WEEK IN REVIEW
August 8 - August 13, 2001 Vol. 4 Issue #30
Compiled and Edited by Julie Parkins

ATHLETE RESULTS

SAY EARNS FOUR FREESTYLE GOLDS AT SUMMER NATIONALS

TORONTO (CP) -- Rick Say of Calgary placed first in the 200-metre freestyle Wednesday to earn an unprecedented fourth freestyle gold medal at the 2001 summer nationals swimming competition.

Rick Say

The 22-year-old Salmon Arm, B.C., native also won the 100, 400 and 800-metre freestyle events this week. He is the first to win four freestyle gold at a Canadian championship. In Wednesday's race, Say clocked one minute 49.60 seconds, about a second off his Canadian record time.

"Not bad," said Say, who anchored Canada to national records in both the 4X200 freestyle and 4X100 medley relay at the world championships. "I just wanted to go out this week and have some fun because I didn't swim as well as I wanted in the individual events at the worlds."

Say was seventh in the 200 freestyle at the Olympics but fell short in bids to make final at the worlds. He feels his chances to win the 50 freestyle Thursday are slim. "There's a lot of guys that have more power than me," he said. "But it's always open and you never know. I've been working on some different things so we'll see what happens."

Morgan Knabe was upset by Mike Brown of Perth, Ont., in the men's 200-metre breaststroke. Knabe, an Olympic and world championship finalist in the 100 breaststroke, finished in 2:16.46 while Michel Boulianne of Montreal was third in 2:17.94. Knabe turned the tables in the 100m breast the following day however, beating Brown to the line with a time of 1:02.31. Knabe was also victorious in the 50m breast. Erin Gammel of Calgary won the women's 100 backstroke, while Carrie Burgoyne took home silver and bronze in the 800m free and 400IM respectively.

Morgan Knabe

Olympic bronze medallist, Curtis Myden took home gold in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.67 and partnered with Say, Knabe and Josh Ballem to finish second in the men's 4x100m medley relay behind the Pacific Dolphin's Swim association.

COACHES: Jan Bidrman, Mike Blondal

CONNOR ADDS TO THE RECORD BOOKS AGAIN

SAN DIEGO, California(CP)--Earle Connor has done it again.

Racing at the International Challenge meet in San Diego, Connor set four new Canadian records in the above-knee amputee class.

On Saturday, he nailed the 100-metre in a time of 12.56 (which I think is a new world record as well), while on Friday he set a 400m time of 68.71 and a long jump of 5.20m, 30cm better than his personal best. The report didn't indicate what event his fourth record was in. "I'm just ecstatic. This is what we've peaked my body for all year," said Connor. "A lot of big guys were here and this is what we've been building for since November." COACH: Les Gramantik

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ATHLETICS WRAP- UP IN EDMONTON

By JILL MAHONEY (Globe and Mail) Edmonton - The world track and field championships ended Sunday, with a dazzling Western-flavoured performance by dancers, singers, in-line skaters and aspiring athletes. The world championships in athletics flag was passed over to Paris, which will be the host of the next meet in 2003.

"We're very satisfied," said Rick LeLacheur, president and chief executive officer of the organizing committee. "I think Edmonton and Alberta and Canada have been big winners." "For the past 10 days, the sun has shone on us - and we have shone on the world," Jack Agrios, chairman of the board of the local organizing committee, told the cheering crowd.

Jermaine Joseph (rt) and his 4x100m relay teammates

The championships, which made their North American debut in Edmonton, are considered the world's third-largest sporting event, based on an international television audience of about four billion. Although Canadian athletes failed to win any medals in official events, a wheelchair competitor won silver in the 1,500-metre race.

Les Gramantik, head coach of the Canadian team, suggested Sunday it is unfair to expect medals from athletes who are not top-ranked in the world. "The expectations were too high."

The competition attracted about 1,800 athletes, 1,200 coaches and officials and 2,500 journalists from more than 200 countries. An estimate prepared for Edmonton's bid predicted $387-million in economic activity would be created by the world championships.

CALGARY ATHLETE RESULTS (following last weekend): Jermaine Joseph and his 4x100m relay teammates finished 6th in the semi-finals and failed to advance; Danielle Kot and her 4x400m relay teammates advanced to the final and finished in 8th place; Tim Berrett finished 19th in the 50K racewalk.

