Monthly Archive for January, 2009

Team Canada Goes ‘BIG’ First Day at New Zealand World Barefoot Championships

Come Meet Canada’s World Team 09′
 

Paul MacDonald
Team Captain

Pro Mens Division- World Ranking – 4th Overall
One Foot Backwards Slalom
Lake Inspiration, Otaki, New Zealand

Gordie Croteau

Senior Mens Division- World Ranking – 3rd Overall
One Foot Backwards Slalom
Lake Inspiration, Otaki, New Zealand

Nicole Blackmore

Open Womens Division- World Ranking – 16th Overall
Barefoot Jumping
Lake Inspiration, Otaki, New Zealand

Cathy Tuleck

Senior Womens Division- World Ranking – 11th Overall
Tricks – Backwards Toe Hold
Lake Inspiration, Otaki, New Zealand

New Zealand Barefoot Waterski Club
World Barefoot Council
Waterski Wakeboard Canada

Learn More About the World Barefoot Council “Click” on Logo
Published – January 2009

Canada’s Zach Bell wins silver at track cycling World Cup

OTTAWA – Zach Bell of Watson Lake, Yukon returned to Beijing for the second time in less than a year and won the silver medal in the men’s points race this past weekend at a track cycling World Cup competition. 

Bell (personal coach: Richard Wooles), a Canadian Olympic team member last summer, finished second to Chris Newton of Britain. Newton tabulated 35 points, followed by Bell at 20 and Rafal Ratajczyk of Poland in third place at 19. 

‘’Zach continued to show he has a bright future,’’ said Jacques Landry, chief technical officer for the Canadian Cycling Association. ‘’He’s gaining more and more experience in regards to tactics in the track events like the points race. The more he races these events the better he’ll get.’’ 

Canada also posted three more top-10 results on the weekend. Bell took seventh spot in the scratch race, Travis Smith (personal coach: Jamie Staff) of Calgary came through the repechage for fifth in the men’s Keirin and Monique Sullivan of Calgary (personal coach: Tanya Dubnicoff) won the consolation quarterfinals, semifinals and final to place ninth overall in the women’s sprint. 

Richard Wooles, head coach of the Canadian national track team, held very successful and popular selection and talent identification camps over the winter and Landry is excited about Canada’s future on the track. 

‘’It shows we’re well aligned with reaching our goals for the track team in 2012,’’ said Landry. ‘’We’re putting a lot more emphasis on the track events and it’s starting to pay off with medal performances at the international level.’’ 

It’s a busy winter for Canada’s top track cyclists. Besides this past weekend’s races in Beijing, there is another World Cup set for Copenhagen, Denmark February 13-15 then the world championships March 25-29 in Pruskow, Poland. 

Published – January 2009
Goto – Press Release

The concept of a bicycle race across America can be traced back to newspaperman George Nellis, who in 1887 crossed the USA on a 45-pound iron high-wheel bicycle with no gears and with pedals attached directly to the front wheel. Following the railroad routes across the country, he made the crossing in just under 80 days.

Every ten years or so, the record would be reduced by a few days, but it was not until the 1970s, when John Marino got serious about finding how quickly a bicycle could be ridden across the U.S.A. that the modern movement of trans-national cycling competition began. Other riders began challenging the marks made by Marino, and by 1982 a group of these riders decided they were ready for a head-to-head race. In its first year, the Race Across America (RAAM) was called the Great American Bike Race. Four riders lined up on the pier in Santa Monica and raced to New York. The winner was Lon Haldeman. Since then the race has been run every year, alw ays west to east. In 2008 the race begins in Oceanside, California, and finishes in Annapolis, Maryland. With its mid-June start dates, RAAM starts close to the summer solstice to provide competitors the maximum daylight hours.
Published – January 2009
Official RAAM Website

Base Jumping “Wing Suits”
Complete Video Production

Published – January 2009
Matchstick Productions

The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) is a non-profit, charitable, private organization that is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). CPC delivers programs that strengthen the Paralympic Movement in Canada, including sending Canadian teams to the Paralympic Games. The CPC empowers persons with physical disabilities, through sport, at all levels.

Mission: The mission of the Canadian Paralympic Committee is to develop and grow the Paralympic Movement in Canada.

Vision: The CPC envisions a strong and vibrant Paralympic Movement in Canada.

We believe in:

Sport - that is both fun and an agent for personal and social growth.

Athlete Focus – acting in the best interests of the athletes.
Excellence - the pursuit and achievement of excellence in all interests.
Equity - exemplified by fairness, opportunity, integrity and trust.
Leadership - providing leadership in the advancement of
the Paralympic Movement.

