Jeff Pain

Canada's Pain slides to silver while Hollingsworth captures bronze in skeleton World Cup.
(CODA Release)

Igls, Austria-Canada's elite skeleton athletes continued their dominance of the World Cup, winning two more medals on Thursday in Igls, Austria.

Jeff Pain of Calgary slid to his third consecutive podium performance, taking the sliver medal, while Mellisa Hollingsworth of Eckville, Alta. battled her way down the track to capture the bronze, despite starting in the second seed of athletes.

The 33-year-old Pain - who won a gold medal in his opening event of the season in Winterberg, Germany, and settled for the bronze last weekend in Altenberg, Germany - completed the podium sweep on the season in as many events, after posting a combined time of one minute 49.39 seconds.

"I was really happy again today, and I think now it shows I'm able to handle the pressure of being at the top, and to slide my best when I want too," said Pain, who clocked the fastest opening run of the day at 53.86. "My attitude has completely shifted this year. Sliding is not everything to me anymore, and I am closer to my teammates than I ever have been. I think that is why we are so successful."

While Pain maintained a firm grip on the podium, Mellisa Hollingsworth became the third Canadian woman to medal on the Skeleton World Cup this season. The 24-year-old, who sat in fourth after her first run despite starting in the second tier of athletes, squeezed her way onto the podium in a tie for third spot with Germany's Diana Sartor after posting equal times at 1:51.23.

"This is really exciting for me, and I am proud of the way I overcame my start position, and a roll on my side in the first run, to climb my way up the standings," said Hollingsworth, who is currently ranked sixth in the world. "I have been working really hard on closing the gap with the push monsters on the World Cup, and I had a strong push today so it all came together."

Canada's silver- and bronze-medal performances in Austria bring the team's season medal count total to seven in just three events.

Six other Canadian women and men suited up on Thursday. Lindsay Alcock of Calgary narrowly missed her second consecutive podium, finishing fifth (1:51.32). Other Canadian results included: Deanna Panting of Winnipeg in 14th (1:51.72); and Michelle Kelly of Grand Prairie, Alta. in 19th (1:53.27). Duff Gibson of Calgary was the next best Canadian male in 11th (1:49.10), while Paul Boehm of Calgary was 15th (1:49.31). Nathan Cicoria of Calgary did not finish.
For more information on the Canadian Skeleton Team, please visit us at www.bobsleigh.ca on the Internet.

Jeremy Wotherspoon

Jeremy Wotherspoon takes 500-metre gold at speed skating World Cup.
(Canadian Sport News)

HARBIN, China- World champion Jeremy Wotherspoon of Red Deer, Alta.,notched his second win this season the men’s 500-metre on Sunday to conclude the second stop on the long track speed skating World Cup circuit for sprinters.

Wotherspoon took the gold in 35.38 seconds for his 54th career World Cup victory. Kip Carpenter of the U.S., was second and Joji Kato of Japan third. The 28-year-old Canadian leads the 500 World Cup standings with 350 points after four of 10 races.

In the group 2 500 race, Mark Nielsen of Calgary was 10th, Brock Miron of Calgary 13th, James Monson of Calgary 18th and Sterling Sobczak of Winnipeg 21st.

In the men’s 1,000, Beorn Nijenhuis completed a golden weekend sweep leading the Netherlands to a 1-2-3 finish. Wotherspoon rebounded from Saturday’s eighth place to take fourth in another hotly contested race at the distance this season.

Shannon Rempel of Winnipeg earned her first career World Cup medal on Saturday placing second in the women’s 1,000 metres. Anzhelika Kotyuga of Belarus took the gold medal while Rempel, at only her fourth World Cup event in the past two seasons, followed. Chiara Simionato of Italy was third. Rempel was sixth at the distance on Sunday.

Next on the speed skating calendar is the national championships December 20-22 in Calgary.

Jason Myslicki

Canada's Jason Myslicki qualifies for 2006 Olympic Games, Max Thompson posts best ever result by 20 spots.
(CODA Release)

Steamboat Springs, USA-Canada's World Cup nordic combined athletes, Max Thompson and Jason Myslicki, both powered their way into the top-15 at a World Cup B event on Sunday in Steamboat Springs, USA.

Calgary's Thompson, and, Myslicki of Thunder Bay, Ont., finished 11th and 15th respectively in the 63-man international field. Sunday's success was Thompson's best ever finish in a World Cup B event by more than 20 spots, while the top-15 result secured Myslicki a spot on Canada's 2006 Olympic roster.

"It feels awesome because I wanted to meet the qualification standards during this first weekend to get it out of the way," said the 27-year-old Myslicki, who will become the nation's first nordic combined athlete at the Games since 1988. "I had a terrible jump today and sat in 27th, but grabbed some extra energy in the cross-country race and just started flying past people."

Canada's athletes need to post two top-20 results at a World Cup B, World Cup or World Championship event in order to qualify for the Games. Myslicki finished 12th in Saturday's event. The Canadian Olympic Committee and Nordic Combined Ski Canada set out the qualification standard.

Max Thompson is poised to join Myslicki in Canadian colours when the 2006 Games kick off in Torino, Italy. Thompson, who has never finished better than 30th, or jumped better than 28th, at an international event, was in ninth spot after today's leap of 103 metres. Thompson finished just 56 seconds behind the frontrunners.

"I am just ecstatic right now and feel like I am living in a dream world," said the 20-year-old. "When I saw my jumping result today, I fell over in shock. This gives me so much confidence and tells me I can do it. I can compete for the podium. This is just such a great day for our entire program."

Eric Camerota of the United States was first to cross the line on Sunday. Camerota was joined on the podium by Norway's Kenneth Braaten, who finished second just five seconds off the pace, while Bill DeMong of the United States locked up the silver, crossing the line on Braaten's heels just seven seconds back of the leading mark.

Four other Canadians, all from Calgary, also suited up in Colorado. Canadian results included: Spencer Harris (42); Wes Harris (51); Dennis Lynch (56); and Andy Osadetz (62). Canada's nordic combined athletes now head to Lake Placid, N.Y. for three successive races this week.

Grant Golding

Grant Golding wins men’s all around crown at Elite Canada gymnastics competition.
(Canadian Sport News)

CALGARY- Grant Golding of Calgary lit up Mount Royal College gymnasium on Saturday night with a majestic rings routine en route to the men’s all around gold medal at the Elite Canada gymnastics competition.

In the all around standings, Golding totalled 110.605 points over two days of competition in which the competitors did all six apparatus on Friday and again on Saturday. Defending champion David Kikuchi of Fall River, N.S., was second at 107.886 and Adam Wong of Calgary third at 107.852. All three were on Canada’s
Olympic team this past summer.

‘’My rings routine really stood out for me,’’ said Golding, who also won the parallel bars along with the all around and rings titles. ‘’Anytime I can post a 9.700 it’s very nice. Right now my goal is to keep my current routines at the same high intense level until next year when a new code of points is announced.’’

Kikuchi felt 11 of his 12 routines over the two days were solid. ‘’I did much better than I expected,’’ said Kikuchi. ‘’My parallel bars is probably my hardest routine and it’s the one I did the best today. After the Olympics I took some time off and I’m now trying to get back into competitive shape. My plan is to develop some new tricks for the world championships next year.’’

Wong, 18, was the youngest member on the Canadian men’s team in Athens. ‘’I was super motivated to get back into training after my Olympic experience,’’ said Wong, also first on high bar. ‘’I’m ready to train hard for 2008. Today I was pleased with how I bounced back after a rough first day.’’

Nathan Gafuik of Calgary was fourth at 105.865, Ken Ikeda of Abbotsford, B.C., fifth at 103.319, Jared Walls of Edmonton sixth at 103.216, Kris Krunick of Abbotsford seventh at 99.734 and Stephen Tetrault of Winnipeg eighth at 98.754.

Other individual event winners were Walls on floor, Ikeda on pommel horse and Gafuik on vault.

In women’s action, Kylie Stone of Calgary’s Stampede City Gymnastics Club won the floor final at 9.350 with Laura-Ann Chong of Vancouver’s Phoenix Club second at 8.950 and Purnell third at 8.650.

Meanwhile at the World Cup final in Birmingham, England, Brandon O’Neil of Edmonton, Canada's sole entry at the competition, delivered a strong performance to finish fourth on floor with a 9.450 score. Brazil’s Diego Hypolito won the final, followed by Isao Yoneda of Japan and Robert Gal of Hungary

Jeff Christie

Canada's Jeff Christie equals best ever luge world cup results on home track.
(CODA Release)

Calgary -Canada's Jeff Christie equaled is best ever result on the Viessmann Luge World Cup, finishing 12th, as the best male sliders on the globe battled it out for the Calgary title at Canada Olympic Park on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Calgarian, who had the same result at last year's World Cup on his home track, managed to shake off some difficulties near the end of his first run to complete a clean final run, clocking a combined time of one minute 31.030 seconds.

"I had some trouble on my first run, but I was much more comfortable in my final run, the ice was much better and I was happy with my result," said Christie, who has been leading the Canadian men's team all season. "I think Regan's (Lauscher) result last week really proved to the team that if we put two consistent runs together Canadians can compete for the podium."

While Christie was the top Canadian, David Möller of Germany captured his second consecutive World Cup title in as many weeks. Möller narrowed out Tony Benshoof of the United States for the top spot on the podium, while first-run leader, Albert Demtschenko of Russia finished third.

Two other Canadian men also hit the start handles on Saturday. Jorgen Krause of Calgary, who slid his way onto the team during pre-season training this fall in Europe, finished 25th, while Ian Cockerline, also of Calgary, finished a disappointing 28th in the 31-sled race.

In doubles, Canada's Grant Albrecht and Eric Pothier teamed up to finish fifth overall this weekend. The duo, who finished fourth on the same track two years ago, threatened for their first World Cup podium after posting a two-run combined time of one minute 29.013 seconds in warm conditions rolling through the Calgary foothills.

"We wish it would have been a lot colder than it was this evening as that would have given us an extra advantage," said Albrecht of Red Deer, Alta., who along with Pothier, have been tinkering with their sled for most of the year to make them faster. "We are sliding well, we just need to keep working hard and hopefully it will all come together."

Sam Edney and Gwyn Lewis teamed up to form the only other Canadian sled entered in the men's doubles field. The two Calgarians, who are rookies on the World Cup this year, finished 12th.

Meanwhile, in women's action, Canada's Regan Lauscher was unable to capitalize on the momentum built from her historic silver-medal race last weekend in Lake Placid, N.Y. The 24-year-old Red Deer, Alta. native, who is currently ranked fifth in the world, had technical problems with her sled and a slip at the start, resulting in a disappointing eighth-place finish

"I don't hop on my sled to finish eighth and I'm not happy with that result," said the seven-year veteran of the Canadian squad, the youngest luge team in the world. "Its been a tough week, and I had some nerves, but I felt ready and just told myself to relax. I had a taste of the podium, and I'm going to keep on fighting to get back there."

The German women extended their gold-medal winning streak to 52 and swept the podium in Calgary. Two other women suited up for Canada in women's singles. Madison Dupuis of Calgary, who is the youngest athletes on the elite international circuit, posted her best-ever World Cup finish after sliding into 11th spot. Calgary's Meaghan Simister had a disappointing result, finishing 20th in the 23-sled race.

COMPLETE RESULTS: www.fil-luge.org

Clara Hughes shakes her head whenever she hears the proclamation Canada will finish No.1 in the medals at the 2010 Vancouver/Whistler Olympics.

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) was at it again on the weekend, emerging from their semi-annual meeting to declare their goal is to rank among the top three nations at the 2006 Turin Winter Games with 25 medals, in the top 16 at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing with 18 medals and first at home in 2010 with 35 medals.

What bothers Hughes is she knows the reality of the Canadian Olympic athlete because she lives it — and she can't understand where the COC is coming from.
"When I hear 35 medals, I really wonder how they're coming up with these numbers," Hughes said in a recent interview. "You need to think long and hard about statements you're making on how you're going to do. You need to have everything perfect just to make the podium, let alone win the race, because that's what the Olympics is.

"It just makes me shake my head when I hear those predictions because I know what it takes."

Hughes is one of the fortunate Canadian athletes and she knows it. Her status as this country's only Olympic medallist in both the Summer and Winter Olympics has netted her a bit of sponsorship, and she trains at one of the best long track speed skating facilities in the world in Calgary.

But even then, she's been up against it to get the kind of support she needs to remain among the best in the world. Her coach, Xiuli Wang, has to coach 25 skaters, which cuts down on the time she can spend with Hughes. There have also been problems accessing her physiologist, massage and physiotherapy.

These aren't luxuries when athletes are pushing themselves to the degree these elite performers do. These are things that a top-notch Olympic program, certainly one with designs on being the best in the world, has at the athletes' disposal. Instead, Canadian athletes mostly rely on the goodwill of these practitioners.

Let's face it, if the COC expects the athletes to double the record 17 medals they collected at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics by 2010, they'd better step up to the plate with the resources.

COC boss Chris Rudge says they're planning to do just that. Rudge argues that they have to boldly declare their intentions because then it gives them broader licence to go after the kind of government and corporate support required to reach that level.

"We're not trying to put the athletes out on a limb," said Rudge. "We're putting the system out on a limb — ourselves, the sports federations, the government ... That's what we're putting under pressure, not the athletes. We're trying to get for the athletes what they need to be successful."

