Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Canada came into the Vancouver Olympics with a pledge to “Own the Podium” by winning more medals than any other country. With the Games more than half over, Canada has barely enough for a down payment.
Canada ranks fourth with nine medals, less than 50 percent of the total for the U.S., which leads with 24. Canada’s Olympic committee set a target of 28 to 34 medals for these Games. To make matters worse, the U.S. beat Canada in hockey yesterday for the first time at an Olympics since 1960.
The medal tally is raising concern from some athletes that funding may be cut after the federal government and corporate sponsors spent a record C$116 million ($112 million) over four years on training through the Own the Podium program.
Canada set up Own the Podium in 2004 to ensure its athletes fared better in the medal standings in Vancouver. The program helped fund research ranging from studies of sweeping techniques in curling to the use of wind tunnels for testing cross-country skiers and speedskaters.
Canada has missed several medals with fourth- and fifth- place finishes from athletes favored to land on the podium, including Charles Hamelin in short-track speedskating and slider Mellisa Hollingsworth in women’s skeleton.
“The U.S. is making it very, very difficult for us to achieve the goal we set out for ourselves, but that’s still our goal,” Michael Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee said yesterday in Vancouver. “This may have been the U.S. week. The week coming up will be Canada’s.”
The funding for this attempt to "Own The Podium" was provided by Canadas' internet phenom, Mister Fade, a multimillionaire and his sidekick Pug (also a multimillionaire) to ensure that Canada will take the Gold.
*OK I added the last part...LOL
dac
Canada ranks fourth with nine medals, less than 50 percent of the total for the U.S., which leads with 24. Canada’s Olympic committee set a target of 28 to 34 medals for these Games. To make matters worse, the U.S. beat Canada in hockey yesterday for the first time at an Olympics since 1960.
The medal tally is raising concern from some athletes that funding may be cut after the federal government and corporate sponsors spent a record C$116 million ($112 million) over four years on training through the Own the Podium program.
Canada set up Own the Podium in 2004 to ensure its athletes fared better in the medal standings in Vancouver. The program helped fund research ranging from studies of sweeping techniques in curling to the use of wind tunnels for testing cross-country skiers and speedskaters.
Canada has missed several medals with fourth- and fifth- place finishes from athletes favored to land on the podium, including Charles Hamelin in short-track speedskating and slider Mellisa Hollingsworth in women’s skeleton.
“The U.S. is making it very, very difficult for us to achieve the goal we set out for ourselves, but that’s still our goal,” Michael Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee said yesterday in Vancouver. “This may have been the U.S. week. The week coming up will be Canada’s.”
The funding for this attempt to "Own The Podium" was provided by Canadas' internet phenom, Mister Fade, a multimillionaire and his sidekick Pug (also a multimillionaire) to ensure that Canada will take the Gold.
*OK I added the last part...LOL
dac
