Canadians Plan to Own the Podium

Winning isn't everything, and there's no doubt that just having the opportunity to participate in an Olympic or Paralympic Games is a thrill for any athlete.

At the same time, as any athlete who's had the experience will tell you, there's not much that can match actually being on the podium and feeling that medal being placed around your neck -- and if that happens in front of a hometown crowd, well, that's a very special icing on an already delicious cake.

As the host country for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Canada is determined to see as many of its athletes as possible experience that feeling.

That's the motivation behind Canada's "Own the Podium 2010" initiative, launched in 2005 following the awarding to Canada of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The success at the 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy -- an all-time Canadian high of 24 medals and a third-place finish after Germany and the USA at the Olympics, and a best ever result of sixth overall for the Paralympic team -- convinced the partners in the Own the Podium initiative they were on the right track.

Since Torino, Canada's winter athletes have continued to improve. In the last big test before the Olympics -- the 2008-2009 World Championship season -- Canada collected a total of 29 medals at Olympic winter sporting events, finishing on top of the standings ahead of perennial world-leaders Germany and the United States. Not to be outdone, Canada's Paralympic athletes also finished at the top of the medal table in 2010, racking up 29 golds in World Cup events.

No one is counting their Olympic and Paralympic medals before they're actually awarded, but if that recent history is any indication, Canadians have plenty of reason to be optimistic about their athletes' chances in Vancouver.

For Canada, the Own the Podium initiative is an unprecedented partnership involving the country'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).

The funding is also unprecedented for Canada -- $110 million over five years. Of that, $66 million is being delivered by the Government of Canada through Sport Canada. VANOC has committed $44 million, which it is raising through corporate support, from Canada's provincial and territorial governments, and public donors.

The funding committed to the initiative by Sport Canada and other partners is distributed directly to National Sport Organizations and Canadian Sport Centres to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes with podium potential in 2010. Funding decisions are based on the recommendations of Own the Podium 2010, and funds are used to support training and competition opportunities, salaries for coaches, equipment, and sport science and medicine services for athletes.

"Our Government has made the commitment to support our Canadian athletes with the resources and help they need to succeed and own the podium in 2010", said Minister of State (Sport) Gary Lunn. "Our support to Own the Podium 2010 is an opportunity to inspire Canadian pride and achievement, and can reinforce participation in sport by Canadians, at the highest level and in our communities."

There are no guarantees, but Roger Jackson, chief executive of Own the Podium, told Canada's Canwest News Service recently that, "I think I can state without equivocation that this will be the best prepared team we've ever seen. There'll be a very large number of medals, and our success will be relative to what is happening in Russia and Austria."

In other words, Jackson knows that Canada is not the only country working hard to put on a good showing in Vancouver.

There's no question Canada's winter Olympians and Paralympians will do well in Vancouver. They are from the land of ice and snow, after all. Whether they will own the podium -- well, that's why it's going to be so much fun to watch.