fourth in 63 kilos and Laura McDougall of Calgary fifth in 55 kilos.

Rick Say wins third medal at world short course swimming championships.
(Canadian Sport News)

INDIANAPOLIS- Rick Say of Victoria won the bronze medal in the men’s 100 freestyle in Canadian record time on Monday to conclude the world short course swimming championships.

American Jason Lezak took the gold medal in 47.97. Say, eighth at the 75-metre mark, reeled in six swimmers on the final length to get third in 48.38.
That eclipsed the previous national mark of 48.42 set by Yannick Lupien of Beauport, Que., in 2002. ‘’I’m the most the most surprised guy to get the medal,’’ said Say. ‘’But I obviously got something at the end of my race that the other guys don’t. When I moved to Victoria last year, the plan was to improve the sprints.’’

It was Say’s third medal at these championships. He also took the silver in the 200 freestyle and helped Canada to bronze in the 4X100 freestyle relay on Thursday. Say now holds the national short course records in the 100, 200 and 400 freestyles and the 200 freestyle long course. The 25-year-old also posted a sixth place finish in the 200 freestyle this year at the Olympics.

He also anchored Canada to a fifth place finish in the men’s 4X100 medley relay. Say, Matt Rose of Peterborough, Ont., Mike Brown of Perth, Ont., and Mike Mintenko of Vancouver clocked a Canadian record 3:33.04. The Americans won in world record time.

‘’We had a great race,’’ said Brown. ‘’It was pretty intense in this stadium with the people going nuts. Hopefully when we host the worlds next summer (July 2005 in Montreal), our crowds will be there for us because I know we’re going to have some great performances.’’

Erin Gammel and Lauren Van Oosten, both of Calgary, were seventh in the women’s 50 backstroke and 200 breaststroke respectively. Canada ended the competition with four medals. Montreal’s Audrey Lacroix won bronze in the 200 butterfly on Thursday.

Cold medication works for athletes.
(The Record - Byline: DR. GIFFORD-JONES)

How would you like to be an NHL hockey player, reach the Stanley Cup playoffs, then suddenly develop a severe cold? Or train for the Olympics and then be knocked out of competition by a cold?

It's a fear that never leaves athletes. Now Canadian scientists have finally developed a pill that fights this common problem. Apparently Cold-fX is even good enough to make outspoken hockey personality Don Cherry a believer, too.

Cherry, whom viewers either love or hate during NHL intermission crossfire with Ron Maclean, told me that as a young boy he suffered from bronchial asthma and had several colds every winter. They continued during his hockey career. Later, when he retired from playing and became a banquet speaker, his colds became worse.

Luckily, Cherry read a report that the Edmonton Oilers players were using Cold-fX and that it was helping the team combat colds. He knew firsthand, as a hockey coach, how colds and flu could infect an entire team and affect performance on ice. So he decided to try Cold-fX himself and went through the winter without a single cold. He then got careless during the hectic playoff season and stopped taking Cold-fX for two weeks. "I came down with a beauty," Cherry remembered, adding that his cold infected the whole broadcast crew. So Cherry got back on Cold-fX and his cold subsided the next day.

One person's battle against colds could be a chance affair. But Cold-fX has been used by 26 professional hockey teams, including the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, at the World Cup, Team Canada had the product on hand in case players needed it. It's also become a medical routine for the Edmonton Eskimos and the Calgary Stampeders. And 26 coaches and hundreds of hockey players are unlikely pawns if Cold-fX is no better than old-fashioned snake oil.

Cold-fX is an isolated compound derived from North American ginseng and strengthens the immune system to fend off viral infection. Its unique and patented technology ensures safety, efficacy and consistency. It works by boosting the effects of natural killer and antibody producing cells. Clinical trials show it's 89 per cent effective.

It can be used on a daily basis to prevent colds or when a cold strikes. And it doesn't make you drowsy, the last thing an athlete or any active person needs. There's also scientific evidence that Cold-fx is a safe drug for Olympic athletes. A study conducted by Dr. Grant Pierce, professor of physiology and pharmacy at the University of Manitoba, recently appeared in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Pierce put 40 young athletes on Cold-fX for a month. Urine samples were then screened for 200 banned compounds at the Montreal laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. These studies showed that Cold-fX did not contain any banned substances. In addition, it did not trigger the production of banned substances when used to prevent colds.

Colin Young is vice-president of the Canadian Sport Centre in Calgary, home to 300 world-class athletes. He says the trial has demonstrated that Cold-fX is the ideal supplement for their athletes to give them a competitive advantage in a unique way.

Christine Nordhagen, six-time world female wrestling champion, adds that she hasn't had a cold since taking Cold-fX, in spite of extensive international travel, along with strenuous workouts.

To combat a current cold, nine tablets are taken on the first day, six on the second and three on the final day. To prevent a cold, one capsule is taken twice a day. Cold-fX is recommended for adults and children age 12 and up. It's available in pharmacy, grocery and health food stores.

The Big Picture with Dale Henwood: What if…. sport influenced the election result?

Albertans will be voting in a municipal election on October 18th. What does this mean for sport in Alberta? It means we have a tremendous opportunity to show our support, and vote, for candidates that are willing to standup for more appropriate investment into sport.

Investment that will mean sport opportunities are available to citizens, from youth to seniors and in all communities, it means that our volunteers and coaches would be adequately supported, and that our athletes are given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities at the highest level.

In Alberta over 1 million people are actively involved in sporting activities. If all those people and their families vote for candidates that really understand the values and benefits of sport and are willing to advocate for new investment, our newly elected municipal politicians would be positioned to take action on sport priorities. This would be an investment in the future with extensive long term paybacks.

There are numerous ways that you can get involved:

1) Visit the candidates and express to them the important role that sport has played in your life and in your community.

2) Speak with the candidates at public forums or when they come door knocking – tell them how important new investment would be to the health and quality of life of Albertans and to the improved performances of our athletes.

3) Follow local media to identify opportunities to interact with candidates, radio and television call in shows and suggest how new investment in sport can make your community even better.

4) Write a letter to the editor of your local media and discuss key issues such as facilities and facility access, program costs, the need for long term support, the need to curtail the uncontrolled upward spiral of health care costs through minimal new investment in sport, the ability to improve the quality of life by ensuring people are more active, the ability to reduce youth crime costs by investing in sport opportunities and programs for our youth etc.

Better health must include some preventative strategies such as promotion of healthy living, addressing risk factors such as physical inactivity and nutrition; the prevention of injury; and integrated disease strategies. These start at the community and municipal level. For too long, the politician has assumed that there are no consequences for ignoring sport. We know this is not true. Clearly the status quo is not sustainable.

Demonstrate your personal leadership. Take this opportunity to make your voice - a voice for sport – heard by advocating for new investment. We need to ensure our elected representatives appreciate the value of sport and feel the pain for ignoring it.

Dale Henwood
President,
Canadian Sport Centre Calgary

Athlete Profile: Christine Nordhagen - Fighting just for the fun of it.
(By JAMES CHRISTIE - The Globe and Mail)

At 33, Christine Nordhagen-Vierling has proved as much as she needs to on the wrestling mat -- six world championships, an appearance in the historic debut of women's wrestling at the Olympics and jobs as a high-school physical education teacher and wrestling coach.

At the women's World Cup, which will open in Tokyo today, it will be time to grapple for enjoyment -- and not to grapple with pain. "I've had some time to reflect after the Olympics [where Nordhagen placed fifth in her weight class] and now I'm looking forward to the World Cup," she said in an interview. "It's still very competitive, with the six best countries in the world competing, but not the same hype, not the same pressure, and I'm going to enjoy myself."

Nordhagen has dropped weight for the Tokyo event, competing at 67 kilograms and opening up the 72-kg spot for Ohenewa Akuffo of Brampton, Ont., to succeed her as Canada's top female heavyweight. The World Cup will feature wrestlers from the defending champion United States, Canada, Russia, China, Japan and India.

Nordhagen's fifth-place finish at the Olympics was short of her golden dream, but she bucked the odds just by getting to Athens. She made it to 2004 Games on a cat's reflexes -- and Bobby Orr's knees. "In 2001, when it was announced women's wrestling was on the schedule for the Olympic Games, I was excited," she said. "But training was painful every day, and the thought of training and competing for three more years, I didn't know if it would happen."

It was difficult for her to jog in warm-up or go into her stance. Five months of therapy did not eliminate the problem. An arthroscopic inspection showed she had lost all the cartilage in one knee and almost all in the other. "In June, 2002, doctors scraped tissue under the kneecaps to try and create some scar tissue to act as a cushion and be a barrier to the grinding of bone on bone," she said. "But that didn't work. It didn't feel any better. . . .

"I went back to the doctors and we decided to try something new. It was a
treatment for osteoarthritis called Synvisc. It sounded simple. The process was to inject some [synthetic] lubricant into the joint. I went once a week for three weeks, and after the second injection, I noticed a huge difference. It was like night and day. The pain was gone and I could train for the Olympics."

Nordhagen, of Valhalla Centre, Alta., recognizes she's in the sunset days of her career. "I'll take it day by day, as long as I'm enjoying it and my body lets me, but I know I'm starting to feel it and wear down a bit," she said. "There will be a point I have to say it'd be great to coach, but I can't say when."

