COC Announces Chief Medical Officer and Young Ambassador for Singapore 2010

TORONTO, May 25 /CNW/ - In preparation for the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) today announced Dr. Dory Boyer as Chief Medical Officer and Callum Ng as "Young Ambassador", a new role within the Olympic Movement, as members of the inaugural Mission Team. The Games will be held in Singapore from Aug. 14 to 26, 2010.

"The Youth Olympic Games are sure to become a unique and important component of the Olympic Movement," said COC Chief Executive Officer Jean R. Dupré. "Sport has a powerful, incomparable influence on young Canadians and with the arrival of Singapore 2010 so soon after the historic Games in Vancouver, this will undoubtedly drive the Olympic spirit deeper in Canadians of all ages."

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Boyer, a Vancouver-based orthopaedic surgeon, joins the mission team for Singapore 2010 after serving nearly four years as medical services manager for Vancouver venues during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In 2009, he was chief medical officer for seven major international sport events, including the ISU World Speed Skating Championships and the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Dr. Boyer has been on the medical staff at two Canada Games and two Universiades, a physician for Canada's national wrestling team since 2006, and a volunteer physician at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Young Ambassador

The Youth Olympic Games will feature a unique Culture and Education Program (CEP), in which all Youth Olympians will participate, encouraging athletes to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. Within this program is the Young Ambassadors pilot project, aimed at promoting the Games and engaging the athletes in the CEP. Thirty Young Ambassadors were nominated by their National Olympic Committees and Canada will be represented by Callum Ng.

The Calgary native was a competitive swimmer, including a member of the Canadian swimming team, ranked in the top-10 in the world in the 50-metre backstroke at one time. A graduate of the University of British Columbia (UBC), Ng is now a partner at NG Farrell, a sports and culture marketing agency. Ng's voluntary activities include coaching for Swim BC and the UBC Dolphins Swim Club, and serving as executive member of UBC's Right to Play chapter.

The COC is expected to announce the final team, of approximately 55 athletes, in mid-July. The Canadian Youth Olympic Team will be one of more than 200 National Olympic Teams attending the Games.

About the Youth Olympic Games (YOG)

The vision of the YOG is to inspire young people to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values. The mission of the Singapore organizing committee is to organize an event to educate, engage and influence young athletes inspiring them to play an active role in their communities. Canada's delegation, which can be number as high as 72 athletes from the ages of 14-18, will participate in approximately 200 events across 28 sport disciplines.

About the Canadian Olympic Committee

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Olympic Movement, including Canada's participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For news and information, visit the COC website at www.olympic.ca and find the team on both Facebook (Canadian Olympic Team) and Twitter (CDNOlympicTeam).

For further information: Isabelle Hodge, Manager, Media Relations, Canadian Olympic Committee, Tel. [phone], Email: [email protected]