Own the Podium funding to double: report
Last Updated: Thursday, March 4, 2010 | 2:04 PM ET
By Brandon Hicks, CBC Sports
Federal funding for Canada's Own the Podium program looks like it's getting a boost.
The government is expected to double funds for the Canadian amateur sport program when the federal budget is released Thursday, from $11 million to $22 million, CBCSports.ca learned on Wednesday.
Canada won 26 medals at the Vancouver Games, which ended on Sunday, setting a new national record. The total included 14 gold, which was first among all nations and set an Olympic record for most gold medals won at a Winter Games.
Much of the success was credited to Own the Podium. The program was instituted five years ago and came with a price tag of $117 million, with $66 million of that coming from taxpayers.
The stated goal of the program was to win the overall medal count at the Vancouver Olympics, and for Canada to finish with over 30 medals total. Canada finished third in the overall medal total, behind Germany in second (30) and the United States in first (37).
Canada was short of its total medal target, but by winning the gold medal count and setting a new Olympic standard in that category many are arguing that Own the Podium succeeded beyond anyone's expectations.
The Canadian Olympic Committee is targeting a top-12 finish for Canada at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/amateur/sto...#ixzz0hFOu1CAX
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