We now take a pause from the war horse discussion to ponder the following question: Is there a Great White Northern Renaissance underway with regards to the boots and blades we know and love?
According to this article from last week’s Toronto Sun, there just might be. It’s an interview with current Skate Canada CEO William Thompson, discussing the golden (not to mention the silver and the bronze) opportunities that they hope to seize when the Winter Olympics come to Vancouver in 2010. From the article:
"We made some mistakes after Salt Lake. Skate Canada didn't do some of the investment in the athlete support programs we needed to," Thompson said. "We didn't do as much as we could have. It wasn't so much lack of money. We had enough ... it was getting a clear vision of how to support the athletes. In the last year we've put in some good sports science programs, lined up psychological training, physiologists, doctors ... that has improved performances. But you can't turn programs on and off like a tap. It takes a while.”
But just as soon as I'm screaming “U.S.F.S., are you doing this too? Are you listening? Helloooooo….” my eyes caught this a few lines further down in the article:
“…but, he admits Skate Canada also is responsible for the identity crisis. Many Canadians wouldn't know (Joannie) Rochette from a round chocolate with nutty bits.”
Ouch! Unnecessary roughness to Joannie! Even if (sigh) it might be true... for now.
Just to show it’s not true HERE, I’m making Rochette’s most recent 4CC free skate the Clip of the Day . Pass the chocolate this way, please.
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2 comments:
Ouch indeed! Okay, so I was at last season's Skate Canada and Joannie Rochette was like a Rockstar up in Quebec City! She along with Jeffrey Buttle and Virtue/Moir were plastered everywhere!
Aw, Quebec City obviously still knows what's up! I spent part of my honeymoon there 11 years ago. So beautiful... and they know how to make a good pie or two up there :-)
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