Canada's Athlete Of The Year

The end of the year brings nominations for Athlete of the Year.

I don't always agree with the award winners, but I always enjoy the anticipation of the announcement.

Yahoo sports has a page where we can vote for Canadian Press Athlete of the Year. You can cast your vote here. Here are the nominations (you can also vote for another athlete if you don't like their choices):

Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year

• Dylan Armstrong (Shot Put: #1 Ranked, World Silver Medallist and Pan Am Gold)
• Alexandre Bilodeau (Moguls: World Silver Medallist; Dual Mogals: World Champion)
• Lucien Bute (Boxing: IBF Super Middleweight Champion - since 2007)
• Patrick Chan (Figure Skating: World Champion)
• Dwayne de Rosario (Soccer: MLS MVP)
• Erik Guay (Downhill World Champion)
• Corey Perry (NHL MVP)
• Milos Raonic (ATP Rookie of the Year)
• George St Pierre (UFC Welterweight Champion)
• Joey Votto (MLB Gold Glove Award Winner)

Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year

• Paula Findlay (won first 3 World Cup Triathlons before injury)
• Alex Gough (luge World Bronze Medal - first female luge medal for Canada)
• Jennifer Heil (World Gold Medallist in moguls and in dual moguls)
• Christine Nesbitt (speed skating: 3 gold 1 silver at World Championships)
• Catharine Pendrel (Cross-Country Cycling World Champion)
• Marianne St-Gelais (Speed skating)
• Kelsey Serwa (World Champion ski cross)
• Christine Sinclair (MVP in League final her team won...competed with broken nose at World Cup, Pan Am Games flag bearer, Gold Medal Pan Am Games)
• Mary Spencer (boxing Pan Am Gold and closing ceremonies flag bearer)
• Tara Whitten (Cycling - World Champion)

Canadian Press Team of the Year

• Brampton Excelsiors (won league and won Mann Cup)
• B.C. Lions (Grey Cup Champions)
• Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw (World Champions Team Spring Cross-Country)
• Amber Holland curling rink (World Silver Medallist)
• McMaster football team (won Vanier Cup)
• Saint John Sea Dogs (Memorial Cup Winners)
• Jeff Stoughton curling rink (World Champions)
• Toronto Rock (National Lacrosse League Champions)
• Vancouver Canucks (NHL finalists)
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (World Silver Medallist)

The easiest for me to choose is Team of the Year.

Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw are the first Canadians to win a World Championships gold medal in cross-country skiing EVER. Every year, a team wins the Grey Cup, Vanier Cup or Lacrosse League. Although Canadian teams haven't fared as well in the NHL lately, making the final isn't that huge of an accomplishment for the Canucks. It's been done and surpassed many times before. Curling and figure skating? We've won World Championships or medals before. So hands down for me, Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw should be the team of the year.

For Female of the Year, I loved Paula Findlay as a candidate until she got injured. This is a similar story to Milos Raonic. Can we award Athlete of the Year on a partial season? Canada often do amazingly well at at speed skating and freestyle skiing. I'd be okay with Jennifer Heil or Christine Nesbitt winning. We have also done well in cycling but this sport isn't as popular as other sports on the list. Luge's first medal is exciting but I don't think worthy of Athlete of the Year with it being a bronze, although worthy of the nomination.

This leaves Christine Sinclair. Her league team won the Championship and she was named MVP. Canada had a disappointing performance at the World Cup however, which is why I'm struggling with choosing Sinclair. Canada won the Pan Am Games where Sinclair was the flag-bearer. The most memorable moment for Christine Sinclair though is at the World Cup when she broke her nose. For female athletes, I think this was the story most talked about in 2011. She breaks her nose after taking an elbow from a German player. The doctor on the sideline tells her she can't play but she persists and returns to the field as fast as she can. She ends up scoring against Germany who hadn't conceded a goal in World Cup action since 2003. Canada still lost the game, but Christine Sinclair won the respect of Canadians and soccer lovers. For overcoming adversity and capturing the nation's attention, Christine Sinclair gets my vote.

Male Athlete of the Year is a little tougher.

Although all worthy, I find it difficult to choose between an MLB, NHL or MLS star so will not vote for them. George St-Pierre's 2011 wasn't as amazing as his past few years (according to media reports). I haven't heard of Lucien Bute, although this nomination has introduced me to him.

Even though Dylan Armstrong didn't win the World Championships (where Patrick Chan, Erik Guay and Adam van Koeverden did), his accomplishment is more unusual. Dominating a Track and Field event is very difficult.

