Expectations soaring for Salt Lake City
By STEVE BUFFERY -- Toronto Sun
Canadian athletes will sport the old hockey player look in Salt Lake City, hopefully without the old hockey player smell.
Roots Canada unveiled the Canadian team uniforms for the upcoming Salt Lake Games yesterday and this year's look is a vintage sports design inspired by the off and on-ice uniforms worn by the Edmonton Mercurys, winners of the 1952 Olympic gold medal in ice hockey.
Whether or not the new look will be a hit with athletes and consumers to the degree the wildly popular 1998 Nagano gear was, remains to be seen, but team chef de mission Sally Rehorick announced that the team itself is expected to be etc., even better than the record-setting squad was in Nagano.
GOALS
Canada finished fifth in medals in Nagano with six gold, five silver and four bronze, for a record 15. In Salt Lake, the Canadian Olympic Association fully expects the squad, which won't be announced in full until January, to place no lower than third in the medal count. A tall order.
"Third-place seems to be a worthy goal for our athletes," Rehorick said. "We wouldn't set a goal that would not be attainable. But it's not a promise, it's a goal."
Rehorick said the goal is based on the showing last winter by Canadian athletes on the various World Cup circuits, at world championships, and other international meets.
On top of that, a number of new funding initiatives for Canadian athletes have been put in place, such as Podium 2002, a $1.2-million fund unveiled last summer which gives 93 of Canada's top winter-sport athletes additional funding, on top of carding money etc, to address sport-specific equipment needs and increase access to specialized personnel.
NEW FUNDING
"This is specific funding that will really give the athletes that chance to focus on the 1/100ths of a second that's going to make a difference," Rehorick said yesterday. "Whether it would be used for the special tents the cross-country skiers use at high altitude, the high-altitude training that the figure skaters will be using ... the things in the past the athletes would have said 'you know, if I just had that new bobsled runners, I think I could have done better.' "
As for the uniforms, the reaction at the flagship Roots store at the Eaton's Centre for the unveiling was enthusiastic, both by the public and the athletes on hand, although that is to be expected. The vintage look uses cotton, polyester Nordic fleece, wool, leather and denim. Hiking boots have a maple leaf on the sole and "Canada" appears in handwriting style on T-shirts, headbands and other outerwear. The opening ceremonies outfit will not be unveiled until January.
-- with files from AP
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