Canadian Olympic Committee Welcomes Gary Lunn as Minister of State for Sport
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) welcomes yesterday’s appointment of Gary Lunn as Minister of State for Sport, in one of the most important periods ever for Canadian sport with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games fewer than 16 months away – and a bid for the 2015 Pan American Games underway.
“The Canadian Olympic Committee remains committed to working with the federal government and Minister Lunn as a full partner with the goal of advancing the sport movement in Canada,” said Chris Rudge, COC Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General.
Officials with Canadian Heritage have confirmed that Minister Lunn’s responsibilities will include the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
“We have worked closely with Prime Minister Harper’s government and other partners to develop the Own the Podium 2010 and Road to Excellence programs, which are a significant boost to the efforts of our athletes,” Rudge said. “We look forward to working with Minister Lunn in building towards success at the Games in Vancouver and Whistler.”
The Canadian sport system is progressively evolving at an accelerated rate. The recent successes in Beijing and anticipated podium results from Vancouver mark a distinct trajectory toward future Canadian success in high performance sport.
“We would also like to extend our appreciation to the Honourable Helena Guergis for nearly two years of support and leadership in recognizing the needs of sport, particularly summer sport,” Rudge said. “That was reflected in the increased funding for the Road to Excellence program provided by this year’s federal budget.”