I used to love figure skating, until the judging scandal in 2002. I still follow the Canadian Championships and World Championships but I don't follow the sport like I used to. Since Patrick Chan has not gotten me passionate again about figure skating (like Virtue and Moir did last year), I'll say that he's not worthy of my vote for Athlete of the Year.

Erik Guay's Downhill World Championship was very exciting but John Kucera won it in 2009. Although, I do think that winning a Downhill World Championship is THE win of the year, so I am still amazed that Canada has managed to do it twice in a row. I hope John Kucera was up for Athlete of the Year in 2009.

Alexandre Bilodeau in my mind should have won Athlete of the Year last year...until I remember that Sydney Crosby was Athlete of the Year. The first gold medal on home soil or the hockey one? I guess even I would have to choose the Golden Goal.

Adam van Koeverden blew the competition away at the World Championships. He is a born leader, very supportive of his competitors and fellow Canadian athletes. He is also an avid Right To Play ambassador and supports other charities. He is a great role model for other athletes and non-athletes. He is the whole package, but yeah, I know. I am biased.

If I had finished this post on the 7th, I wouldn't have known about the controversy that Patrick Chan created with his comments about feeling under-appreciated. I wouldn't have read the amazing blog post by Adam van Koeverden about feeling appreciated (after The Toronto Star tried to compare Patrick Chan who competes in a popular sport compared to kayaking).

I was leaning towards voting for Adam van Koeverden for the way he competes and represents Canada, but then read a bit more about Patrick Chan.

After winning the World Championships last April, he has won every competition he has entered so far this season, including the Grand Prix Finals (on December 11th). This means that Patrick Chan is a World Champion and is dominating his sport in 2011. Hard to argue with numbers.

Newcomer of the year for me includes three candidates:

• Paula Findlay is a 22 year old triathloner who won the last two International Triathlon Union triathlons of the 2010 season and the first three triathlons in 2011 before getting a hip injury.
• Milos Raonic is a 20 year old tennis player who won his first ATP Tour tournament in 2011. His world ranking went up to #27, the highest for a Canadian while representing Canada. He got injured at Wimbledon which saw his ascent come to a halt. Nevertheless, he was named ATP's Rookie of the Year.
• Laurence Vincent-Lapointe is a 19 year old canoe sprint racer. She won the gold medal in the Canoe C-1 200m and in the Canoe C-2 500m at the World Championships. The only down-side is that Women's Canoe is not an Olympic sport.

Have I missed anyone?

Joannie Rochette Avec Coeur Et Passion

Joannie Rochette was on the television program Tout Le Monde En Parle this week. She is releasing a new DVD entitled Avec Coeur et Passion (With Heart and Passion) which is an exercise video meant for the young and old, beginner and advanced. She calls her DVD an exercise programme for "monsieur et madame tout le monde" (mr and mrs everybody).

Her mother Thérèse died of a heart attack a few days before Joannie was to perform at the Olympic Games in 2010. Joannie went on to win a bronze medal in figure skating. She relived those days in the interview which was very touching explaining how her personal life came to meet up with her professional life.

She explained on the programme that her mother although seemingly in good health, did not exercise. She says that lack of exercise is one of the main reasons why people suffer heart attacks.

Her mother's death inspired her to do something. She explained that starting an exercise regime is not an easy thing and that her mother didn't know where to start. This DVD is Joannie's way of reaching others to get physically active and hopefully live a healthier life.

Proceeds of the DVD are going to iheartmom (mamandemoncoeur), Joannie' Heart Your Health Campaign associated with University of Ottawa Heart Institute. In a clip on the site, Joannie says "my mom's heart was always in the right place, I just wish she would have taken better care of it."

Here is the Tout Le Monde En Parle segment in case you would like to see it:

Simon Whitfield and Paula Findlay

Triathlon Canada nominated Simon Whitfield and Paula Findlay to the Canadian Olympic Committee to be named to the 2012 Olympic team.

Simon has been my favourite triathlete since winning gold at the first Olympic triathlon race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He was Canada's flagbearer at the Closing Ceremonies. I have often written about Simon Whitfield on this blog (you can see those posts by typing his name in the search bar at the top left) or click here to read about my excitement seeing his jersey at the Victoria Front Runners store.

In 2008, Simon won a fantastic silver medal. Now 36 years old, he is the veteran of the triathlon team and I will be so excited to see him compete in his 4th Olympic Games. I'm hoping that Brent McMahon and Kyle Jones will join him on the team by qualifying next year. They were 3rd and 4th at the Pan Am Games (a 1st place finish was needed to qualify for London).

At 22 years old Paula Findlay is the future of Canada's triathlon team. In 2010 she was the surprise winner of the World Championship series event at the London Olympic course. She won on the world stage another 4 times before injuring her hip this past summer.