Other women on the Wrestling Canada roster for Tokyo are: 48 kg, Carol Huynh, Hazelton, B.C.; 51 kg, Erica Sharp, Whitehorse; 55 kg, Laura McDougall, Calgary; 59 kg, Emily Richardson, North Vancouver, B.C.; and 63 kg, Helen Hennick, Burton, N.B. The coaches are Dave Mair of Guelph, Ont. and Jeff Allen of Fredericton.

Athletes find voice in Victoria at Athletes CAN Forum.
(Athletes CAN)

October 5, 2004 (Victoria) Athletes CAN, the collective voice of Canadian national team athletes, welcomed over 130 national team athletes and delegates to the 12th annual Athletes Forum this past weekend. Swimming sensation Joanne Malar delivered a keynote opening speech on the Forum theme of “building on opportunity”, and touched on the importance of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

After a distinctly west coast opening ceremony, President Michael Smith outlined the very active year of advocacy and leadership by the Association. Smith noted that “Athletes have played a major role in shaping decisions and sport policy this year, and it is gratifying to see so many leaders with a stake in sport represented here this weekend. We look forward to the continued contribution of athletes toward building a stronger Canadian sport system”.

Lessons learned from Athens 2004 were explored from the points of view of the coach, the athlete, dispute resolution and the Canadian organizing committees for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. An important panel discussion around the controversial topic of Games team selection included a passionate and eloquent presentation by top Canadian marathoner Bruce Deacon, who highlighted sport’s “crisis of obscurity”.

Joining athlete panelists Dave Calder (rowing) and Athletes CAN Board member Ryan Savage (boxing) in the discussion, Deacon noted that “amateur sport must be seen and valued more than just during the short period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games”. He continued “It is through inclusive selection standards, a factor within our own control, that more Olympic role models are created, which helps build the case for sport”.

Athletes contributed their ideas and challenged principles on team selection criteria, amidst the Canadian Olympic Committee review process of the “top 12” standard and the setting of team selection standards for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. “Athletes passionately needed to be heard this weekend, and we commend representatives of Games organizations for being here to listen and discuss”, said Athletes CAN CEO Thomas Jones.

“Decisions which directly affect the lives of athletes require well thought-out processes, reliable and clearly communicated information, and above all, the engagement and direct involvement of athletes”, continued Jones. “We hope that message was heard this weekend”.

Marion Lay, President of Legacies Now and a Board member of Vancouver 2010, outlined the many opportunities linked to hosting the Games in a keynote speech Saturday. Federal Sport Minister Stephen Owen gave a brief “state of sport” address of upcoming government priorities for sport, noting the recent increase to the Athlete Assistance Program, and the Prime Minister’s call for a sport plan for Canada.

Athletes congratulated the Minister for his support and President Michael Smith encouraged Owen to strengthen links to Athletes CAN and commit to attending Forum each year. At roundtable talks on athlete support and recognition, delegates highlighted the priorities of professionalized coaching, direct athlete support, sport science and greater media coverage for amateur sport.

At the annual general meeting, Michael Smith was re-elected President of Athletes CAN, while Kirstin Normand returned as Vice President and new members Tonia Timperley (taekwondo) and Dominique Vallee (windsurfing) were elected to the Board.

The Forum, presented by Athletes CAN in partnership with PacificSport Victoria and the Province of BC, wrapped up with a review of athlete priorities around the Athlete Declaration, and a commitment to gather again next September at Forum 2005 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Since its establishment in 1992 as the national representative organization of Canadian athletes, Athletes CAN provides leadership, advocacy and education to ensure a fair, responsive and supportive sport system for athletes.

Adam van Koeverden says Canadian athletes, as good as they are, should focus more on winning.
(Donovan Vincent - The Toronto Star)

Adam van Koeverden's thrilling gold medal win in kayaking in the K-1 500 Olympic race this summer in Athens - his hands raised in ecstasy afterward - will be remembered as one of Canada's great sports moments.

He won the gold in what he later called "the perfect race." He had never won a 500-metre race at the World Cup or world championship level. Van Koeverden, who also captured a bronze in Athens, has been described by some as brash and outspoken, especially in his views about Canada's performance in Athens.

He and fellow Olympian Kyle Shewfelt recently joined Olympic medallists Alexandre Despatie and Simon Whitfield in signing with global sports marketing agency IMG. He plans to do motivational speaking. Van Koeverden, 22, Canada's flag bearer during the closing ceremonies in Athens, recently sat down with Unplugged to talk about his winning formula, Canada's sports culture, guitars, and hip-hop.

