Bonjour. Good morning. Zdrastvuyte.
Thank you for the opportunity of being invited to appear here today.
I sit before you as a private citizen who believes in the positive impact of sport on society. For those not familiar with B2ten, we were formed out of necessity some 10 years ago to provide athletes a best-case scenario for success. Today, B2ten continues the aforementioned activities and invests in the development of professionals in key areas where insufficient availability exists. These programs are privately funded, making B2ten the largest funder of high-performance sport that is independent of the sports system.
Our independence gives us a unique outlook on the sports system, free from political limitations, restrictions or bureaucracy.
Our endeavours are wide-ranging, from filling specific gaps to delivering fully integrated programs tailored to the physical, mental, technical and strategic needs of athletes.
Why do individuals across the country activate putting up tens of millions of dollars with no commercial quid pro quo? They do so because of their conviction that sport and sport achievement are an integral part of a healthy, dynamic society.
This morning, I will briefly speak to the following elements: athletes and their preparedness for Sochi, funding, expectations for Sochi and next steps.
Over the past 20 years I've had the opportunity to know many Olympians. To this day, I never cease to be amazed by their passion, drive, determination for excellence, and pride in country.
I would have a hard time coming up with any other activity in which you strive to become the best in the world and where pride in your achievement is considered reward enough.
Every athlete's story is unique. Each one is worthy of recognition, and every Olympic medal is priceless.
As you know, our Olympic athletes work incredibly hard. Yet hard work alone is not enough. One needs to work smart, using the latest in technology, tools, and training methods to push performance envelopes. It is this element of constantly pushing up against the limits of what is impossible that makes high performance so very expensive.
For the current winter quadrennial we are of the view that preparedness has moved a step forward under the guidance of Own the Podium.
Canada's national sport organizations have generally improved their delivery of training and preparation programs.
Logistics and organization are critical components when it comes to putting on the games, especially far from home, as with Sochi. With that in mind, Canada's Olympic committee deserves to be recognized for the unprecedented amount of resources it has committed to ensure Team Canada is well-supported.
Turning to finances, how easy it would have been to scale back funding post-Vancouver. The Government of Canada did not do so and should be congratulated for having stayed the course. A stable source of long-term funding is required to succeed in the high-performance arena.
While it is incumbent on our sport organizations to pursue further enhancements and efficiencies such that government investment can be used to the highest level, there remain a number of areas in which obtaining results is fundamentally financially constrained. A few examples would be talent ID, individualized training programs such as those being pursued in the U.S., attracting the world's best professionals, and an expedited move to gold-standard governance.
If we want to remain a leading medal contender in winter sports, Canadian society must play a bigger role. In particular, that includes additional funding for sports organizations to put towards athlete training and preparation. At B2ten, we are looking to extend our reach to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic games and to step up our efforts to engage other groups directly in sports.
Going forward, Canada will require greater activation and funding on the part of provincial governments. Without doing so, over time we can expect to see a lesser number of athletes and a lesser quality of athletes ascending to the international competition scene.
As to Sochi results for able-bodied athletes, we expect there to be a good deal to celebrate. When comparing events to 2010, using performance analytics, one can expect to see a similar medal total. One then needs to add in the new events that will be debuting in Sochi. Canada is expected to do well in these new events given its history as an effective early adopter--think short track, think aerials--and as mentioned by Steven, some of the new events emanate from the X Games culture in which Canadians have been actively involved for many years.
With these new events, Canada is expected to deliver a record number of medals. On the subject of gold medals, a decline is expected. As to finishing first in the overall standings, we do not see this result.
While there will be much to celebrate in Sochi, immediately around the corner lies a period of challenge. As such, we must not be complacent.
If Canada's goal is to improve or even maintain its current standing, stakeholders will have to act swiftly. To that end, some fundamental questions will need to be answered: which sports matter to Canadians, what Canada's objectives are and how success should be measured.
Only once this is done will stakeholders be able act with common purpose, something that is central to becoming our best. For the near term, this is a time of anticipation and excitement. Let us get out and cheer loudly for Canada come February. Let us also be aware that it is the time for stakeholders to address the future.
Thank you very much for your time.
I look forward to answering any questions that might come this way.