By being selected on the team, Simon and Paula can now concentrate on peaking at the Olympics rather than training for qualifying events.

Pan Am Games

The Pan-Am Games held in Guadalajara, Mexico ended yesterday.

What this means is that Toronto is now the official Pan-Am Games host. At the closing ceremonies (that I watched today), the Pan-Am flag was passed to our city.

There was a beautiful rendition of O Canada performed by Quebec artist Florence K followed by an eight minute dance and acrobatic performance to showcase Canada as the next host.

Eight athletes (or teams) earned a spot for Canada at the London 2012 Olympics by winning gold according to a news report. However, I am counting nine. Either one of these had already qualified or one is there in error. The ones I am seeing include :

• Closing Ceremonies flag bearer Mary Spencer in women's boxing
• Ryan Cochrane and Hughes Fournel in 200m kayak (K2)
• Steven Joren and Richard Dober in 1000m kayak (K2)
• women's kayak 500m (K4)
• Richard Dalton in canoeing (C1 200m)
• synchronized swimming team
• synchronized swimming duet of Elise Marcotte and Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon
• Zhang Mo in table tennis
• Dorothy Ludwig in shooting

[The kayak/canoe Olympic spots are for the team and not the racers from the Pan Am Games]

Other highlights from the games included a gold medal by world #1 ranked Dylan Armstrong in the shotput.

Led by Opening Ceremonies flagbearer, Christine Sinclair, the women's soccer team won gold beating Brazil in the final.

Canada won gold in men's baseball beating the U.S. in the final. Unfortunately, baseball is no longer an Olympic sport so this was our team's Olympics.

Richard Weinberger won the 10k swimming marathon. He won the test event in London this summer but still hasn't qualified for London 2012 (the qualifying race had been the previous month). He'll hopefully qualify in June in Portugal at the final Olympic qualifying event.

Carol Huynh won the gold medal in wrestling. I will never forget her reaction to O Canada at the 2008 Olympics when she won Canada's first (of three) gold medals at the Games.



Although I didn't watch as much of the Pan-Am games as I would have liked mostly because I'm not used to watching "television" on my computer yet (not much television coverage), I am still excited about Toronto (and surrounding cities) hosting the 2015 Pan Am Games. Hopefully tickets will be fairly affordable so that I can attend a few different events.

Reid Coolsaet and Eric Gillis - 2012 Olympians

Last year I went downtown to watch the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. You can read my blog post and see photos here.

This year, I watched it on television. It's quite different to being there. Nothing beats the excitement of seeing an event in person, but seeing it on television gives you the benefit of following the leaders throughout the race. When one of your favourites is with the leaders, it's a bonus.

Reid Coolsaet was in the lead pack throughout the race. Eric Gillis and Dylan Wykes were not far behind. All three were trying to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Reid had already reached the tougher Canadian standard last year, so all he had to do to qualify was reach the international standard of 2 hours 15 minutes. Eric and Dylan needed to beat the Canadian standard of 2:11:29.

Canada (with its tough standard) hasn't sent a marathoner since 2000.

It was an exciting race as runner after runner (including the pacers) left the front pack leaving a group of 3 that included Reid Coolsaet. After briefly taking the lead, the wind on the way back west in the last 7 kilometers proved to be too much for Reid. The Canadian record would not be broken, but he would post his personal best of 2:10:55 finishing 3rd. He waited, watched and cheered as Eric came running towards the finish line in 4th, just beating the Canadian standard by one second. Dylan finished in 6th with a time of 2:12:56. He kept up with Eric for most of the race. In a post race interview, he is confident that he'll be able to make up the difference and qualify as well. Wishing him luck.

For now, two Canadians have qualified for the 2012 London marathon.

Bud Greenspan Presents

I was checking The Movie Network on demand to see if there was anything worth watching. I found a documentary about the 2010 Vancouver Olympics:

Bud Greenspan Presents: Vancouver 2010 Stories of Olympic Glory

What a treat. Being the Olympic fan that I am, I was surprised that I hadn't heard about it before. I thought it was a Canadian film but it's American.

I watched this film that included some amazing stories.

It started with the women's moguls. Jennifer Heil attempting (and failing) to win Canada's first medal. They told the story from Jennifer's perspective as well as the gold medal winner Hannah Kearney from the United States. It was told well enough that I still thought it was a Canadian documentary.