Published – January 2009
Canadian Paralympic Committee – Official Website

Mission Statement

Canadian Athletes Now Fund, the CAN Fund is a not-for-profit organization devoted solely to raising funds and awareness for Canada’s athletes. The Fund has been set up to help Canada’s athletes ready for international summer and winter Games. Monies donated to the Fund are put directly into the hands of Canadian elite athletes to support their training, coaching, nutrition and living expenses in preparation for international competition. The mission is to underwrite the expenses of as many Canadian athletes as possible, as support is needed years before the medals can be obtained.
Published – January 2009
Canadian Athletes NOW Fund – Website
2007-2008 Athlete Recipients

“Click” on CAN FUND Logo – Donate NOW

Canadian Jaret Llewellyn of Canada named IWSF Male athlete of the Year for 2008.

Published – January 2009
International Waterski Federation Announcement
Waterski Wakeboard Canada Announcement

OTTAWA – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., has been named the International Water Skiing Federation’s male athlete of the year for the second consecutive year and fourth time in his career.

“I’m a bit surprised to get it this year,” said the 38-year-old Llewellyn, a nine-time world champion.  “I had some trouble in the middle of the season but the start and the ending were very strong.  I would have liked more wins in jump but I did well overall in all three events and that probably helped me get the award.”

Llewellyn, currently preparing for his 26th season on the national team, set the tone early in 2008 landing a record jump for the southern hemisphere at the season opening pro event in Christchurch, New Zealand this past March en route to a double gold performance.

A week later, he collected gold in jump and silver in tricks at the prestigious Moomba Masters in Melbourne, Australia overcoming a frightening crash early on in the jump event.

Later in the summer, Llewellyn made two more trips to the podium with gold in tricks and silver in jump at the World Cup stop in Dubna, Russia and capped the year with his seventh overall national title in Newmarket, Ont. 

In such a physically demanding sport, Llewellyn hasn’t lost a beat in what is now considered a legendary career.  He won’t need any further motivation in 2009 with Calgary hosting the world championships from August 3-9. 

“I’ve been real lucky with my health,” he said.  “I changed my training program three years ago and I haven’t had trouble with injuries since then.  So that’s pretty good.  Having the worlds near my home is very exciting and is going to generate a lot of interest in the sport in Canada.”

With over 35,000 registered members, Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada is the recognized national sports organization for towed water sports. Canada’s record of success on the world stage is nothing short of impressive: 19 world championship gold medals, 50 total medals in the world championships, and 27 Pan Am Games medals since 1995.
Published – January 2009

kia ora – welcome

On behalf of the local organising committee of the 2009 Combined World Barefoot Waterski Championships and the New Zealand Barefoot Waterski Club, we extend to all Federations, an invitation to attend the World Barefoot Water Ski Championships January 25th to February 1st 2009. For all official requirements the age groups will equate to birth dates as at 31 December 2007 as per World Rules, but to have the best possible weather and water conditions and meet the needs of competitors and sponsors, these Championships will be held in January.
Published – January 2009

2009 IWSF Barefoot Worlds Bulletin 1
2009 IWSF Barefoot Worlds Bulletin 2
2009 IWSF Barefoot Worlds Bulletin 3

New Zealand Barefoot Waterski Club
World Barefoot Council
Waterski Wakeboard Canada

Learn More About the World Barefoot Council “Click” on Logo

2009 World Track Cycling Championships – Pruszkow, Poland

BGZ Arena – Pruszkow Velodrome

March 25th – 29th.

Published – January 2009

Official 2009 UCI Track Cycling Champion Website

BGZ Arena –  Polish Cycling Federation Photos

Other International Velodromes

Manchester Velodrome, United Kingdom
LA Velodrome, United States
Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing
Dunc Grey Velodrome, Australia
ILT Velodrome, New Zealand
Burnaby Velodrome, Canada
Siemens Arena, Denmark
Velodrom (Landsberger Allee), Berlin

 Prajwal Hegde,TNN
BANGALORE: A failed gender test cost Shanthi Soundarajan more than the 800m silver medal at the Doha Asian Games.

Publicly humiliated and socially scorned, suicide seemed like a good option for the elder daughter of brick kiln labourers – Soundarajan and Manimekalai. Some nine months after one of the saddest stories in Indian sport unraveled itself on an international stage, the village belle from Kathakurichi consumed veterinary medicines in a bid to end her life.

It’s a story best forgotten, given that there are greater areas of darkness than light, except that Shanthi wasn’t born to fade into the night. When she got off her hospital bed in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukottai last September, head tonsured and heart filled with dread, she returned to the very track she dominated as a child, searching for the shards of her shattered dreams. In her new avatar as Tamil Nadu state-appointed athletics coach, she’ll be looking to conquer the same frontiers albeit with a different approach.
Published – January 2009
The Times of India – Full Article

Reuters (Tabloid) version of same article – January 2, 2009
Briefs-Indian athlete takes up coaching after sex test failure