Two-time Olympic Gold Medallist Alex Baumann Returns To Canada To Lead Road To Excellence Initiative.
TORONTO, September 27, 2006 – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), in conjunction with the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), announced today that two-time Olympic gold medallist and international sport leader, Alex Baumann is returning to Canada to accept the position of Executive Director of the Road To Excellence initiative. Working out of Ottawa, Baumann will assume his duties in January 2007.
Source: Canadian Olympic Committee
“There’s no egalitarianism in high-performance sports,” Baumann said bluntly after being named executive director of Canada’s Road to Excellence program.
“Ultimately, it’s not going to please everyone, but we’re all about success at the Olympic Games.”
As Canadian Olympic Committee head honcho Chris Rudge said at yesterday’s announcement at the University of Toronto, “There is no ambiguity,” in Baumann’s objectives.
However long it takes and whatever means are required to get there, the 42-year-old is thinking podium not participation.
NO PARTICIPATION RIBBON
There might still be a place for athletes with watered down goals of reaching the top 20. But the competitors with more ambition, talent and potential will get the most support.
Source: SLAM! Sports – Olympics News – Canada’s golden boy
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Olympic Message
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
This message appears on the scoreboard at every Olympic Games.
Now only the sports with the best chances to win will receive significant funding. After all it has always been about winning what else counts? I would expect the other non selected sports will have a difficult time to climb into the preferred sports, thus remaining at the bottom of the food chain for years to come.