Other great stories included:

• Canadian Clara Hughes who won her 6th Olympic medal competing in winter and summer Olympics.
• The Chinese pairs figure skaters (3 pairs in the top 4)
• Petra Majdic the cross-country skier who won a bronze medal with five broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
• The American nordic ski team who became the first Americans to win a medal in their sport and left Vancouver with four medals.
• women's and men's ice hockey

The stories included interviews with the athletes looking back on their challenges and achievements. It was wonderful to be brought back and see highlights from the games including the opening and closing ceremonies.

Sadly, I learned afterwards that Bud Greenspan (who has directed numerous Olympic films) passed away in December 2010. This was his last documentary.

Road Cycling World Championships

I've been watching the Road Cycling World Championships this weekend. The women raced yesterday. Canadian Olympic Icon Clara Hughes gave us something to cheer about when she broke from the pack and increased her lead to 45 seconds with 10 km to go in the 140 km race. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough steam to take herself to the end and the pack caught her.

The men raced today. The British team led the peloton for most of the time that I watched with the hopes that Mark Cavendish would win the sprint at the end. They caught the leaders in the final pack. As the peloton approached the finish line after racing for 5 hours and 40 minutes, Mark Cavendish sprinted for the win; just like he often did at The Tour de France.

If Canada is not in the running for a medal at the London Olympics, I hope the British team will do it again!

Mazda Canoe Kayak Knockout

The Canadian Canoe and Kayak team was in Toronto to compete in the Mazda Canoe Kayak Knockout event yesterday.

It is such a fun event. They really should promote it better. The only reason I knew about it was because I went to the Canoe Kayak Canada website to see the schedule of events having learned of this event after the fact last year. I didn't want to miss my chance at seeing Adam van Koeverden race this year.

The event has a Facebook Page and Twitter account, but they're not updated very often. It's sad because this was a wonderful opportunity to see our national team up close heading into the London 2012 Olympics. There was also an autograph session where you could meet each member of the national team.

The events included Men's K-1, Women's K-1, Men's C-1, Women's C-1, Paracanoe and junior K1 and junior C1. Team members who would normally race K-2 or C-2 were racing on their own.

Each event would have multiple races. After each race, the slowest competitors are knocked out. Although the races are 200m (and so a sprint), there is strategy involved to try to ensure the racer doesn't get knocked out, and at the same time maintains enough energy for the following races.

The men's K1 had the most competitors starting with 39.

The top 18 moved on after the first race. In the third race, the top 14 moved on followed by the top 10 and the top 6. There were plenty of opportunities to see our favourites race and get different viewpoints.

After qualifying, the racers would paddle back to the starting line passing right by the spectators which allowed some great photos to be taken.

(Ian Mortimer)

Although Adam van Koeverden is the reason I went, I was excited to see the rest of the Canadian team including:

Mark Oldershaw

Mark de Jonge

Richard Dalton

19 year old World Champion Laurence Vincent-Lapointe

up and coming Juniors including Etienne Beauchesne:

and many more.

Results:
Men's Kayak
1. Mark de Jonge
2. Richard Dober
3. Ryan Cochrane

Women's Kayak
1. Kathleen Carole Fraser
2. Genny Orton
3. Mylanie Barre

Men's Canoe
1. Richard Dalton
2. Gabriel Beauchesne-Sevigny
3. Andrew Russell

Women's Canoe
1. Laurence Vincent-Lapointe
2. Mallorie Nicholson
3. Taylor Potts

Can't wait for London 2012!!

Don't blame Steve Nash!

I wanted to see the Canadian basketball team qualify for the London 2012 Olympics like every other Canadian Olympic fan or Canadian basketball fan.

As I watched the dying seconds of their loss to Panama, my heart went out to the team. Winning that game did not mean that they were going to the Olympics there was still a long road ahead. The loss meant that the dream was over. At the time, a lot of thoughts went through my head but the last thing I thought of was blaming Steve Nash.

I was shocked to read Steve Buffery's article entitled Thanks a Lot, Nash! I chalked it up to a sports writer who didn't do proper research, preferring to check Steve Nash's tweets in the last couple of months instead of checking Steve Nash's history. I also imagined he was just looking for a reaction. I wasn't going to give him one.

This morning, I saw an article written by Michael Grange for Sportsnet entitled Same Old Story also blaming Steve Nash along with other NBA players by declaring "Until our players truly want to play for Canada, the basketball program will continue to suffer."

I couldn't keep quiet when another sports writer was pointing the finger at Steve Nash.

Twelve teams qualify for the Olympics, we are ranked twenty third. We lost to #28 ranked Panama. Are these sport writers suggesting that Canada should upset higher ranked teams, but no one should upset Canada?

