The bid to win more Olympic medals got a $5-million vote of confidence, as the Canadian Olympic Committee refreshed the Own the Podium plan established for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics – and tightened the screws of the 2012 Summer Games in London.
"The COC will immediately inject a further $5-million for Own the Podium (OTP) programming in coaching, training and support, to help athletes achieve their personal best on the Olympic stage. This new investment brings the COC's contribution in the 2009-2012 quadrennial period to $25-million," said the COC in a statement made in Montreal Thursday.
The $5-million boost was accompanied by a memorandum of understanding. It clarifies the OTP focus on the high performance sport system to lead and deliver programs and services to increase podium results, the statement said.
"This new additional funding agreement underscores our strong commitment to helping athletes achieve medal results and inspiring our youth," said COC president Marcel Aubut. "Vancouver 2010 has taught us that sport makes our country better. Young people are introduced to new heroes. The country unifies behind them.
"We have an ambitious goal in London next year: top 12 in 2012. It is the athletes who will deliver this historic result."
Included in the agreement: strengthened leadership to Canadian high performance sport at the highest level; consulting and expert technical support to targeted podium potential sports, athletes and coaches; the opportunity to influence and lead the collection and dissemination of best practices and world-class technologies and sport science innovations.
"We are extremely pleased with the new agreement, which is a leap forward for sport in this country," said John Furlong, chairman of Own the Podium. He was chief executive of the Vancouver organizing committee known as VANOC. Canadians had a record number of gold medals at the Vancouver Games. He said the continued support will enhance opportunities for Canadian athletes to excel.
"I am ecstatic we have the full support of the Canadian Olympic Committee to give me every advantage possible for podium success at the London Olympic Games," said double Olympic diving silver medalist Alexandre Despatie.
Own the Podium's largest contributors of funding are the Government of Canada, the COC, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic Foundation. Additional finances come from corporate Canada. The COC was the co-founding partner of OTP, with VANOC, the federal government's Sport Canada, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Winsport Canada.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support Canadian athletes. We are very pleased to see the alignment of these two great organizations in supporting our athletes and coaches to continue Canada's great Olympic Games legacy," said Sport Minister Bal Gosal.