WEEK IN REVIEW
October 10 - October 15, 2001 Vol. 4 Issue #39
Compiled and Edited by Julie Parkins

ATHLETE RESULTS

WORLD RECORDS SET AT CODA SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING COMPETITION

CALGARY, AB--Montreal skater Steve Robillard turned in another world record performance on the third and final day of competition at the 2001 CODA Invitational Short Track competition held at the Olympic Oval.

Robillard took the 1000m event with a world record time of 1:25.985 breaking fellow Canadian Jeffrey Scholten's previous record of 1:26.970. This was the second world record time Robillard skated this weekend, the other was in the 1500m (2:15.383) on Friday.

"I'm very excited," said Robillard. "After two performances like that, I believe more in myself for the [Olympic] trials. It wasn't luck." In second place came Oval athlete Tony Smith (1:26.003), who also broke the world record time, as did third place finisher, National Team member, Mathieu Turcotte (1:26.752).

The Canadian men also shattered the 5000m relay World Record with a time of 6:43.730. The previous record held by Korea was 6:49.618. The team was made up of National Team members Marc Gagnon, Eric Bedard, Mathieu Turcotte and Jean-Francois Monette.

"What motivated me this weekend, was my coach Guy Thibault," says Turcotte. "He said to us, 'C'mon you guys, this is the only world record that hasn't been broken this weekend. Let's do it!' "

In the women's 1000m, American skater Julie Goskowicz posted the fastest time of the day (1:34.286) while Stephanie Bouvier of France came in second (1:35.004). Oval athlete and National Development Team member Amanda Overland finished top three once again with a time of 1:35.749. Overland also finished third in the 1500m. Fellow Oval skater, and National Team member Alana Kraus finished first in the 500m with the fastest time of the day on Saturday with a 44.963. She finished ahead of Amelie Goulet-Nadon (45.632) and Anne Maltais (45.933).

This year's CODA Invitational was especially exciting as it provided the perfect warm-up event for the CMA Canada ISU Short Track World Cup taking place October 18 - 20 at the Oval. This year's CODA meet was the largest to date, with over 100 skaters from around the world taking to the ice. Many of the Canadians also used this event to gear up for Olympic Trials in Abbotsford, B.C. starting on November 15.

COACHES: Yvon DeBlois, Guy Thibault, Shawn Holman, Derrick Campbell

CLOUTIER & HERMITAGE TAKE WOMEN'S DOUBLE TITLE AT YONEX MONTREAL OPEN

MONTREAL, QC--Milaine Cloutier of Granby, Que., and Robbyn Hermitage of Montreal earned their first victory since reuniting this year taking the women's doubles title Sunday at the $10,000 Yonex Montreal Open, the first stop on Badminton Canada's National Senior Elite Series.

Cloutier and Hermitage, Canada's top-ranked entry at the 2000 Olympics, defeated 41-year-old veteran Denyse Julien of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., and 15-year-old teenager Tammy Sun of Calgary in the final 7-5, 7-3, 7-3. It was only the third tournament for Cloutier and Hermitage this year. Last season the pair decided to play with younger opponents to help develop Canada's depth in the sport.

Milaine Cloutier

"I think the time apart was good for both of us and for badminton in Canada," said Cloutier, who reached the semifinal at the U.S. Open with Hermitage this summer. "We had the opportunity to help a couple of young prospects and they did well here this weekend making the semifinals. But it's time for us to get back and start building for some big tournaments such as the Commonwealth Games next year."

Jody Patrick

In other finals, Kara Solmundson of Winnipeg defeated Jody Patrick of Calgary 7-3, 7-4, 7-8, 3-7, 8-7 in women's singles; Mike Beres of Mount Pleasant, Ont., and Kyle Hunter of Paris, Ont., took Calgarians David Humble and Sam Smith 7-3, 7-4, 7-4 in men's doubles; and William Milroy of Edmonton and Julien defeated Keith Chan of Calgary and Cloutier for the mixed doubles crown 7-1, 7-4, 8-6.

Badminton Canada also announced the Canadian team for the Pan American badminton championships October 22-28 in Lima, Peru. The men's team is comprised of Milroy, Wojcikiewicz, Beres, Chan, Patrice Ritchie of Montreal and Jonathan Bolduc of Quebec City. On the women's side it's Cloutier, Solmundson, Patrick, Helen Nichol of Burlington, Ont., and Charmaine Reid of Fort Erie, Ont.