The writers I imagine are assuming that our ranking wouldn't be #23 if Steve Nash was playing. I won't argue that point, but in 2003 Steve Nash played for Team Canada and they failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.

Having Steve on the team is not an automatic berth to the Olympics.

Buffery says that a hockey player would be vilified for not playing for Canada and so thinks we should vilify Steve Nash. This is like comparing apples to oranges. Canadian hockey players don't have to qualify for the Olympics. Their standing at the World Championships automatically qualifies them. The Olympics are held during the NHL season. The hockey players don't give up their summers to represent their country.

When Steve helped Team Canada achieve "Mission Impossible" to qualify for the 2000 Olympics, they upset much higher ranked teams. By winning their group at the Olympics, they upset even better teams. Being ranked higher in the quarter finals, they lost. Yesterday, Canada was ranked higher on paper, but lost on the court. This is what sport is about.

After the 2000 Olympics, Steve Nash said "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play. That's what I really hope."

This was more than 10 years ago. Where are those kids now? Where are the sports programs and sponsorships to help those kids become the next Steve Nash? The flame has passed. Steve Nash is 37 years old and the 6th oldest active NBA player. He's not the one we should look at to get us to the Olympics Games. He's been there, done that! And did us proud!

He has often talked about the toll playing at the highest level has on his body, especially with the style of play that he and his team play. He understands his body and knows its limits. He chose to allow his body to recover in between NBA seasons. Perhaps if he was a hockey player, he would still be representing his country. He's not.

Steve Nash has made Canada proud. He spent 10 of 12 summers playing for Canada between 1991 and 2003. He helped us qualify for the 2000 Olympics. He got Canada excited about basketball. He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 2010 Olympics. That is the thanks he deserves; not those articles.

Sports writers, feel free to point your finger here or there to explain why Canada's basketball team failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, but don't point it at Steve Nash!

Triathlon Olympic Trials

London is hosting a World Championship triathlon this weekend in Hyde Park where athletes have the opportunity to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.

From the London 2012 website, this is the description of the course:

At London 2012, the Triathlon will begin and end in Hyde Park. The events will begin with a 1,500m swim in the Serpentine; continue with a seven-lap, 40km bike ride around a course that takes in Buckingham Palace and the Wellington Arch; and end with a four-lap, 10km run around the Serpentine to the finish.

CBC Canada will be televising (same day tape delayed) the women's race today August 6th from 3-4:30pm and the men's race tomorrow August 7th from 2-4pm. The races can be seen live on the CBC website in the morning.

Paula Findlay is Canada's new triathlon phenom. Last month she withdrew from her home race in Edmonton at the last moment when she felt a twinge in her quad. She's still not 100% but hopefully she will be in the top 8 today which would qualify her for London 2012.

The men's race will feature Simon Whitfield who won gold at the 2000 Olympics and silver at the 2008 Olympics. London would be his fourth Olympics.

Upcoming events:

Canadian National Championships in Kelowna August 20-21

Grand Final in World Championships in Beijing September 10-11

FINA World Aquatic Championships 2011

The Aquatics Championships are being held this week.

Schedule:

Diving: July 16-24

Synchro: July 17-23

Swimming (Open Water): July 19-July 23

Swimming: July 24-31

Water Polo: July 17-30

In Canada, CBC is showing a highlights show every evening at 11:30pm. Highlights can also be seen on their website www.cbc.ca

Marketing’s next big thing? Sports sponsorships

from The Globe and Mail Thursday June 17th, 2011

Last week’s Sports Marketing Conference in Toronto attracted a number of communications and marketing professionals looking for the next big thing to get their company names out there.

There was a full lineup of experts showcasing the latest sponsorship strategies and marketing tactics that are being deployed by some of Canada’s biggest firms. But one story really stood out. And as a small-business owner, it made me think about sports sponsorship in a whole new way.

Gold-medal-winning Olympic sprint kayaker Adam van Koeverden spoke from the perspective of an athlete. The Oakville, Ont.-born champ talked extensively about the role small businesses can play in making an impact on the lives of Canadian Olympic athletes.

Mr. Van Koeverden discussed his relationship with The Running Company, a small business in downtown Oakville that has supported him since he was a 15-year-old junior.

“People have to realize that most athletes have no money, no equipment and no support,” Greg McKinnon, owner of the store, recalls about building the relationship. “We stepped in early on and began providing Adam with shoes that he needed as part of his training program. There were times when he would need to move equipment so we would lend him the company truck to save him the cost of renting one.”