Rudge says the COC will soon release their "Own the Podium" plan, which is a direct assessment of all the winter sports by experts inside and outside Canada which will detail what needs to be done to reach the 35-medal total.

The COC has also put a price tag on the injection of funding they believe is needed to get the job done — $110 million, or $22 million per year over five years leading up to the 2010 Games. That's about double what the 13 winter sports federations are receiving right now in federal government support, though Rudge said they're not looking to get the $110 million solely from government sources.

"The message is clear to everyone we will not be successful if we only run a successful Games," Rudge said. "The Games will only be successful if we also compete successfully as the host nation, not like in the past."

Maybe, it is the embarrassment of having been the only host nation not to win an Olympic gold medal — and to have done it twice — that will prove the necessary impetus for this project.

Still, given our apathy at so many levels in the past, one can't blame Clara Hughes for shaking her head. She's certainly not alone.

Team Sport For Life - national and Olympic athletes deliver tobacco-free messaging at schools and key events across the province;

Facility Outreach - focuses on Canada Olympic Park's commitment to promoting healthy messaging and programs for youth;

Grassroots Initiatives - promotes Sport For Life messages at select youth sporting events throughout Alberta.

CODA originally launched its health and wellness brand last fall when it declared Canada Olympic Park to be the first smoke-free ski resort in the country. The national organization since received the inaugural Barb Tarbox Award of Excellence in Tobacco Reduction for its efforts.

"It is our goal to be community leaders when it comes to health and wellness, and we feel through implementing no-smoking policies at Canada Olympic Park, and by investing in powerful initiatives such as the Canadian Centre of Sport Excellence, we are taking major steps towards achieving the goals set out for Sport For Life to ensure Albertans are living healthy, active and smoke-free lives," said John Mills, president, CODA "

Sport For Life's mission is to develop innovative ways to utilize sport at the recreational, developmental, and high-performance levels to positively influence youth and impact the community on issues of health and wellness. For more information, please visit us at www.sportforlife.ca on the Internet.

Beckie Scott receives CAAWS’ Grace Under Pressure Award.

Ottawa, ON, . . Canadian Olympic Gold Medallist Beckie Scott was presented with the ‘Grace Under Pressure’ award from the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) today. Scott received the honour for her outspoken stand on anti-doping and drug-free competition. Her valiant fight, pressuring the International Ski Federation and the International Olympic Committee, resulted in her bronze medal from the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City being upgraded first to a silver, and then after a long 22-month struggle, to a gold.

Already a trailblazer for women's Nordic sport in Canada, Beckie Scott put cross-country skiing into the headlines at the 2002 Games when she became the first North American to medal in Olympic competition in the five-kilometre pursuit race. Her views on drug-free sport were well known before the 2002 Olympics, but she showed supreme strength of character and conviction as she pursued the ruling which resulted in the gold medal.

Scott joins a long list of Canadian women who have overcome incredible obstacles and challenges in pursuit of their dreams. CAAWS' Grace Under Pressure award, created in 1994, honours women whose accomplishments transcend demanding circumstances, women who ‘beat the odds’ and showed poise, composure, class and grace during difficult and potentially emotional times. The award is not an annual award – it is awarded only in those years when exceptional circumstances are demonstrated.

Previous recipients include:
1994 - Sylvie Fréchette – for her ability to win an Olympic medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona in synchronized swimming after suffering a deep personal tragedy just prior to the Games; she showed tremendous class and courage for the next two years as the IOC reviewed the circumstances around the medal performances in Barcelona and eventually awarded a second gold medal in the solo event to Fréchette.

1996 – Canada’s Women’s Tour de France Team – for placing third in the demanding Tour de France event after suffering a devastating crash early in the event and the robbery of all their equipment.

1997 – Silken Laumann – for her unbelievable courage in fighting back from a shattered tibia and five operations only 2 months before the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games to win the bronze medal in the single sculls event.

2000 – Sonia Denoncourt – the first women to officiate a men’s pro soccer game, she withstood the jeering of an all-male crowd in soccer crazed Brazil and held her ground while issuing yellow cards to five players and a red card to one player; she also officiated the opening game of the Women’s World Cup held in the USA in July 1999 before 80,000 spectators.

2002 - Danièle Sauvageau - who stood tall at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, holding her ground and showing remarkable composure and confidence in an unbelievably exciting and Gold-Medal women’s hockey game against Team USA. She and her team brought home the gold medal to Canada, and Danièle showed remarkable composure and class during a tough and demanding time both pre and during the Olympic Games.

The 2004 Grace Under Pressure award was presented to Beckie Scoot by the immediate past chair of CAAWS, Phyllis Berck, at a private luncheon in Toronto.