Sport Shorts: Putting Things in Order
The Highest Honour: Three-time Olympic gold medallist and Canadian women’s hockey captain Hayley Wickenheiser has been named to the Order of Canada. The Shaunavon, Sask. native was recognized “for her achievements as an athlete and for her contributions to the growth of women’s hockey.” In addition to her Olympic success, Wickenheiser is a six-time world champion, and has worked with other countries to strengthen the development of their women’s hockey programs.
Doors Open: Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame has finally opened its doors. The highly-anticipated museum welcomed its first guests on Canada Day, in its new location at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. Occupying over 40,000 square feet, the centre features more than 50 interactive exhibits, a 120-seat theatre, 11 galleries and 514 inductees encompassing 58 sports. The $30 million project, which took 18 months to complete, replaces the old Toronto location at Exhibition Place, which was demolished in 2006 to make way for the construction of BMO Field.
Bouncing to Bronze: It’s been a year since her last competition, but it sure didn’t look like it on Sunday. Olympic gymnast Karen Cockburn (Toronto, Ont.) captured a bronze medal in the World Cup trampoline competition, finishing with 54.775 points. By adding a second triple somersault to her routine, Cockbourn vaulted from fourth place in the preliminaries to a podium finish. Cockburn, along with teammate Rosannagh MacLennan later won gold in the synchro event.
Road Victory: A Canadian cyclist has her first win of the season. Catharine Pendrel (Kamloops, B.C.) came out on top in the women’s cross country race of the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup tour, Saturday. Pendrel completed the five-lap, 22.8-km route in Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC in 1:38:23, lifting her to second place in UCI World Cup standings. In addition, hometown rider and fellow Canadian Marie-Hélène Prémont finished 2:36 later, in fifth place.
Decision Time: The setting for another Olympic Games will be awarded this week. The International Olympic Committee is conducting its 123rd session in Durban, South Africa where it will declare the winner of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games July 6. The final candidates are Annecy, FRA; Munich, Germany; and Pyeongchang, KOR. France is looking to host its sixth Olympic Games, while Korea is eager for its second opportunity. Munich, meanwhile, hopes to make history by becoming the first city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, having already welcomed the world for the Summer Games in 1972. Be sure to cast your vote on our homepage, and tell us which candidate city you think will win the Games!
