The Canadian Olympic Committee Celebrates Olympic Day June 23rd
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) celebrates Olympic Day today, June 23rd, and is inviting sports enthusiasts across the country to join in, in honour of the birth of the modern Olympic Movement, the values of Olympism and the many recent successes of Canada’s high performance athletes.
Every 23rd of June, Olympic Day is celebrated around the world, in order to commemorate the 1894 founding date of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the modern Olympic Movement and its underlying values. On this day, hundreds of thousands of people – both young and old – participate in events and sporting activities in honour of the ideals that guide the Olympic Movement.
Vancouver 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Podium Jacket Up for Grabs in Sweepstakes!
The COC will mark this special day on the Olympic calendar with several online initiatives, such as a sweepstakes and Olympic Day fun facts distributed through the COC’s social media channels: and Twitter (@CDNOlympicTeam). Canadians “liking” the Canadian Olympic Team on Facebook will have a chance to win a 2010 Canadian Olympic Team podium jacket.
Canadians Owning the Podium
Current Olympians and Canadian athletes are making waves and gathering great results this spring across the world. In celebration of Olympic Day, we congratulate all the athletes and their National Sport Federations. Here are a number of highlights of their recent incredible achievements:
Karine Sergerie (Montreal) earned the summer season’s first World Championship podium, fighting her way to a bronze medal at the World Taekwondo Championships in May.
Paula Findlay (Edmonton), currently the top ranked triathlete in the world, has won three straight ITU Triathlon World Championship Series races. Her five victories in the past two seasons represent a new record for any triathlete.
Tara Whitten (Edmonton), retained her World Championship title in cycling, when she won the Omnim crown at the World Track Cycling Championships held in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Daniel Nestor (Toronto) won his 800th career doubles match on June 4th, and his third French Open title when he and his partner Max Mirny (BLR) defeated the doubles team of Cabal and Schwank in the final at Roland Garros Stadium.
The Canadian Synchronized Team recently won three gold medals at the Brazil Open earlier this month and three gold and one silver at the German Open, which was held in March of this year.
Just a few days ago at the Santa Clara Swimming Grand Prix, Ryan Cochrane (Victoria) won gold in the 800m freestyle with a record time, and followed up the next day with a silver in the men’s 400m freestyle.
Earlier this month, former world hurdles champion Perdita Felicien (Pickering, ON) won the 100 metre hurdles at the Pro Athlé tour de Montreuil in France, with a time of 12.73.
In late May, Olympic gold and silver medallist Adam van Koeverden (Oakville, ON) won a silver medal in the men’s K-1, 1000m at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup of in Duisberg, Germany.
Current and Upcoming Events
As we celebrate Olympic Day, a number of major sporting events are currently taking place across the country, such as:
– June 22-25: Athletics – Canadian Marathon Championship – Calgary
– June 23-25: Cycling – Canadian Road Championships – Burlington
– June 24-25: Karate North American Cup – Montreal
– June 26: Mountain Bike Coupe Canada Cup – Bromont
– June 27-July 3: Swimming Montreal Open Canada Cup – Montreal
– July 2: Athletics Harry Jerome International Classic, Vancouver
The Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games next October will see hundreds more Canadian athletes carry the maple leaf into competition. Many of those athletes will make up the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team, competing in London next summer.
All in all, a great start to the 2011 summer season, and many great reasons to celebrate Olympic Day!
