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Canada's men and women of summer should no longer feel like second-class citizens next to winter counterparts ...Read the full article
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Michael Simonson from Calgary, Canada writes: It is unfortunate to read how Alexandra Orlando has had to finance the high cost of high performance sport out of her own pocket. But what is truly disturbing is how the COC flew Orlando to Ottawa on their behalf when the chances of her receiving funding from the Road to Excellence Plan is close to nil. The Road to Excellence Program like its winter counterpart, the Own the Podium program, prioritizes sport funding based on the likelihood of Olympic success. Based on this formula sports like Rhythmic Gymnastics, prioritized at the bottom of the funding ladder, have little likelihood of receiving funding from the Road to Excellence plan. Regardless of Orlando's past successes. This is a harsh reality that Canada's summer athletes have to face in the years to come but one the CEO of the Road to Excellence Program makes no apologies for it. Baumann has stated on several occasions that there is no egalitariasm in high performance sport. And perhaps he's right but if he is, one has to wonder as to how Canada's Road to Excellence program is recieving funds in the first place. If there truly is no egalitariasm in high performance sport Canada's sport system should be putting all of its money into winter sports for woman. After all it is Canada's woman who dominated the winter Olympics in Torino winning 17 of Canada's 24 medals. Meanwhile Canada's summer athletes are slowly falling into oblivion winning a lowly 12 medals in Athens. Canada's sports leaders, however, have seeminly forgotten this important fact arguing that winter and summer sports should be treated equally despite the relative difference in success. They encourge athletes like Orlando to lobby government officials on their behalf knowing full well that the likelihood of additional to sports like Rhythmic Gymnastics is minimal at best. It is a formula that has filled the pocket books of our sport officials but will leave Orlando wondering as to what she gets for her efforts.
- Posted 28/02/08 at 10:06 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment
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