Monthly Archive for January, 2009

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