CANADA TAKES HOME A RECORD SIX GOLD MEDALS FROM SALT LAKE CITY

SALT LAKE CITY, USA--The Paralympic Flame was extinguished Saturday night in a symbolic end to 10 days of exciting athletic competition at the Salt Lake City Games.

Closing Ceremony fireworks in Salt Lake City. (SLOC)

Canada moved up from 15th in the world four years ago in Nagano to 6th out of 36 nations in 2002. "I predicted 20 medals before the Games began," said Henry Wohler, Chef de Mission of the Canadian Team. "But we lost six sure medals to injuries in training and competition, especially in men's alpine. We broke the record for the number of gold medals Canada has ever won (six) and improved our standing internationally by nine spots. It was a very successful Games for the Canadian team." In Insbruck in 1988, Canada won five gold medals.

In alpine skiing, the women's team, consisting of Lauren Woolstencroft and Karolina Wisniewska, combined to win a total of seven medals for Canada. Wisniewska's total of two silver and two bronze medals also made her Canada's most decorated athlete of the Games. Woolstencroft won a gold and two bronze medals.

"We're thrilled that the strength of our women shone through at these Games and we're also very happy to know that the McKeever brothers plan to compete through Torino in 2006 to, hopefully, Vancouver in 2010," said Wohler.

Brian McKeever and his guide and brother, Robin, won two gold and a silver in cross-country skiing and carried the flag proudly into the Closing Ceremonies.

KLASSEN WINS SILVER AT ALL ROUND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

HEERENVEEN, NED--Cindy Klassen posted Canada's best showing in 26 years at the long track speed skating World All Round Championships on Sunday, placing second overall in the women's competition.

Klassen, a bronze medal winner last month at the Olympics in the 3000m, ended the competition with medals in all four races (second in the 500m, 1500m and 5000m and third in the 3,000) in addition to the overall silver. This was the first time a Canadian had won a medal in each event at the all around worlds and it was also the best overall showing since Sylvia Burka, also of Winnipeg, won gold in 1976. Klassen moved into second overall on the final day of competition Sunday with a total of 162.472 points after winning silver in the 5000m. "I was pretty surprised with the 5000," said Klassen, 22, who was fourth overall at last year's World's with three medals. "It was a really strong race and mentally very tough. Claudia (Pechstein-GER) was right on my back in the overall standings and I knew I had to post a good enough time so she couldn't catch me. In the end I wound up almost catching Anni (Friesinger - GER).

Cindy Klassen races the 500m. (Reuters - Jerry Lampen)

"It's a really nice way to end the year. I feel second place is outstanding and I'm really happy. It's hard to compare the results with the Olympics. The Olympics are so big but to do well in Holland where the sport is huge is pretty special too."

Kristina Groves placed 16th overall.

In men's competition, Dustin Molicki won his first World Championship medal -- a bronze in the 1500m on Saturday, and was ninth in the 10 000m to finish fifth overall, his same result as last year. Steven Elm was 15th overall, Kevin Marshall 17th, and Jamie Ivey 20th.

The competition capped a superb year for Canada's long track speed skating team which included three Olympic medals, the men's and women's world sprint titles and World Cup crowns for Jeremy Wotherspoon and Catriona Le May Doan and Klassen's showing this weekend.

RENNER JOINS THE ELITE OF NORDIC SKIING

HOLLMENKOLLEN, NOR--Two years ago Beckie Scott was fighting to consistently place in the top 30 on the Nordic World Cup, a result that would put her into the prestigious Red Group and end years of Canadian exclusion. This year Scott is winning World Cup and Olympic medals, while other members of the women's team are consistently placing in the top 30, and even challenging Scott with their own results.

Sara Renner racing in Salt Lake City earlier this year. (CP/Paul Chiasson)

At a World Cup sprint in Norway last Thursday, Canmore's Sara Renner continued with her personal charge on the Red Group, finishing 15th overall just six places behind Scott who finished ninth. Renner qualified for the elimination rounds ahead of Scott. Renner qualified in 17th, Scott in 18th. "It's funny," said Renner, "two years ago we were thrilled with a top 30 result. Today, we're wondering why we didn't do better if we finish out of the medals."

With her results this season, Renner has established her place in the Red Sprint Group for next year. This rank not only comes with seeding privileges, but also helps Cross Country Canada financially as it pays portions of her travel to the World Cup sprint events next year. More importantly to Sara, however, it also allows Canada to send another athlete to participate in those same races next season.

"One of our goals as a team over the past four years was to ensure the survival and success of our sport for the next generation. This makes me very happy," said Renner.

Milaine Theriault was the only other Canadian racing on Thursday, she finished 27th in the qualifying round and did not move into the elimination rounds.

The Canadian women also posted respectable results on a course that is know for it's gruelling intensity in 30km freestyle action on Saturday. Renner was the top Canadian finishing in 33d, followed by sisters Amanda and Jaime Fortier in 34th and 36th respectively. The Canadian team will continue on to the next historic World Cup stop in Lillehammer, Norway. There they will prepare for the World Cup Final to be held next Saturday, the prestigious Norwegian Birkebeiner.

BRITT JANYK OWNS EUROPA CUP GS TITLE

WHISTLER, CAN--Britt Janyk became the first Canadian woman in eight years to win an overall title on the Europa Cup circuit last week. Victories at Abatone, Italy and St. Sebastien, Austria, and a third place podium finish helped the Whistler, B.C. native capture the overall giant slalom title.

