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Budgets good to athletes

Own the Podium program ‘close’ to being funded

The dollars are continuing to pour in for Canadian sports and athletes with the release of budgets by B.C. and federal governments in recent weeks.

Last week the federal government committed $429 million to sports over the next five years, starting with an additional $20 million in 2005. The plan would also make the previous increase, to $120 million from $90 million, permanent for a total budget of $140 million this year.

The new budget includes $55 million over the five years leading up to the 2010 Winter Games, or half the budget for the Own the Podium tabled by the Canadian Olympic Committee in January.

"The Government of Canada is a proud supporter of the Own the Podium project, and is pleased to contribute to the development and growth of our athletes and coaches as we prepare to host the world in 2010," said Minister of State for Sport Stephen Owen.

Own the Podium calls for an additional $110 million investment in Canadian winter sports, with the goal of leading all nations with 35 medals in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and to be in the top three in the 2010 Paralympics. That money will be divided between winter sports organizations, based on need and medal expectations, and the development of sport science and technology.

The other half of the money is expected to come from the Vancouver Organizing Committee, or VANOC, through corporate sponsors. The B.C. government recently announced $10 million in additional sport funding, on top of previous commitments, with $5 million going towards Own the Podium.

"It’s close," said Stacie Smith, the manager of communications for the Canadian Olympic Committee. "What we were hoping for is $110 million over five years, half from corporate sources and half from the federal government. With the last budget the government part is covered, and B.C.’s contribution puts us even closer."

This week VANOC also announced two multimillion dollar corporate sponsorships, with RBC Financial Group and Hbc (Hudson’s Bay Company). The details of those sponsorships has not been announced, but both companies have expressed an interest in backing Own the Podium.

"We won’t know until we know, but we feel we’re almost there," said Smith.

The Own the Podium plan, which was created by a steering group in consultation with Canada’s 13 Winter Olympic sport organizations, is already in the process of being implemented, said Smith.

"It started pretty much before we even announced it, assuming that we would get funding down the road. It was a case of ‘if you build it, they will come.’"

The funding is coming together more quickly than the organizers anticipated, which Smith attributes to the fact that the Canadian Olympic Committee took the initiative to develop a plan more than a year ago.

"I don’t know what the steering group expected, but for me it’s coming together quite nicely. I wouldn’t say it’s been easy, but it’s certainly being embraced at all levels of government. Part of the reason I think is that we had a detailed plan in place, we weren’t just going out looking for money, which made it more tangible to the federal government, the province and corporate backers."

The budget news was greeted warmly by Alpine Canada Alpin president Ken Read, who was instrumental in shaping the Own the Podium plan.

"By doing so, the government has recognized the importance of implementing a long term strategy which supports the objectives set by our nation’s sport community and embraces the ideals proposed by the Own the Podium sport initiative," he said.

Through Own the Podium, sports organizations will be granted money based on their current needs, priority among Canadians, and future Olympic prospects. Sports organizations worked together to determine their potential, and recommended a funding formula for the 13 organizations at the table.

In addition to Own the Podium funding and the existing Sport Canada funding many sports organizations also have corporate sponsorship agreements which also help finance programs.

Under a fully funded Own the Podium program, Alpine Canada Alpin will see an additional $2.5 million a year on top of the $1,364,000 it currently receives from Sport Canada. That’s the largest increase for any sport.

Hockey would see its budget increase by $435,000 a year, with all of that funding going towards the women’s program. The men’s program did not request any funding. That increase is on top of the $1,935,000 hockey currently gets from Sport Canada.

Curling will see an increase of $350,000 over its current allocation of $1,024,000.

Long track speed skating will see an increase of $710,000 and short track speed skating an additional $505,000. Each sport currently receives $1,145,000.

The figure skating budget will be increased $550,000 from its current $1,217,000.

The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association has asked for an additional $690,000 a year in the first year, including $150,000 for upgrades to the water ramps in Whistler. Following that first year the funding increase will be $540,000 a year above their current allotment of $1,364,000.

The Canadian Snowboard Federation will see its budget more than double, with $771,000 in new funding on top of their current annual budget of $695,000.

Cross Country Canada will see an increase of $700,000 over its budget of $1,006,000.

The lower priority sports include biathlon, bobsleigh, skeleton, luge, ski jumping and Nordic combined.

Biathlon will see an additional $600,000, doubling its current budget of $557,000. Bobsleigh will see $884,000 on top of $1,210,000, while the new sliding sport of skeleton will see its budget almost quadruple from $151,000 to $712,000. Luge will see a $360,000 increase over its current funding of $310,000.

Ski Jumping Canada and Nordic Combined Canada will see their budgets grow from $189,000 a year to $484,000 and $424,000 respectively.

Almost half of the $110 million for Own the Podium will go towards recruitment and the Top Secret 2010 program, which will develop technology and sport science for future Games.