January 5, 2007 – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) welcomes Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s appointment of Helena Guergis as Secretary of State (Sport).

“With the federal government’s recent creation of Podium Canada and the ongoing development of the Own The Podium 2010 and Road To Excellence programs, the Canadian sport system continues to progressively evolve at an accelerated rate,” said Chris Rudge, COC Chief Executive Officer. “With the 2008 Olympic Games fast approaching, we look forward to additional podium performances from Canada’s summer athletes and achieving a result of increased funding for a program that rivals the system developed for Canada’s winter athletes. We would like to extend our appreciation to Minister Van Loan for his contribution over these past two months and we look forward to working with the Honourable Helena Guergis and the federal government as a full partner with the goal of advancing Olympic sport in Canada.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. 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: www.olympic.ca.