Own the Podium

23 Jan 2020
Vancouver 2010 Legacy Legacies for Sport

Team Canada’s improved performance in the medal rankings at the Olympic Winter Games was the focus of the sporting excellence agenda in the lead-up to Vancouver 2010. As proof of this success, Team Canada won 29 medals at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, compared to only 17 at Salt Lake City 2002.

2018 / International Olympic Committee (IOC) / KASAPOGLU, Mine - All rights reserved | Sam Edney and Alex Gough, beneficiaries of the Own the Podium organisation, cheer their teammates in the luge team relay mixed event during the Olympic Winter Games Pyeonchang 2018.

This achievement was a direct result of the activities of “Own the Podium”, a high-performance sports development organisation formed in 2004 to offer technical support to Canadian sports organisations in preparation for future Olympic Games. Own the Podium has since become a permanent entity and has been crucial in driving Canada’s elite sporting excellence.

Today, the organisation provides additional resources and high-performance programmes to Canadian athletes, coaches and support personnel. It assesses the performance potential of Canadian high-performance sport (both individual and team) and provides the technical analysis required to determine Canadian podium targets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It also issues investment recommendations in coaching/technical leadership, training and competitions, sports science, sports medical support and organisational capacity.

The programme is run by the Canadian Government, which remains its largest endorser, contributing CAD 62 million in enhanced excellence funding each year through Sport Canada. These investments continue to contribute to Team Canada’s Olympic medal results.

Own the Podium has also had a positive impact on summer sports in the country: Canada won a total of 22 medals at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, compared to only 12 at the Olympic Games Athens 2004.

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