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Canadian winter athletes concluded the 2007-2008 winter World Cup season on Sunday, winning a best-ever total of 184 World Cup medals in events that are part of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games sport program.
Almost as impressive, there were more than 100 more top-five results as Canadians make their plans for next winter, the last before the Vancouver Games.
There were 74 athletes who reached the podium this season, according to an analysis published by Own the Podium, the strategy to put Canada on top of the medals standings (total medals) at the 2010 Olympics and among the top three nations (gold medal count) at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
The "110-million initiative for technical and training support is a partnership of Canada's 13 winter national sport organizations, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Sport Canada and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Olympics and Paralympics, known as VANOC.
Canada's potential Olympians had 56 fourth place finishes and 57 fifth place finishes.
"Results this season have demonstrated that Canadian winter athletes and the national winter sport organizations are committed to achieving Canada's performance goals for the 2010 Winter Games," said Roger Jackson, chief executive officer of Own the Podium 2010.
"They are working harder than ever to prepare for the intensity and pressure they will face in 2010, and we now need to focus on the key factors that will help them convert their fourth and fifth place finishes into podium results in 2010."
In Paralympic sport, Canada is well positioned to reach its goal of being among the top three nations at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games after finishing first among winter Paralympic sport nations in this winter season's World Cup competitions. A remarkable nine Para-nordic and Para-alpine athletes won an unprecedented 47 World Cup gold medals in events that are part of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games sport program.
Among the contending nations for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Germany finished first for the winter season with 230 medals — resulting in an overall increase of 15 medals from its previous season. Canada finished in second with 184 medals — increasing its overall medal count from last season by 49. Austria surpassed the United States this season finishing third with 173 medals compared to the USA's fourth place finish this season with 152 medals.
The 2007-2008 over all competitive winter season which includes World Championship events will conclude in May following World Championships in men's and women's hockey and curling, and ice sledge hockey.
Among the 74 athletes that achieved podium performances this winter season, the following emerged as overall World Cup Champions in their sport:
Kristina Groves (Ottawa, ON) Long Track Speed Skating - 1500m
Kimberly Joines (Edmonton, AB) Para-alpine - sitting skier category
Steve Omischl (Kelowna, BC) Freestyle skiing — aerials
Maëlle Ricker (Squamish, BC) Snowboard - boardercross
Chris Williamson (Markham, ON) Para-alpine — visually impaired AND
Nick Brush (Guide) (Panorama, BC) Para-alpine — visually impaired
Lauren Woolstencroft (North Vancouver, BC) Para-alpine - standing skier
Jeremy Wotherspoon (Red Deer, AB) Long Track Speed Skating - 500m