Mr. McKinnon is quick to point out that he has no expectation of a return on investment. He says he believes that providing shoes and introducing athletes to shoe manufacturers is simply part of making The Running Company a good corporate citizen. He does, however, take great pride in the photographs of Mr. Van Koeverden that hang in the store as well as the drop-ins made by athletes, which allows Mr. McKinnon to introduce them to his customers.

You can still find The Running Company logo on Mr. Van Koeverden’s apparel and on his promotional materials, alongside the logos of much larger corporate sponsors that have stepped up to support him.

It is a great example of a grassroots sponsorship that, because of strong personal relationships and its authentic nature, has endured and created a win-win program for the brand and the athlete.

Mr. Van Koeverden encourages businesses and brands considering a larger sponsorship to explore legacy programs that extend far beyond the short time frame in which an athlete is competing as an Olympian.

Big businesses spend a lot of time and money negotiating Olympic sponsorships. Sports-related sponsorships benefit the participating company through brand recognition and credibility, while providing financial support for athletes. Smart brands extend those sponsorships with longer-term commitments and athlete engagement after the excitement of the Games winds down.

For example, a construction or lumber company could consider a sponsorship that includes building new docks for a kayak or rowing training facility, rather than a one-time cash donation to a specific athlete. The legacy – a benefit to athletes in subsequent years – is not lost on many other countries around the world. There are countless stories of the superior training facilities built by sponsor programs in South America and throughout Europe.

Sponsoring an amateur sports team in a community can demonstrate your civic pride and illustrate your commitment to giving back. Search for a local sports team without a sponsor, and drive media coverage based on your support. Sponsor a promising athlete in the community and use social media to track his or her progress. Local sponsorship initiatives build a brand’s reputation, and create a favourable perception among consumers.

As Mr. McKinnon points out, there is a special pride in making a commitment to Canadian athletes.

“It is great getting to know these athletes early on and watching them grow and win. I sometimes find myself looking up at Adam’s photo and wondering where in the world he is today: training, competing and representing Canada.”

Kayak Competitions

Great Source for Adam van Koeverden's schedule and results: www.canoekayak.ca

photos and blog: www.vankayak.com

World Cup #3 May 27-29, 2011

Duisburg, Germany

http://www.kanuduisburg.de/cms/

• Silver in 1000m
• Silver in 500m

"I had a good race today in the 1000m final. Rene Poulsen (DEN) was the weltcupmeister with a fast 3:27, I finished a close 2nd also in 3:27... Eirik "2nd-half" Veraas Larsen made a late charge for the bronze. Good Battle Fellas!!"

from www.vankayak.com

World Cup #2 May 21-22, 2011

Racice, Cze

http://www.racice2011.com/

• 4th in 1000m
• 2nd in 5000m

"I had a really good race, but I came in 4th place. I wanted to practice something different, and it went really well, so I'm stoked and ready to race Duisburg next week!"

from www.vankayak.com

Athlete Profile: Adam van Koeverden

My first athlete page is dedicated to Adam van Koeverden.

Adam's blog: www.vankayak.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/vankayak

Adam carried the flag for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I wrote at the time:

The highlight for me definitely has to be when the Canadians walked in (isn't it every time?). I loved Adam van Koeverden as our flag bearer. I loved his enthusiasm. I loved the way he was waving the flag like if it was much smaller and lighter (as opposed to many flag bearers who let it sit in the holster). The mother in me was thinking - don't injure yourself - but as a viewer, I loved it.

He has won 3 Olympic medals.

• Gold in the K1 500m in Athens 2004
• Silver in the K1 1000m in Beijing 2008
• Bronze in the 1000m in Athens 2004

In 2008, this is what I wrote on my personal blog:

"When I saw Adam's reaction with his hand on his face this morning after losing his race, I wanted to cry. He was so awesome all week. I woke up one morning this week relieved that I had only dreamed that he didn't win a medal in his race (seriously, I did). I thought it was inconceivable for him to not win two medals. I was in shock as I watched him fade at the end of his race. You could feel his pain and dejection as he was interviewed afterwards. He wore his heart on his sleeve especially when he looked in the camera and said "I'm sorry". You could see how devastated he was. This is one of the moments in this Olympics that has brought very strong emotions in me. There were such high hopes for him. He was one of our biggest hopes for medals. He knew it. The country knew it. I thought he could win a medal in his sleep (but would have to be awake for gold). I keep hoping that I'm dreaming (as I'm sure he does). Hopefully he puts it behind him and wins gold tomorrow in the 500. I refuse to believe in the flagbearer curse."

