Podborski to lead Olympic team to Sochi
Calgary, February 10, 2012
Canada’s best-ever downhill skier is not known for sitting back and playing it safe. Steve Podborski earned his way into the record books by blasting alpine slopes all over the world and charged his way into Olympic history as champion leader of this country’s beloved “Crazy Canucks.”
Canadian Olympic Committee President Marcel Aubut calls Podborski “an icon in Canadian winter sport”. Our athletes heading to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games will call him Chef de Mission. “It’s such an honour,” said Podborski from Calgary during the official announcement Friday. “In 2010, Canada’s athletes proved that they are a force to be reckoned with, and I look forward to supporting them as they reach for the podium in Sochi.”
Podborski is no stranger to the podium, either.
He was the first North American to win the World Cup downhill season title and captured eight World Cup downhill races. This experience achieving world-class success is a crucial part of taking on Olympic leadership in Canada.
As Chef de Mission, Podborski will provide both leadership and mentorship to the hundreds of Canadian athletes going for gold in February 2014.
Podborski’s first order of business will be to select the team’s Assistant Chef de Mission — a position in which he clearly delivered during Vancouver Olympic Winter Games in 2010.
Podborski will also play a key role in the COC leadership team helping to prepare athletes and teams for Sochi as part of the Olympic Excellence series. The XXII Olympic Winter Games will take place February 7 to February 23, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