CANADA FALLS TO TURKEY AT JUNIOR WATER POLO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Canada's national junior men's water polo team lost 12-8 to Turkey Sunday to drop to one win and two losses in preliminary round action at the world junior water polo championships.

The Canadians opened the tournament with a 19-4 loss to Hungary on Friday but cameback to beat Mexico 12-2 on Saturday. On Sunday, Canada had four players ejected from the match.

"We had a chance to beat Turkey," said Canadian head coach Leventy Mady. "I'm disappointed with the loss and especially how the game unravelled. In four years we never had a player ejected from an international game and tonight three were thrown out by the same referee in the same quarter."

Despite the strange decisions and difficult living conditions, Mady was positive. "After our loss to Hungary, which is the best team here, the guys were never down and played really well against Mexico. Today (Sunday) even if our best players were ejected, the substitutes never gave up."

In fact, the Canadians were down 6-0 to Turkey when the ejections started and still scored eight goals afterwards. Monday, Canada meets Kuwait and will conclude its preliminary round against Italy Tuesday.

SUMMER CLASSIC PREPS SPEED SKATERS FOR THE SEASON

CALGARY, AB--The fourth annual Summer Classic competition was another huge success with 130 athletes from 11 countries taking advantage of Calgary's Olympic Oval to test their fitness in preparation for the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Games.

Arne Dankers used the Summer Classic to help prepare for the early world cup races in Europe in hopes of making Canadian Olympic Qualifying Standards. Dankers skated to a time of 6:40.64 seconds in the 5000m.

Jamie Ivey, another Canadian participating in the 5000 meters, skated to a time of 6:42.91 seconds.

RESULTS FROM ALBERTA SKELETON "SKIN TO WIN" PUSH COMPETITION

CALGARY, AB--The Alberta Skeleton Association hosted the "Skin to Win" on Saturday at the newly constructed "Ice House" at Canada Olympic Park. Several National team and development team athletes were on hand to find out where they would stack up at this early point in the season.

"It was an amazing showing by everyone," said Kendra Herbert, who raced the America's Cup tour last year and finished second in the women's category behind teammate Lindsay Alcock. "It was good insight that Canada can still dominate in the sport. We have such a strong base coming in. Canada will probably be stronger than the United States in Torino(2006 Winter Olympics)." National team members Jeff Pain and Duff Gibson weren't able to attend the men's event which was won by Paul Boehum - an athlete who was on the team two years ago but who didn't slide last year due to work obligations. New recruit Martin Kavapll finished second while Pascal Richard followed in third.

Lindsay Alcock

COACHES: Bill Sheard, Mark Wood

IN THE NEWS....

CANADA'S NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM BEGINS FULL-TIME TRAINING IN CALGARY

CALGARY, AB - Thirty of Canada's top women's hockey players have arrived in Calgary, AB as Canada's National Women's Team begins seven months of training in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, the Canadian Hockey Association announced last Tuesday.

National women's team coaches Davidson, Sauvageau & Kozak

Head coach Danièle Sauvageau and assistant coaches Melody Davidson and Wally Kozak will run the players through on-ice and off-ice training, a total of twenty-one international exhibition games and eight games against Canadian Select Teams through funding from Sport Canada's Podium 2002 program. "It's a challenge to start this early, but it's a positive challenge," said Sauvageau. "We're all excited and ready to build from here."

Eleven of Canada's international matches will be held in Canada, with games in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland. Canada's National Women's Team will also be playing in various U.S. locations and in Finland for the 2001 Four Nations Cup.

Over the course of the 2001-2002 season leading to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Canada will face the U.S. a total of ten times, Sweden five times, Russia four times and Finland twice.

CANADA SUMMER GAMES OPEN IN LONDON, ONTARIO

LONDON, Ont. (CP) - The energy at TD Waterhouse Stadium was contagious Saturday night as the Canada Summer Games kicked off with a two-hour opening ceremony.

The Games are meant to showcase young Canadian athletes who have never competed in their event at the international level. Competition will begin Sunday with basketball and women's soccer the only events on the agenda. In addition to those two sports, cycling, field hockey, rowing, sailing, softball, swimming and wrestling are all happening in the first week.

Track and field, baseball, beach volleyball, canoe/kayak, diving, volleyball, rugby, men's soccer and tennis are all scheduled for the second week. The transition will take place next weekend, when all first-week competitors leave and the second-week athletes arrive.

The Games wrap up with closing ceremonies Aug. 25.