SNOWSPORTS:

Alpine Canada applauds Own the Podium funding announcement

March 4, 2010 — Alpine Canada

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The federal government increase to Own the Podium funding announced Thursday will have a lasting impact on ski racing and other amateur sports in Canada, Alpine Canada Alpin said.

ACA President Gary Allan said the increased spending on OTP will ensure that progress made by Canada's skiers since 2005 has the opportunity to continue.

"In the past five years, OTP funding has enabled Canadian ski racers to work with top coaches, pursue leading-edge sport science technology as well as support training and competition programs," said Allan.

"The impact of this funding has already been felt, with Canadian ski racers achieving the most successful four-year cycle in our history, including a world champion, three World Championship medallists and six different World Cup winners. Our Para-Alpine Ski Team has also won the overall IPC World Cup title for the first time ever," Allan said.

"The fact alpine skiers did not medal at the 2010 Olympic Games is a reminder that there is much more to be done, that this is just the beginning of the process," Allan added. "And today's announcement provides a major step in ensuring Canadian ski racers have access to the resources required to continue to achieve podium results in international competition."

Allan also said Own the Podium was more than just a source of funding for high-performance athletes.

"It's a declaration by all athletes and NSOs to strive to be their best and establish goals toward being the best in the world," Allan said. "Accountability to an independent group which measures your progress and evaluates your plan prior to advancing funding is a very important component of the Own the Podium process."

The Canadian government announced it was providing for an additional $22 million to be invested into support of high performance sport for both summer and winter athletes.

The Canadian Alpine Ski Teams have achieved eight World Cup wins and 34 podium results since the end of the 2005-06 season. Canada also had three top-six results in the alpine events at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. World Cup competition continues this weekend in Kvitfjell, Norway. for the men's team and Crans Montana, Switzerland, for the women.

The national para-alpine team finished last season with 5,685 IPC World Cup points, placing above Austria and the United States for the first time. The alpine events of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games are scheduled to get under way March 13.  SRC