KANANASKIS, AB, Dec. 6, 2012 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), Blake Richards, Member of Parliament (Wild Rose), today announced the Government of Canada's contribution to Alpine Canada in support of the 2012 Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup. The event is taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta, on December 7 and 8, 2012.
"The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games marked the debut of ski cross as an Olympic sport, and our nation swelled with pride as Canadian athlete, Ashleigh McIvor, won gold in the women's competition," said Minister of State Gosal. "Since then, the sport of ski cross has continued to develop rapidly, and our Government's support for this prestigious event will provide invaluable competition experience for our ski cross athletes on the road to Sochi 2014."
"Our investments toward the hosting of international sport events are beneficial not only for the development of our top athletes, but also for our local economy," said Mr. Richards. "I welcome the Audi Ski Cross World Cup to Kananaskis as we gear up for a weekend of exciting competition."
The Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) Audi Ski Cross World Cup is hosted by Alpine Canada in conjunction with an organizing committee. This year's event has attracted 95 athletes from 17 countries.
Alpine Canada, the governing body for alpine ski racing in Canada, represents more than 50,000 athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteer members, as well as over 200,000 supporting members. It manages the high-performance programs for the athletes of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team, who represent Canada throughout the world.
The Government of Canada is the single largest contributor to sport in Canada and supports participation and excellence from playground to podium. A contribution of $172,000 was provided to Cross Country Canada through Sport Canada's Hosting Program for this event. The Government of Canada has also committed approximately $3.7 million to Alpine Canada for 2012-2013 through the Sport Support Program. In addition, Sport Canada's Athlete Assistance Program provided $1 million to assist 85 Canadian Alpine ski athletes with living and training expenses in 2011-2012.
SOURCE: Canadian Heritage
(Media only), please contact:
Jenny Van Alstyne
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Bal Gosal, P.C., M.P.
Minister of State (Sport)
819-934-1122
[email protected]
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
[email protected]
(This news release is available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca under Newsroom.)
Share this article