Canada won the overall team title at the last Pan Am championships in 1997 and won 10 badminton medals at the Pan American Games in 1999. The next stop on Badminton Canada's National Senior Elite Series is November 2-4 in Winnipeg.

IN THE NEWS...

CANADA'S NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM CENTRALIZATION ROSTER TRIMMED TO 26 PLAYERS

CALGARY, AB--Canada's National Women's Team trimmed its centralization roster to 26 players on Wednesday, with the release of four players, National Women's Team Head Coach and General Manager, Women's High Performance Danièle Sauvageau announced.

Sauvageau announced the release of the following four players:

• Danielle Dubé-Goaltender; Vancouver, BC
• Gina Kingsbury-Forward; Rouyn-Noranda, QC
• Nathalie Rivard-Defenceman; Cumberland, ON
• Fiona Smith-Defenceman; Edam, SK

Wednesday's player announcement leaves the team with a roster of 26 players, including three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 15 forwards. Canada's roster at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games will include 21 players (18 skaters, 2 goaltenders and an alternate goaltender). Canada's National Women's Team will continue to train in Calgary, AB in preparation of a number of games over the next few months, leading to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Canada's National Women's Team's next game is on October 20, 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah as they take on USA. Canada's complete schedule and updated roster are posted on the CHA's official website.

OLYMPIC LEGACY COACHING FUND RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, Oct. 11--The Canadian Olympic Association (COA) and the Government of Canada released the list of the 2001-2002 Olympic Legacy Coaching Fund (OLCF) recipients this week. Grants totalling $455,000 are being awarded to 13 winter National Sport Federations (NSF) in support of 21 different coaching positions.

This year's recipients are as follows: Alpine Canada (Grant Richardson - $30,000); Biathlon Canada (Geret Coyne - $ 35,000); Bobsleigh Canada (Dennis Marineau, Kim Cousins and André Benoît will share $35,000); Cross Country Canada (Alain Parent - $35,000); Canadian Curling Association (Bill Tschirhart - $35,000); Skate Canada (Marilyn Symko - $30,000); Canadian Freestyle Association (Martin Jensen and Julie Steggall will share $35,000); Canadian Hockey Association (Danièle Sauvageau, Melody Davidson and Wally Kozak will share $55,000); Canadian Luge Association (André Benoît and Walter Corey will share $35,000); Nordic Combined Ski Canada (Greg Poirier - $25,000); Ski Jumping Canada (Tadeusz Bafia - $25,000); Canadian Snowboard Federation (Martin Jensen - $35,000); Speed Skating Canada (Xiuli Wang, Chris Shelley and Shawn Holman will share $45,000).

The OLCF, a joint program of the COA and the Government of Canada, supports high performance coaches in sports that are on the Olympic Winter Games program. The OLCF - which is now in its thirteenth year of existence - was implemented to increase the utilization of Olympic facilities in the Calgary area and to optimize the development of high performance athletes. At the end of this year, the program will have provided a total of $4,650,945 in grants to winter NSF to hire certified coaches.

"This financial support is essential because it helps National Sport Federations to keep or to hire certified coaches," says Danièle Sauvageau, head coach of the Canadian National Women's Hockey Team which is expected to be a serious gold medal contender in the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games, next February. For more information see the COA website.

CANADIAN ATHLETICS TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL WINDFALL

EDMONTON, AB--Canadian athletics will receive a multi-million dollar funding windfall from the financial success of the World Athletics Championships, officials said on Saturday.

The organisers of the championships in August, which were criticised by foreign media for lacking atmosphere in an often half-filled stadium, said their success meant an additonal 4.87 million Canadian dollars (3.2 million US) would be added to the originally allocated budget amount of three million US dollars to allow for new and upgraded facilities, grants to athletes and youth development programmes.

"This exceptional financial position results in a very successful World Championships in Athletics in every way - from an operational, organizational, and financial standpoint," said Jack Agrios, Chairman of the Board, Edmonton 2001 World Championships in Athletics. It was the first time the championships were staged in North America.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Oct. 18-20 SPEED SKATING Short Track World Cup; Olympic Oval

Oct. 27-28 LUGE Canadian Championships; Canada Olympic Park

Oct. 29- Nov. 3 BOBSLEIGH World Cup - Men; Canada Olympic Park

Nov. 5 - 10 LUGE World Cup; Canada Olympic Park

COMPLETE WINTER SPORT EVENT SCHEDULES AVAILABLE!!