About Own the Podium 2010
Own the Podium 2010 (OTP) is a winter sport technical initiative that provides support to National Sport Organizations (NSOs) whose athletes have the best chance of achieving medals in 2010. OTP helps prepare the NSOs and their athletes and coaches for unprecedented success in 2010.
OTP's goal is to help Canada become the number one nation at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (total medal count) and to place among the top three nations (gold medal count) at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
OTP reported a collective best ever result for Canada in World Cup competition during the 2007-2008 winter season. Canadian winter athletes won a total of 184 World Cup medals with an impressive 74 athletes reaching the podium.
A number of new programs or enhanced programs have been initiated by OTP, including Recruitment, Top Secret research, professional development for coaches, use of technologies, creation of sport science/medicine (IST, formerly PET) teams, increased support to coaches and athletes for training and competition and others. The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee are improving their support systems for the athletes at Games-time. VANOC, in addition to its very significant commitment to raising funds for OTP, is also assisting in many ways, including ensuring early access to sports to the Olympic and Paralympic facilities, assisting with OTP's Communications and Sponsor Relations Programs.
Various OTP success projects for the 2007-2008 winter season
Farnham Glacier
The Farnham Glacier, located just one hour west of Banff is now home to many of Canada's alpine skiers,, freestyle skiers and snowboarders. Recent improvements to the glacier have made it possible for the Canadian Alpine team to remain in Canada instead of training on the crowded glaciers of Europe. Training at home in the weeks before World Cup competition has been a sigh of relief for many athletes and coaches who in the past have had to be away from their homes for very long periods of time.
The Farnham glacier is equipped with spectacular speed runs, technical runs and freestyle jumps. Camp Green, which is adjacent to the existing technical runs, houses the athletes where they eat and sleep inside heateddome tents. Alpine Canada Alpin Director Dusan Grasic says the new slope is "a dream come true". The new downhill training course was built by the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA) operations team and is funded in part by Own the Podium 2010.
Performance Technology
Performance Technology involves the use of video technology (and other elements) for the purpose of improving and fine tuning athletic performance. For the first time ever, OTP is offering high quality performance technology training to Olympic and Paralympic coaches through clinics held in Vancouver, Montréal, Toronto and Calgary. At the conclusion of these clinics, it is expected that over 80 specialists will have received training at a beginning or an advanced level in this exciting area of sports performance. Clinic participants include coaches, sport science consultants, biomechanists, and dartfish video technology experts, and members of IST (Integrated Support Teams).
Coach Professional Development Program
This national program ensures that coaches have the training required to successfully prepare their athletes for medal performances at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the spring of 2007, Own the Podium 2010 partnered with the Coaching Association of Canada and together developed a program targeted specifically to coaches of medal potential athletes. Since the program's launch, more than 20 projects have been supported.
Testimonial
Roger Archambault, National Biathlon Coach said: "I am so thankful that OTP provided funds for me to attend this conference. I was able to attend a significantly high level event in a Nordic specific learning environment that we seldom see in North America."
Top Secret
The Own the Podium Top Secret program is now well established and early results are showing that innovative research can contribute to success in 2010. Over 35 research projects are currently underway and are being lead by researchers from Canadian Sport Centres, universities and private institutions across Canada. Some early successes will be tested with athletes in the upcoming season and then further enhanced in time for the 2010 Games.
Some examples, without giving too much away of course, see medal potential athletes getting involved with wind tunnel testing to improve their form. By having the resources to be able to use advanced training methods and equipment modifications, our top athletes will have an "edge" they have not been able to access in the past.
October saw athletes from five separate sports in the wind tunnel for individualized testing and feedback.
In March, a team of coaches and researchers recently returned from a Winter Sport Sciences Conference in Europe and were very pleased to say that the projects being worked on in Canada are much further along than some of the key European nations. Exciting projects currently underway include the Long Track Speed Skating and Curling teams who are using some new equipment and research tools that will enable them to monitor their training at an increased level. In the coming months, OTP will host a workshop that will bring together key researchers and coaches to ensure that there is an efficient transfer of knowledge and communication between the labs and the field of play.
Home Field Advantage (HFA)
Home Field Advantage is all about ensuring that the advantages of competing at a home Games are fully leveraged for our Canadian winter athletes. Early access to the Olympic and Paralympic training venues in advance of the Games, performing event simulations, planning for unknown distractions, and becoming familiar with the Vancouver and Whistler areas are just a few examples of how Canadian athletes can benefit from proper Home Field Advantage planning. OTP is working collaboratively with its sport partners to ensure that Canadian winter athletes have home field advantage.
Through OTP's partnership with the CSC-Pacific, OTP's Veronica Brenner has been appointed the coordinator for Canada's Home Field Advantage Team. Through her coordination and the support from CSC Pacific staff, NSOs and athletes will have the information and tools they need to help them plan effectively for the periods when they are training or competing in the Vancouver Whistler areas.
A number of events are taking place throughout the month of February at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic venues, providing Canadian athletes with a home field advantage. These events will give athletes and coaches the opportunity to train and compete on the Olympic and Paralympic venues while experiencing weather conditions and familiarizing themselves with accommodations and the local surroundings.
In February, Canadian freestyle skiers competed for the first time at the Olympic freestyle ski and snowboard venue on Cypress Mountain. Later this month, Whistler played host to the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup from February 19 to 24.
Para athletes also had the opportunity to use Paralympic venues. Members of the Para-Nordic National Ski Team experienced the magic of Whistler Olympic Park, site of the Olympic and Paralympic Nordic venues in the Callaghan Valley. National Team member Colette Bourgonje, who competed in a BC Cup race held in December 2007, shared her impressions of Whistler Olympic Park. "The overall transformation has been amazing. As you travel the newly paved road that winds up the valley taking athletes and visitors from around the world to the new Nordic venues, you pass an impressive ski jump facility that will showcase skiers flying high through the picturesque wilderness in their quest for excellence," said Bourgonje. "The trails have been completed in record time, youngsters are skiing on them now, and I am overwhelmed at the realization of the legacy that's being left for future generations of Nordic athletes."
Testimonial
"We extend our thanks to the entire Own the Podium 2010 (OTP) program. It can be difficult at times to be an amateur athlete and the support OTP is providing us helps to make us one step closer to realizing our dreams. For us to believe it is possible to be on top of the world, we need people and programs behind us to support us during all stages of our career. Again we want to extend our most sincere thanks to all those involved with the OTP Program."
Jessica Dubé (St Cyrille de Wendover, QC) & Bryce Davison (Drummondville, QC)
-Bronze Medallists, 2008 World Figure Skating Championships
Own the Podium 2010
Own the Podium 2010 (OTP) is a winter sport technical initiative designed to help Canada become the number one nation (total medal count) at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and to place among the top three nations (gold medal count) at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. The initiative is a partnership of Canada's 13 winter national sport organizations, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Sport Canada and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).
One-half of the $110 million in funding, which began in 2005, originates from the Government of Canada, through Sport Canada ($55 million). VANOC is raising the other half ($55 million) through corporate and provincial support. Bell Canada is the founding corporate partner and the other corporate partners include General Motors of Canada, Hbc, McDonald's Canada, Petro-Canada, RBC Financial Group and RONA. Provincial support is provided by the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba.