Table Of Contents 2-3 Facility 4 History 5 Events 6-7 Cycling 8-9 <strong>Calgary</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> X-Treme Hockey 10-11 Short Track 12-13 Long Track 14-15 <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> High Performance Athletes 16-17 Research & Development 18 Communications 19 Staff 20 Supporters Front cover photos by Arno Hoogveld. Cindy Klassen at the medal ceremony, Justin Warsylewicz strikes paydirt, the Men’s Pursuit Team on the podium and a Cindy Klassen-Clara Hughes special moment.
Message from the Director It’s been a record breaking year at the <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> with 15 athletes, including Canada’s most decorated Olympian, Cindy Klassen, reaching the podium at the 2006 <strong>Olympic</strong>s and coming home with medals around their necks. In 2004 we revised our vision statement to focus even more on helping athletes succeed and coined the phrase, “On Target for Torino”, setting our sights on top level performances at the XX <strong>Olympic</strong> Winter Games. This past season, we realized what we set out to do. Now our focus shifts again, with the same dedication to bringing such performances home to Canada in 2010 and building on the spectacular medal count set in Torino. <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> long track speed skaters had a stellar season with Cindy Klassen winning an unprecedented five <strong>Olympic</strong> medals, one for each event she competed in. In Torino she won gold in the 1,500 metres, silver in the 1,000 metres and two bronze in the 5,000 and 3,000 metres. She joined teammates Clara Hughes, Kristina Groves, Shannon Rempel and Christine Nesbitt in winning silver in the team pursuit event. The men also made it on to the <strong>Olympic</strong> podium in the team pursuit, with Jason Parker, Justin Warsylewicz, Denny Morrison, Steven Elm and Arne Dankers earning silver for Canada. Speed queens Kristina Groves and Clara Hughes won individual medals too, with Kristina winning silver in the 1,500 metres and Clara finishing the Games <strong>of</strong>f with a gold-medal performance in the 5,000 metres. The <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> also contributed to the training program <strong>of</strong> American Shani Davis, who won a silver and gold medal in long track. In short track, Alanna Kraus added a silver <strong>Olympic</strong> team relay medal to her bronze from the 2002 <strong>Olympic</strong>s. She earned the medal with her teammates who train in Montreal, Que. The <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> women’s hockey team, the <strong>Calgary</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> X-Treme, contributed four players, Hayley Wickenheiser, Cassie Campbell, Danielle Goyette and Colleen Sostorics, and two alumna, Jennifer Botterill and Carla MacLeod, to Canada’s goldmedal winning team. All together, Canadian <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> athletes brought home ten <strong>Olympic</strong> medals in three sports; women’s hockey, short track and long track speed skating. Capping <strong>of</strong>f this amazing season, the <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> hosted the ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships and celebrated two <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> athletes crowned as champions <strong>of</strong> the event – Cindy and Shani. In cycling Tanya Dubnic<strong>of</strong>f, <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> Cycling Head Coach, was named the first-ever national coach for BMX, which will debut at the upcoming Summer <strong>Olympic</strong>s. Many <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> cyclists, including Samantha Cools, are well positioned as medal contenders for the 2008 Games in Beijing, China. The <strong>Calgary</strong> community was welcomed to the <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> this past season as well. Our building was open for public skating and running and Calgarians were invited to our free community events such as the FedEx Kinko’s Christmas Skate and Papa John’s Family Fun Day. At these events and the <strong>Oval</strong>’s weekly Share in the Community Spirit public skating sessions, <strong>Calgary</strong> families donated more than 9,724 tones <strong>of</strong> food to the <strong>Calgary</strong> Food Bank and helped raise $2,500 for <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> athletes. Congratulations to all <strong>of</strong> our successful athletes and thank you to <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> staff, our partners, and our sponsors for making this an amazing year for the <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong>. Mark Greenwald Director, <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> on behalf <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Oval</strong> Executive Management Team 1
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