Canada among top winter sport nations one year from PyeongChang 2018
Thursday, February 9, 2017 — TORONTO — With exactly 365 days until the Opening Ceremony of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is hard at work to create an environment that will help athletes achieve their best performances at the Games so that the country can contend for the top spot in the overall medal standings.
One year out from the Games, Canada is tracking among the top winter sport nations thanks to outstanding World Cup results. As of February 5, Canada sits third with 116 total medals and 41 gold medals after 434 World Cup events on the 2016-17 sport calendar.
olympic.ca: Start the countdown! One year to the next Olympic Winter Games
The COC’s logistics team, led by CEO Chris Overholt, is in PyeongChang this week to make sure Team Canada is set up for success. The COC is working jointly with the Organizing Committee and the local community to secure transportation and accommodation, including a performance centre where team and athlete services will be provided, as well as establish the location of Canada Olympic House where family and friends will be looked after so athletes can have peace of mind to focus on their performance.
Sports teams will compete in test events in the world-class Olympic venues until April and participate in various familiarization initiatives to be exposed to the unique local culture and Olympic environment. Top athletes will also be invited to attend the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Lab and Media Summit, taking place in June 2017 as part of their preparation.
Canada expects to send its largest team ever to an Olympic Winter Games with an estimated 240 athletes joining more than 6,000 other competitors from up to 95 countries. Earlier this week, the COC announced that three-time Olympic medallist Isabelle Charest will lead Team Canada as Chef de Mission.
The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games will take place from February 9 to 25, 2018.
Tickets go on sale in Canada starting on February 23, 2017 at www.atpi.ca/olympicgames.
QUOTES:
“What we see on the ground this week gives us confidence that we will have a great Games. The venues are first-rate and the test events have gone very well so far. We are working closely with the Organizing Committee and the local community to ensure Canadian athletes have absolutely everything they need to achieve their best performances at Games. That is our pledge to them.”
– Chris Overholt, CEO & Secretary General, Canadian Olympic Committee
“We are entering the final stretch of a five-year planning process and we are in great shape. Thanks to the great relationships we have built locally, we have secured accommodation and transportation for the Mission Team as well as the space we need to provide the services our athletes need to deliver great performances when it matters most. We feel good about the state of our Games preparation.”
– Eric Myles, Executive Director, Sport, Canadian Olympic Committee
“Our athletes are getting on World Cup podiums in impressive numbers in this pre-Olympic season so it really bodes well for PyeongChang. I’m looking forward to working closely with them to help them deal with the mounting pressure and the unique Games environment so they shine when their date with history comes.”
– Isabelle Charest, Three-time Olympic medallist, PyeongChang 2018 Chef de Mission