Q You made a comment after your gold medal win, where you said you looked in the mirror and you didn't recognize yourself.

A I wasn't in an interview when I said that. I was just walking back from the bathroom and somebody caught that and published it. I was honestly just mentioning that to somebody. It ended up in a lot of papers. I was really surprised.

Q Where did you get your winning attitude, because there was a lot of talk
after Athens that Canada doesn't have a winning will when it comes to the
Olympics?

A It's definitely a culture issue. I said a couple of things in Athens about that ultra-Canadian attitude toward going over and winning and participating, and how it's really easy to come home and get a pat on the back for a fourth- or fifth-place finish. I was also quoted as tearing into my fellow Canadian athletes, which wasn't true. I didn't tear into anybody, and I didn't say anybody's results weren't good. A fourth-place finish is pretty awesome. I was only third by 50 centimetres. I can't complain about a fourth-place finish.

Winning means different things to different people, whether it's a podium finish or a personal best, or gaining experience for your next Olympics. Everybody should be focused in the long run on achieving excellence. We as Canadians have to adopt more of a winning attitude.

Q How does that winning attitude seep into the culture of our athletes and
our sporting system in Canada?

A It has to come from deep down. It has to be part of you. It has to be personal. It's not something you can force on somebody. You can't force a winning attitude into someone's brain.

Q How would you describe your personality? I've heard confident, cocky.

A I don't think I'm cocky. It's something that I've heard since I started competing that I'm cocky. I'm not, because if I was cocky I wouldn't be worried before a race. I get so nervous before I race sometimes. I've gotten to the point where I have to really relax sometimes. One time in particular, right before a race I was trying to relax and I just couldn't. My heart rate was like 130 just sitting in my car. I was just sitting there, breathing deep and my heart was just thump, thump, thump in my chest. If I was cocky, if I thought I was going to win every race, that wouldn't happen.

Q What do you do aside from kayaking and canoeing?

A I'm a student. Right now I'm learning about kinesiology at McMaster. It's taking up a lot of my time. I play the guitar a little bit and listen to a lot of music. I'm a big music fan.

Q What type of music do you listen to?
A The Strokes are awesome. I like old stuff like The Jam, Elvis Costello, The Clash. Right now in my head I've got the K-Os song Crab Bucket, I like that. I like songs that mix genres like that. He's hip-hop, but he's got some pretty cool sounds in his music that transcend typical hip-hop. I'm really not into radio hip-hop like Ja Rule and 50 Cent. I can't stand that kind of stuff. It's so commercial and abrasive. I like some hip-hop, though, like Jay Z.

Q Any other hobbies?

A I like to read. That's a good thing to do when you're away. The last book I read was Kurt Vonnegut's Timequake. Before that I read his first book, Player Piano. Other books I read this summer were Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer, because it was supposed to be motivating, and it was. I really enjoyed the story. I also read A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams this summer.

Q What about your social life?

A I like going out. Right now I'm really enjoying being very social and staying out late. I don't really get to do that a lot, so I'm taking advantage of that opportunity. That's with buddies, and a lot of new people. I went to a lot of Toronto Film Festival parties and really enjoyed myself.

Q Do you have a steady girlfriend?

A No, not really. I date. I've been seeing someone for a couple months, but I wouldn't say we're steady.

Q Are people looking at you differently (since Athens)?

A I'm certainly getting attention from girls. The eye contact is maybe a little different, but it's not like I'm beating them off with a stick more or less than I used to. My friends that paddle don't really look at me differently, but you can tell they're very proud. That's cool. It is weird in a way. People do treat you a little bit differently.

Q Was anything special done for you in Oakville?

A In downtown Oakville there was a parade, and a breakfast that morning. On the Friday there was a celebration at the canoe club, and the town piggybacked on it and brought in other Olympians. On the Monday I went to town council and they presented me with something, and I said a few words. It was the fourth Olympic medal the mayor has seen while serving. Donovan Bailey brought two (golds in 1996).

Q Is there enough room in Oakville for you and Donovan?

A I'm not a big egomaniac. I was talking to Donovan the other day. He's an all right guy.

Q Will the gold medal translate into more money for you in the future?

A I just signed with a big sports marketing firm IMG, so that means I will be making a little bit of money, but I'll be working for it. I can do public speaking now. I actually have some clout. I would have done public speaking before, but nobody really cared about a guy who was second in the world championships in kayaking.

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:
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· Dairy Farmers of Canada delivers $200,000 to promising athletes
· Site Visit to Torino, Italy

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Executive Committee Meeting - November 26, Toronto, ON
Board of Directors Meeting - November 27-28, Toronto, ON

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