Toronto, February 28, 2003 – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) congratulates the Government of Canada on its announcement on Friday, February 28, 2003, that it will invest an additional $15 million to support high performance athletes and sport. The $5-million annual investment over the next 2 years announced in the federal budget last week was extended to 5 years.
“We want to thank the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport Paul DeVillers for his tireless efforts to obtain more funding for sport and we commend the Prime Minister and Finance Minister who have made such a positive statement of our government's commitment to high performance sport in advance of the International Olympic Committee's visit to Vancouver,” said COC Chief Executive Officer Chris Rudge. The IOC's evaluation commission will be visiting Vancouver March 2-5 to assess the city's bid to host the Olympic Winter Games in 2010.
Today's announcement by the government reinforces the COC's commitment to excellence and reflects the exciting new partnership between the COC and the federal government to better support Canada's high performance athletes. The COC will continue ongoing discussions with the government about the most effective way to allocate the $15 million. This week, the COC launched a new Excellence Fund that will provide $8.7 million over two years – including a separate $1 million from the government – to support athletes with the best potential for international success.
“We will continue to work with the government to help more Canadian athletes reach the Olympic podium and to enhance our sport plan to develop a more efficient and sustainable sport system in Canada,” said Rudge. “We are pleased that the government recognizes that more needs to be done to support Canadian athletes and we will work toward more good news in the future.”
The COC, a private, not-for-profit corporation, is a founding partner of the Vancouver 2010 bid and the largest private supporter of high performance sport in Canada. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Olympic movement, including Canada's participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For more information see the COC website: http://www.coa.ca.