"This gives me a lot of confidence that I will be able to take with me into World Cup next season," said Janyk. "It shows that I'm on top of the European circuit - and there are a lot of World Cup girls who race there." Europa Cup is recognized internationally as the most competitive ski race series outside of World Cup. "This is a great accomplishment for Britt. It proves that she's one of the best ski racers of her age in the world," said Joze Sparovec, vice-president athletics for Alpine Canada Alpin.

Britt Janyk

"A lot of Europa Cup winners excel their next season on World Cup and we'll look for good things from Britt at the Canadian Championships and in World Cup next season."

Sparovec said Janyk's performance illustrates the depth of giant slalom skiers on the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. Allison Forsyth is ranked 7th in the world and Geneviève Simard hit the podium in a World Cup race in Berchtesgaden, Germany, this season and is ranked top-25. "Whenever you have a rabbit, the rest of the pack will follow. Allison has led the way and the other girls want to catch her."

SLALOM VICTORY GIVES GRANDI 9TH CANADIAN TITLE

WHISTLER, CAN--Thomas Grandi won a record ninth national alpine ski title Thursday, winning the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships slalom over World Cup teammate J.P. Roy.

Grandi in action on the World Cup circuit earlier this year. (Reuters/Ruben Sprich)

Grandi held off the hard charging Roy in the two-run race, finishing in 1minute, 30.80 seconds, .32 seconds ahead. Roy blazed through the 52-gate course in 44.51 seconds in the second heat, the fastest run of the day on the bottom end of the Dave Murray downhill course on Whistler Mountain. Starting first in the morning run, Grandi laid down the time to beat at 45.71 seconds, on a soft racecourse that had to be constantly groomed. Roy, who started the second run .90 seconds behind Grandi, had to claw back over three other racers to wind up second.

Meanwhile, Geneviève Simard added the title of national slalom champion to her racing resumé on Friday. Simard, the World Cup rookie of the year who has excelled in giant slalom and super-G this season, overcame a half-second deficit to win the race in 1 minute, 28.25 seconds. Simard literally bounced back up from a fall on the first run, stayed on course, and stayed in contention behind Britt Janyk and Allison Forsyth. Simard scorched her second run, finishing a huge 1.2 seconds faster than the next racer,16 year-old Sophie Splawinski, of Montreal. Spalwinski's 4th place result earned her the national junior championship.

Janyk stepped on her first senior national podium, flipping spots with Forsyth to finish second in 1 minute 29.09 seconds. Forsyth, feeling the effects of a trans-Atlantic flight to the Championships from France, held on for third place in 1:29.13.

CALGARIANS IMPRESS AT JURASSIC CLASSIC GYMNASTICS COMPETITION

CALGARY-Grant Golding was the top Calgary athlete at this past weekend's Jurassic Classic gymnastics competition held at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium on the University of Calgary campus.

Golding was third with 52.521, while Nathan Gafuik, also of Calgary was sixth. Golding was part of Canada's 12th place team at the world championships last year. In the apparatus finals, Olympic team member Kyle Shewfelt captured gold on floor and vault. Scott Lang was second on vault and Brandon O'Neil of Edmonton was third on floor. In women's competition, the top Canadian was national junior champion Kylie Stone of Calgary with a bronze on beam and fourth on floor.

Grant Goulding

ATHLETE IN PROFILE:
Dena Durand, Swimming
By CSCC Practicum student, Kristy Brown

When Dena Durand started swimming at age 10, she had no idea how far it would take her. Ten years later, the 20 year-old from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, is looking to make the next big step in her swimming career at the upcoming Commonwealth trials in Winnipeg where she hopes to vye for a spot on the senior national team for the first time.

If she's successful, it won't be the first time the second-year Environmental Studies major at the University of Calgary has represented her country. As a junior in 1999, she had the opportunity to compete in a world cup meet in Hong Kong, and managed to win a bronze medal - her first ever medal in international competition. You can bet she'll be looking to add to that when Team Canada travels to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England this summer.

Her swimming career had humble beginnings. Both her parents were successful athletes so Dena followed suit. She tried many different sports, including skiing and cycling, bu she finally tried swimming she found that she was already behind. "Most kids start when they're six or seven. I started much later than everyone else," says Durand.

What's really interesting is that Dena's parents never allowed her and her younger sister Rachel, 19, to compete against each other in the same sport. They encouraged diversity. "They wanted us to be successful, but not to compete for attention in the same area." Things worked out well: her sister turned out to be a piano prodigy, and Dena found her niche in the pool.

While growing up, dreams of Olympic gold didn't really motivate her. So why did she continue to swim? "When I first started swimming, my goal was to win provincials, then make nationals, then make the final at nationals, then get a medal at nationals, now making the Commonwealth Team. It's mostly a challenge thing," she says. "It seems like it's a continuous cycle; as soon as I reach a goal, I always say to myself 'I can do better' or 'I can go faster.' It never ends." If that cycle continues, look for Dena walking into the stadium during opening ceremonies in Athens, 2004.

The quiet, hard-working girl from Ontario they call "Princess D" is anything but princess-ish. She's soft-spoken, but has an air of confidence. One gets the sense that once she puts her mind to something, it'll get done. It should be no surprise, then, that although she fell seriously ill with a lymph node infection during Christmas training camp in California this past December, she's come back stronger and faster, looking to improve on her third-place ranking in the country in her specialty - the 400m individual medley. In high-performance sport, determination and will are keys to success. Dena has both. And she's not afraid to use them.