I was happy a few days later to post the following:

"I can't say enough about Adam van Koeverden. He is an inspiration when he wins and when he doesn't. He was so eloquent in his interviews. He wore his heart on his sleeve. On his website, he said that a great friend told him "Our time in the valleys helps us truly appreciate the views from the mountain tops". If he had been told before the Games that he would come home with a silver medal, he would have been disappointed. Having had a horrendous first race (for him), he truly appreciated the silver medal (eventhough he would have preferred gold). 

I found out he won silver before I saw his race (if I had been home, I might have woken up at 3:30am to watch it live). I felt so sad for him. Then I saw the race. He's leading by a lot. The commentators are saying he's going to win, then the others start catching him (I'm thankful that I know he won't win so I don't get overly excited or disappointed). Then the results come up. First to Australia. Second to Great Britain. His shoulders slump. I can see his disappointment (he later says he's scared he won't be on the podium and will want to go and hide somewhere). Then they remove Great Britain and put his name for silver. 

It was so great to see him happy with silver when the country expected double gold."

You can follow his activities on Twitter or on his blog. You can view the races from the link I got from his website at the time:
http://video.digotel.com/eurovisionbest/icf/index.html It's at times like these that I appreciate the internet. A few years ago, we may have gotten results in the newspapers. Now, we can actually see the races.

I can't remember when I started following his blog and him on Twitter, but there was a time when I saw that there was an Adam van Koeverden Street in Oakville. I vowed to go there some day to see it. By chance a couple of weeks ago (May 14th), I was attending an event at the Oakville Club. As I'm approaching the club, I look up and see tthe Water Street sign that has been ceremoniously named Adam van Koeverden Street.

I love that my Mothers On Fire event has brought me to Adam van Koeverden Street, since they were instrumental on getting me to realize my dream to attend the 2010 Olympics.

My 2010 Olympics

When I first found out that the Olympics would be in Vancouver, I half-jokingly asked my friends who lived there if I could reserve a corner on the floor of their apartment. I imagined that everyone they knew would be wanting to attend the Olympics so didn't even imagine that the couch would be available.

When they moved to Victoria, I (again half-jokingly) asked them, what about my corner? They assured me that getting to Vancouver would not be a problem from there.

When the first phase of tickets went on sale, reality set in. The expense of buying tickets and getting accommodation for a family of four seemed too big of an obstacle. I realized that the Olympics at the other end of my country wasn't going to happen for me.

I was crushed, but then focused on the Olympic relay. I applied wherever I could in order to run the relay. I figured that this was my destiny. It was my consolation prize, but what a prize it would be. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), I was not chosen to run the Olympic relay.

When the torch was lit in Greece, I couldn't watch it on television. I couldn't believe that our home Olympics was beginning and that I wouldn't get to experience first hand. Some of my favourite Olympians were on hand when the torch arrived in BC, so I couldn't resist watching that...happy for them to experience what I couldn't. This is when I started blogging about the 2010 Olympics and my journey to make my dream of attending the Olympics a reality.

The label "My 2010 Olympics" contains those posts that were initially published on My Life Is Like A Song. I am reposting them here with their original dates.

Welcome

Olympic Hearts is a blog where I will write about one of my great passions...the Olympics.

Posts will showcase some of my favourite athletes, Olympic sports and the Games themselves.

I have been an Olympic fan since my childhood. Whenever the Games were on, I was glued to the television set. I finally got my chance to attend the Olympic Games in 2010 in Vancouver. At the time, I thought I had achieved my Olympic dream. I had lived my dream, checked it off my bucket list and thought it was over. What I realized a couple of months ago (which isn't earth-shattering or surprising really) is that I LOVE the Olympics. Why is that dream over? I realized that this magical experience in Vancouver has ignited my passion for the Olympics even more. Even if my future experiences never match the magic of 2010, why should it end there?

When the Olympics are on, I eat and breathe the Olympics. I thought why keep it to a couple of weeks every four years? With many athletes blogging and tweeting these days, it's easier to follow their rise to Olympic stardom.

Rather than bombarding my original blog My Life Is Like A Song with Olympic and sports posts, I decided to dedicate a new blog to it I called Olympic Hearts. I'm hoping that by keeping up with the athletes and sports, I will better know the athletes when the Olympics come around whether I am there in person or watching on television. I am also hoping that I may get to see these athletes compete in local events that may not have been on my radar otherwise.

I'm not sure at this point what the continuation of my Olympic dream will involve, but I know that attending the 2010 Games is not the end.

This blog is the continuation. I'm hoping that it will guide me to my future Olympic experiences. By researching and writing about the Olympics and athletes, I'm hoping that some opportunities will open up that I may not have come across. There may be local competitions and events I could attend. I can follow athletes as they strive for their Olympic dreams. I could come across some volunteer positions or if I want to shoot for the moon, this could lead to an Olympic career that would take me to the Games.

