Vancouver (BC), Canada – Whether it’s commentating for the media or getting first time Games experience, many Canadian freestyle ski athletes and staff are gearing up for the London 2012 Olympics.
Mogul skier Alex Bilodeau, who won Canada’s first gold medal on home soil at the 2010 Vancouver Games, has a prominent role in London. He’ll be co-hosting RDS’s French coverage of the opening ceremonies on July 27 from an athlete’s point of view.
“When the athletes walk into the stadium I’ll be giving an insider’s perspective on what they’re thinking and feeling. I’ve been getting to know quite a few members of the Canadian team in preparation, and I’m heading to London early, on the 23rd of July, to give me time to meet athletes from other countries,” said the two-time Olympian.
Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie played a similar role at the Vancouver Games, and has been giving Bilodeau pointers.
It will be Bilodeau’s first summer Games experience, and his first visit to London.
Bilodeau said he’s crossing his fingers for the Canadians and thinks the Own the Podium program funding will make 2012 the nation’s best summer showing. He especially hopes to see Despatie come back from his recent injury and win gold.
Double Olympic medalist (gold in 2006 and silver in 2010) mogul skier Jenn Heil is also on the media circuit for London. She’s produced a series of video conversations with athletes like Despatie and Clara Hughes for Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper. She’ll also correspond live via Skype with athletes during the Games for the Globe’s website and produce regular Games reports for radio station CJAD 800 in Montreal.
“I’m so passionate about sport and excited to share that knowledge and passion. I want to share the insider athlete perspective on what amateur sport means, the value of it and why athletes strive to be Olympians. We don’t always see the human side of athletics, I want to show how athletes overcome all the obstacles to get to the Olympics,” said Heil.
In addition to the athletes, a couple of freestyle coaches from the recently added Olympic sports of ski slopestyle and ski halfpipe will be getting their Olympic feet wet in London. Slopestyle Head Coach Toben Sutherland and Halfpipe Coach Marc Mcdonell will travel to London with a contingent from the Canadian Olympic Committee as part of its Olympic Familiarization Initiative (OFI).
Canadian Freestyle Ski Association CEO Peter Judge is a co-facilitator of the OFI. He said the program is designed to help the coaches understand the Olympic environment and challenges in advance of the Sochi Games.
“The Olympic experience is unique in sport, the scale and pressures are like nothing else. So this program is aimed at support staff who’ve never had an Olympic experience. We did a similar familiarization program in Beijing in advance of the Vancouver Games and found it invaluable in terms of providing the coaches with the information they need to optimize the success of their athletes, we expect the same results this time,” said Judge.
Sutherland is excited about getting a feel for the atmosphere at the world’s highest profile sporting event.
“I want to take in as much as possible while I’m in London so that I can use it in Russia,” he explained. “Hopefully I’ll be able to pass on what I learn through to the rest of the team so we’ll all be as prepared as we can be heading into Sochi in 2014.”