Being the host country has its advantages. For example, Canada is guaranteed at least one athlete in every event, providing they meet the minimum qualification standards set out by the international governing body for the sport.
Then there's the home field advantage, which in 2010 meant getting all of the venues complete at least two years in advance so athletes would have a chance to learn the twists and turns of the sliding track, downhill course, and so on.
But this year Canada wasn't taking any changes. After being denied gold medals in the Montreal Olympics in 1976 and the Calgary Games in 1988, Canada has invested in its athletes at an unprecedented level. Not only did general funding for sports and athletes increase, the Own The Podium program contributed an extra $110 million towards winter sports organizations over the past five years. The money went towards coaches, training, technology and other forms of support for athletes and teams - and it's widely credited for raising Canada's profile in winter sports.
In the world championships last season Canada won 28 medals, more than any other nation. Germany and the U.S. each won 27 medals.
In combination, Canadian athletes brought home 157 medals in the 2008-09 season - 27 fewer medals than the previous record season, but it was expected given injuries to top athletes in sports like speed skating and freestyle skiing. Canada still placed fourth overall for medals, behind Germany, Austria and the U.S., with 207, 161 and 159 medals respectively.
Now, heading into the 2010 Games, Canada is favoured to win more medals than any other nation, based on our world championship performance, our performance at home test events, the increase in funding and the fact that we have top-ranked athletes in a wider range of events than most other countries. For example, while Germany is expected to win a lot of medals in events like luge, biathlon and ski jumping they don't have as big a presence in hockey, curling or freestyle skiing.
The Canadian team is comprised of 206 athletes, the largest team Canada has ever fielded for a Winter Olympics. We have maxed out our quota spots in snowboarding, alpine, freestyle and speed skating, as well as in skeleton and bobsleigh.
Clara Hughes of Manitoba will carry the flag for Team Canada at the opening ceremonies on Friday, Feb. 12, in recognition of the fact that she remains the only athlete in the world to win multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Games. In 1996 she won two bronze medals as a road cyclist, then switched over to speed skating where she earned three medals - including gold in the 5,000 metre event - in the 2002 and 2006 Games.
Some facts about Team Canada:
• In a few weeks Brian McKeever will become the first athlete to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. McKeever is a visually impaired athlete who usually competes with guide and brother Robin in Para-Nordic events. He's the reigning Paralympic Champion in three events. This year he also qualified in the men's 50 km free event at a national team selection race.
• The Canadian speed skating team led the nation in the 2006 Winter Games in Torino with eight medals. Many of the medal winners are back for 2010 and have set a goal of beating their eight-medal tally. If World Cup results from this season are any indication the team is more than capable of setting a new record at home in the Richmond Oval.
• The women's hockey team has won gold at the past two Winter Olympics and is hoping to three-peat at home. Their biggest rivals, Team U.S.A., had won every game between the teams in recent years, until the Canadian women stole the momentum back by winning an exhibition match-up on New Year's Day.
• The Canadian men's team is still smarting after being denied a medal in Torino, but there are a few factors in the team's favour this time around. One of the biggest advantages is the fact that the tournament will take place on NHL-sized ice instead of the larger rinks favoured by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Europeans had more experience playing on the larger ice surface and it showed. Another advantage is the fact that most of the players have already played together at a training camp over the summer, although there were some who got caught due to injuries and performance during the first half of the NHL season. Canada last won gold in men's hockey in 2002, breaking a 50-year winless streak.
• Canada practically owns the newly-added sport of ski cross. Not only is Whistler's Ashleigh McIvor the reigning world champion, the team has proven itself capable of sweeping the podium. At their last outing, the 2010 X-Games, the Canadian men swept the podium while the women earned two out of three medals.
• Speaking of world champions, Canada has six current world champions in individual events - Ashleigh McIvor in ski cross; Charles Hamelin in the 500-metre event, short track speed skating; Jasey-Jay Anderson in the parallel giant slalom, snowboarding; Kristina Groves in the team pursuit, speed skating; Brittany Schussler in the team pursuit, speed skating and Christine Nesbitt in the 1,000 metres, speed skating. As well, the Canadian men's hockey team and women's curling teams won world championships last year.
John Kucera is the reigning world champion in the men's downhill event, but injured his knee earlier in the season and won't be competing. Alexandre Bilodeau won the world championships in dual moguls in 2009, and although dual moguls is not an Olympic event, Bilodeau is also a past World Cup overall champion for single moguls.
• The team has 32 returning medallists from Turin 2006: Chandra Crawford, Sara Renner, Jenn Heil, Clara Hughes, Cindy Klassen, Kristina Groves, Christine Nesbitt, Shannon Rempel, Denny Morrison, Pierre Lueders, Lascelles Brown, Jeff Pain, Melissa Hollingsworth, Dominique Maltais, Francois-Louis Tremblay, Charles Hamelin, Kalyna Roberge, Tania Vicent and 14 women's ice hockey players.
• Nine provinces and one territory are represented on the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team.
• The 2010 Canadian Olympic Team combines a mix of veterans and first-time Olympians. Of the former, Hughes will be joined by bobsleigh pilot Pierre Lueders in making a fifth Olympic appearance. Ten athletes will be entering their fourth Olympic Winter Games: Jasey-Jay Anderson (snowboard), Jennifer Botterill (ice hockey), Jayna Hefford (ice hockey), Mike Ireland (speed skating), Becky Kellar (ice hockey), Chris Pronger (ice hockey), Sara Renner (cross-country skiing), Tania Vicent (short track speed skating), Hayley Wickenheiser (ice hockey) and Jeremy Wotherspoon (speed skating). Many others will be making their third Games appearance.
• Whistler and Sea to Sky are well-represented in the Games: Mike Janyk (alpine skiing), Britt Janyk (alpine skiing), Manuel Osborne-Paradis (alpine skiing), Robbie Dixon (alpine skiing), Maëlle Ricker (snowboardcross), Kristi Richards (moguls), Rob Fagan (snowboardcross), Brad Martin (halfpipe), Justin Lamoureux (halfpipe), Mercedes Nicoll (halfpipe), Sarah Conrad (halfpipe), Ashleigh McIvor (ski cross) and Julia Murray (ski cross). Aleisha Cline is an alternate in ski cross.
The complete team list is available online at www.olympic.ca.