This website is the start. I'm hoping that it will guide me to my future Olympic experiences.

Alex Gough wins World Cup

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 15, 2011

For the past 13 years, Germany has won every women's luge World Cup event...that's 105 races in a row!

The streak ended on the weekend when Alex Gough of Calgary became the first Canadian woman to win a World Cup luge event.

She's had a few 3rd place finishes this year including a bronze at the World Championships.



At this race, she was first with Germany coming in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th.

Wishing Alex continued success!!

Erik Guay - Downhill World Champion

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 15, 2011

Erik Guay has added another achievement to his resume: World Downhill Champion. On the weekend, he won the downhill at the World Championships.

Last year he won the the overall Super-G title. I wrote about that here and then when I met him, I wrote about that experience here. The only thing missing on his resume now is an Olympic medal.

The World Championships are held every two years. In 2009, Didier Cuche was second to a different Canadian: Jon Kucera. When I met him this past fall (with Erik Guay), I posted his winning run. You can see it here. With Kucera still not recovered from his broken leg, it left Guay and the rest of the Canadian team to try to defend his title.

Erik Guay did just that with a superb run:



He was 10th out of the start gate. Christof Innerhofer had raced just before him beating the previous best time by more than 1 second. Guay beat his time by 0.76 seconds. Then he waited as the world's other top skiers each had a turn to beat his time. Didier Cuche was the only one who got close. He finished second three tenths of a second behind.

I'm thankful that it was televised even if it was one day later. It was great to see Erik at the top of the podium singing O Canada.

Congratulations to Erik and best of luck in his quest for an Olympic medal!!

What A Weekend!

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 15, 2011

It has been an incredible weekend for Canadians. For those not interested in the details, here is a summary. I will write individual posts to follow of each achievement.

Erik Guay won the World Championships in the downhill. Last year he won the overall Super-G title. I wrote about that here and then when I met him, I wrote about that experience here. The only thing missing on his resume is an Olympic medal.

Alex Gough became the first Canadian to win a World Cup luge race.

Milos Raonic won his first ATP title at the San Jose SAP Open. Last month he had an incredible fourth round result at the Australian Open that I wrote about here.

Arcade Fire won the coveted Best Album at the Grammy Awards. Other Canadians have won the Best Album Award in the past, but they were more mainstream acts. It is incredible that Arcade Fire who are far from mainstream would win this award.

Last, but not least ;-) Jacques Villeneuve won his first race in the Andros Trophy ice racing series holding off Alain Prost. I was thrilled this morning to find a website that showed his race as well as the congratulations he receives at the end.

Quite the weekend!

Supporting Athletes

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 14, 2011

It was a year ago that Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win a gold medal on home soil.

He began our most successful games winning more gold medals than any other country at a Winter Olympics.

For every gold medal winner, there are other athletes who don't reach the top of the podium, but may reach a personal best. Some may have an off day that breaks their heart. Most (hopefully all) give the best that they have to give that day. Some win, some don't.

Whether they win or not, our support can mean a lot to them. Last week as I was reminiscing about the Olympics, I remembered an athlete saying that even a small amount can make the difference between a good meal and an ok meal. I can't remember who said it, but I didn't forget it although I didn't know how I could help.

A few days later, I was catching up on my RSS feeds and read this article by Randy Starkman in The Toronto Star. It was too bad that I didn't read it the day he wrote it. It was the last day for donations to Canadian Athlete Fund to be matched.

The cool thing about Canadian Athlete Fund is that you can choose to find out who was the recipient of your donation. That gives you an extra reason to cheer for them as well as to donate more often to help more athletes.

Since then, I received an email from the Canadian Olympic Committee. They also have a fund that helps athletes. You can get more information or donate here.

The Canadian Tourism Commission is donating one dollar to Olympic athletes for every person that clicks like on their facebook page.

Before the Olympics began last year, all I dreamed of was for a single gold medal. I didn't want to be the country that hosted three times without a gold medal. As excited as we were last year for each gold medal; for me, it doesn't matter whether we ever come close to matching that magic again. We did it at home and it was unforgettable.

All I want is for our athletes to do their best. This includes having the time and energy to train as best as they can. That's not to say that I won't be cheering and hoping for gold. I may shed a tear if my favourite falls short, but if our athletes have performed to the best of their ability that day, it's all we can ask for.

Although some athletes have sponsors and can train full time; most amateur athletes don't have that luxury. Many work part time in order to support their passion and their dream.

A single donation from a Canadian fan may not seem like it can make a difference for our athletes, but donations from thousands can make a huge difference.