Words from Whistler

Canada House Rocks
Whistler Canada Olympic House was rocking today as it was open to the public in the morning for a pancake breakfast and in the evening everyone was celebrating the Gold medal ceremony for Jon Montgomery.

The pancake breakfast with maple syrup may have been an initial draw to check out the beautiful Canada House (also known as the Whistler Public Library centrally located right in Village), but the jam packed venue full with entertainment for the kids and a chance to mingle with the athletes was brimming with excitement. Naturally the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were present in the scarlet red surge and the majestic horses from the musical ride welcomed visitors to the home. Whistler Canada Olympic House has be designed to provide a meeting place for Canadian athletes, their families, guests and dignitaries. It showcases the beauty of both BC and Whistler with its unique and truly Canadian architecture.

Speaking about truly Canadian, the entire Village as well as COH rocked in the evening with the medal ceremony for Jon Montgomery, Canada's gold medalist in skeleton. As Jon jumped up on the top of the podium the cheers were heard in every corner of the town. And when the Canadian flag was raised high into the air, the chorus of O Canada was heard loud and clear both outside and inside COH. After the ceremony everyone returned to COH, including Jon's very proud parents and exuberant friends and family. Volunteers waved an enormous flag to greet our Olympian and Steve Podborski shared his heart felt words of wisdom. What I will remember is his smile, the sparkle in the eyes and the love for life shown by both Jon and his parents. To quote Jon's father "we taught Jon that when he starts something he should finish it. Today he definitely finished it".

Keep watching for more "Words from Whistler" as Debra Gassewitz, President & CEO, SIRC, continues her stay at Whistler. You can find Debra at Whistler Canada Olympic House.

The 2018 Olympic Winter Games City Named in July 2011

In just over seven week’s time, on July 6, 2011, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will choose the host city for the 2018 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Winter Games. The decision will be made at an IOC Session meeting in Durban, South Africa. Three major international cities are currently in the running - Annecy (France), Munich (Germany) and PyeongChang (Korea).

Since 2002, all IOC voting members are no longer allowed to travel to candidate cities and must rely on the bid city presentations. Only the small team that forms the evaluation committee is permitted to visit the cities, so that they can prepare the reports to share with the rest of the IOC members. Yesterday in Switzerland at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, each city was required to give a 45-minute technical presentation to 88 IOC members, and then be available to answer questions. Part of putting together a bid/ candidate city committee is making sure each city has the right “star” power to promote each bid. The Annecy bid includes triple Olympic alpine champion Jean-Claude Killy, Munich is led by two-time Olympic gold medalist figure skater Katarina Witt, while PyeongChang has 2010 Olympic figure skating champion Yu-Na Kim.

According to reports following the presentations, there is still no clear front runner, as each city could successfully host an excellent and well executed Winter Games. If Munich were to win, they would become the only city to have ever hosted both the Summer (1972) and Winter Olympic Games, while some of their venues include the 1936 Winter Games host city of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Some of the events in Annecy would include the 1968 host city of Grenoble, while PyeongChang has bid twice losing out to the Games of 2010 (Vancouver) and 2014 (Sochi).

The 2018 Olympic Winter Games are to take place from February 9-24, 2018.

Contact SIRC for more information on winter sports and the Olympic Games.

SAIT Slides into Sport Research

We often speak about the significance that participating in sport brings to improving our well-being   socially, mentally and spiritually.  But on the competition side, those involved in sport are also always looking for ways to improve their performance, which will range from the psychology and physiology of sport to improving the equipment used. These tools of the trade not only include moving the human body faster and higher, but also refining any equipment used to transport the body towards superior performances. Skates, pole vault poles, skis and running shoes are just a few examples of the type of apparatus utilized by athletes.

One institution that is taking a lead role in such design changes is the SAIT Polytechnic (Southern Institute of Applied Technology) in Calgary, Alberta, who has become involved in the development and modifications to sleds used for the winter sports of skeleton, luge and bobsleigh. Despite their relative inexperience in working in sport, the team under the direction of Principal Investigator Dr. Alex Zahavich, Director, ARIS-SAIT (Applied Research and Innovation Services), was initially commissioned by Bobsleigh Canada in 2006 to design skeleton sledsthat would perform well at a reasonable cost, hopefully increasing participation in the sport. Long term goals were to develop high performance sleds for international competitions an area they have successfully moved in to.

The SAIT incremental strategy was to buy technology (i.e. equipment) from other countries and then reverse engineer their sleds. Also vital to the process was that the design team, including journeymen machinists and welders, had to actually slide their prototypes down a sliding course so that they fully understood the experience.  So extraordinary is their contribution to the sliding world, the advancements accomplished at SAIT, in conjunction with Canada’s Own the Podium (OTP), was featured by the Discovery Channel.

Using research and development to change equipment - construction design and materials - is one very essential tactic to keep competing athletes on the cutting edge, giving them an advantage on the world stage.

For more information on sports research and development, please visit SIRC.

Not Your Average Winter Sports - SIRC Newsletter

Winters in Canada are filled with fun, lots of snow and hot chocolate! When we think of winter sports, the first that come to mind are skating sports such as hockey, ringette or figure skating, snow sports such skiing, snowboarding or cross-country skiing. But winter sport enthusiasts are always finding fun and unique ways to spend time outside. Some of these sports may sound familiar whereas others aren’t so much. We want to encourage you to stay active this winter and we think the best way to do that is to showcase all the amazing activities that are out there.

How about some ice-boating or ice-climbing for those of you who sail or rock climb during the summer months? Do you love camping? Then why not try it in the winter.

Read the Full Newsletter - http://www.sirc.ca/newsletters/jan12/index.html

Sarah Reid

Sarah Reid ne passera pas inaperçue lorsqu'elle fera ses débuts olympiques sur les pentes de Sotchi. Bien que sa performance sur la piste nous en mettra plein la vue, c'est son casque inspiré du thème du « jour des morts » qui a retenu l'attention durant les jours menant aux Jeux. Après 11 ans d'entraînement à la danse, Sarah a changé de discipline et s'est consacrée au skeleton, sport dans lequel les athlètes débordent d'adrénaline. L'an dernier, elle a monté rapidement au classement du skeleton, récoltant le bronze à la Coupe du monde. Sarah poursuivra sa lancée en visant un podium olympique pour l'Équipe Canada.  

Renseignements généraux:

Date de naissance : 2 juin 1987
Lieu de naissance : Calgary (Alberta)
Résidence : Calgary (Alberta)
Taille/poids : 158 cm/ 56 kg
Entraîneur : Duff Gibson
Twitter : @Skelly_Rider
COC : http://olympique.ca/team-canada/sarah-reid/
BCS : http://www.bobsleighcanadaskeleton.ca/en-CA/files/Reid_2013_fr.pdf
FIBT : http://www.fibt.com/skeleton/athletes.html?tx_pxathletes_pi1%5Bsport%5D=S&tx_pxathletes_pi1%5Bcountry%5D=CAN&tx_pxathletes_pi1%5Bathl_id%5D=130357

Sarah Reid

Sarah Reid will be hard to miss when she makes her Olympic debut at the Sochi sliding centre. While her performance on the track will no doubt impress, leading up to the Games it has been her ‘day of the dead’ inspired helmet that’s been stealing the show. It was after 11 years of dance training that Reid switched over to the adrenaline fueled sport of skeleton. Last season she rose quickly through the ranks of skeleton to finish with World Cup bronze. Sarah looks to keep this momentum going by sliding her way onto the Olympic podium for Team Canada.

General Information:

Date of Birth: June 2, 1987
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta
Residence: Calgary, Alberta
Height/Weight: 158 cm/ 56 kg
Coach: Duff Gibson
Twitter: @Skelly_Rider
COC: http://olympic.ca/team-canada/sarah-reid/
BCS: http://www.bobsleighcanadaskeleton.ca/en-CA/files/Reid_2013_fr.pdf
FIBT: http://www.fibt.com/skeleton/athletes.html?tx_pxathletes_pi1%5Bsport%5D=S&tx_pxathletes_pi1%5Bcountry%5D=CAN&tx_pxathletes_pi1%5Bathl_id%5D=130357

Toujours plus vite

Si vous demandez à la lugeuse canadienne Alex Gough ce qui l'a attirée dans le sport, elle vous répondra probablement que c'était la vitesse. En fait, si vous posez la question à n'importe lequel des 28 athlètes de sports de glisse, leur réponse risque fort d'être la même.

Même avec une piste* conçue spécialement pour générer des vitesses de plus de 135 km/h et avec des courbes exposant les athlètes à des forces s’élevant jusqu'à cinq g, les courageux sportifs ont toujours le désir d'aller encore plus vite.

Les concepts de base des sports de glisse d'hiver (bobsleigh*, skeleton* et luge) sont semblables. Dans chacune de ces disciplines, l'athlète amorce la course sur sa luge, et la vitesse qu’il se donne au départ est bien souvent un facteur déterminant de son temps de parcours final. Lorsque le chronomètre est déclenché et que les athlètes quittent la zone de départ, la gravité prend le dessus et emporte les glisseurs.

Dès les 250 premiers mètres, les glisseurs atteignent une vitesse de 80 km/h, et leur temps de parcours arrête lorsqu’ils dépassent le détecteur à l'arr

ivée. Le glisseur et la luge doivent traverser la ligne d'arrivée pour que le chronomètre s'arrête, mais l'athlète n'a pas nécessairement à être sur la luge.

Malgré les apparences, les glisseurs peuvent manœuvrer leur luge, mais cela nécessite une force et un contrôle incroyables. Compte tenu de ces vitesses si élevées, il ne suffit que d’un léger mouvement pour changer radicalement le dénouement d’une course, d’une médaille d'or à un accident périlleux.

Équilibre entre vitesse et contrôle*

BOBSLEIGH – Le bobsleigh est muni de freins à l’arrière qui sont contrôlés par un freineur, de même que d’un mécanisme de pilotage comprenant des cordes connectées au pivot avant qui est contrôlé par un pilote. Les plus récents bobsleighs sont conçus en fonction de la technologie utilisée en Formule Un afin d’accroître l’aérodynamisme et de réduire le temps de parcours.

SKELETON – Les luges de skeleton n’ont pas de frein! Les glisseurs pilotent en contorsionnant leur corps dans l’arc de leur luge. Afin d’améliorer la glisse, celle-ci est plus lourde que celle utilisée dans la discipline de la luge; l’écart de poids peut parfois s’élever jusqu’à 20 kg.

LUGE – Les temps d’exécution des compétiteurs sont si rapides et serrés qu’ils sont mesurés aux millièmes de seconde. Les lugeurs se servent de leurs épaules pour stabiliser la luge et de leurs jambes pour contrôler la direction et l’adhérence de la luge sur la glace.

Les athlètes qui choisissent le bobsleigh, la luge ou le skeleton comme sport courent toujours le risque de perdre le contrôle lorsqu’ils se propulsent sur les pistes glacées. Néanmoins, ils continuent de glisser, encore et toujours, car malgré ces risques, ils gardent le désir d’aller encore plus vite.

* Seulement disponible en anglais

Références de la collection de SIRC:

1. Berton E, Favier D, Agnès A, Pous F. Aerodynamic Optimization of a Bobsleigh Configuration. International Journal Of Applied Sports Sciences. June 2004;16(1):1-13. 
2. Bullock N, Gulbin J, Martin D, Ross A, Holland T, Marino F. Talent identification and deliberate programming in skeleton: Ice novice to Winter Olympian in 14 months. Journal Of Sports Sciences. February 15, 2009;27(4):397-404. 
3. Lars E. Sports injuries and illnesses during the Winter Olympic Games 2010. British Journal Of Sports Medicine. September 2010;44(11):772-780. 
4. Lembert S, Schachner O, Raschner C. Development of a measurement and feedback training tool for the arm strokes of high-performance luge athletes. Journal Of Sports Sciences. December 2011;29(15):1593-1601. 
5. Platzer H, Raschner C, Patterson C. Performance-determining physiological factors in the luge start. Journal Of Sports Sciences. February 2009;27(3):221-226. 
6. Seiler S. Same Citius,Altius, Fortius ... More Women, Crashes, and McTwists?. International Journal Of Sports Physiology & Performance. January 2014;9(1):122-127.

Need For Speed

by Leigh Cove
Algonquin College Sport Business Management Intern

Ask Canadian luger Alex Gough what drew her to the sport and you will probably get an answer along the lines of, “I wanted to go fast.” Actually, ask the question to any of Canada’s 28 sliding athletes and odds are good you will get the same response.

Even with a track specifically designed to accelerate athletes to speeds of 135km/h, and curve patterns where sliders can experience up to five G-forces, the desire of these daredevil athletes is to go fast and keep going faster.

Winter sliding sports (bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge) are all similar in their basics concepts. Each begins with an athlete(s) and their sled at a starting gate, with much of a sliders final time being determined by the speed of their starting push off. Once they trigger the clock and leave the starting zone sliders seemingly let gravity takeover as they hurtle toward the bottom.

Within the first 250m sliders are already reaching speeds of 80km/h, and their time is recorded after athletes cross the finishing sensor. Both slider(s) and their sled must cross the finishing line for their time to count, but the slider doesn’t necessarily have to be in the sled.

Despite what it may seem like, sliders do have control over their sleds. Steering these sleds takes incredible strength and control. When traveling at such high speeds it only takes the slightest movements to get a dramatic change that can mean a gold medal run, or a bone jarring crash.

Balance of Speed and Control:

BOBSLEIGH -The sled has brakes attached to its back runners manned by a brakeman and a steering mechanism of ropes connected to pivoting front runners controlled by a pilot. Newer bobsleds are being designed using Formula One racing technology to increase aerodynamics and cut down on crucial seconds.

SKELETON- Skeleton sleds do not have breaks! Sliders steer by twisting their body in the bow of the sled. The sleds used in skeleton are heavier than their luge counterparts to enhance sliding; the difference can be up to 20 kg.

LUGE - Run times for competitors are so fast and close they are measured to the thousandths of a second. Lugers use their shoulders to help stabilize the sled, while they use their legs to steer the runners, changing how they grip the ice.

Those athletes who choose to compete in bobsleigh, luge, or skeleton run a fine line between maintaining control and losing it every time they launch themselves down an icy track. However athletes continue to slide down again and again because greater than risks, is their need for speed.

References available from SIRC collection: 

1. Berton E, Favier D, Agnès A, Pous F. Aerodynamic Optimization of a Bobsleigh Configuration. International Journal Of Applied Sports Sciences. June 2004;16(1):1-13. 
2. Bullock N, Gulbin J, Martin D, Ross A, Holland T, Marino F. Talent identification and deliberate programming in skeleton: Ice novice to Winter Olympian in 14 months. Journal Of Sports Sciences. February 15, 2009;27(4):397-404. 
3. Lars E. Sports injuries and illnesses during the Winter Olympic Games 2010. British Journal Of Sports Medicine. September 2010;44(11):772-780. 
4. Lembert S, Schachner O, Raschner C. Development of a measurement and feedback training tool for the arm strokes of high-performance luge athletes. Journal Of Sports Sciences. December 2011;29(15):1593-1601. 
5. Platzer H, Raschner C, Patterson C. Performance-determining physiological factors in the luge start. Journal Of Sports Sciences. February 2009;27(3):221-226. 
6. Seiler S. Same Citius,Altius, Fortius ... More Women, Crashes, and McTwists?. International Journal Of Sports Physiology & Performance. January 2014;9(1):122-127.