WinSport

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WinSport Canada logo WinSport Canada logo.png
WinSport Canada logo

The Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA), operating as WinSport, is a non-profit organization based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada whose mandate is to provide training and development to Canada's Olympic athletes, and to maintain the facilities built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. The organization was founded in 1956 to bring the Olympics to Calgary, succeeding in its fourth attempt. WinSport has been credited with dramatically improving Canada's performance at the Olympics, as medal totals have increased at each subsequent Winter Games held since 1988, to a peak of 26 in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Contents

History

CODA was formed in 1956 with the aim of bringing the Winter Olympic Games to Calgary. [1] [2] It bid for both the 1964 and 1968 games, losing to Innsbruck, Austria and Grenoble, France, respectively. Aided by Peter Lougheed, CODA made a third bid for the 1972 games. The effort appeared to be a sure winner before environmentalists protested Calgary's bid, arguing that the games would cause irreparable damage to Banff National Park. Calgary once again lost, finishing second to Sapporo, Japan. [3] CODA became dormant following the 1966 vote. [4]

In 1979, CODA was resurrected as Calgary began its fourth attempt, initiating a bid for the 1988 games. Led by chairman Frank King, and relying on thousands of volunteers, CODA spent four years attempting to woo support, attending every major sporting event it could to sell International Olympic Committee (IOC) members on Calgary. [4] Calgary faced strong bids from Falun–Åre, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, the latter bidder pressuring the IOC to "punish" the Calgary bid for Canada's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. [5] Calgary nonetheless won the bid at a vote held in Baden-Baden, West Germany on September 30, 1981. [2]

CODA gave way to the Calgary Olympic Committee (Olympiques Calgary Olympics '88, or OCO '88), which organized the games themselves. The Calgary games generated a C$90 million profit, of which $70.5 million was created into an endowment fund for CODA to maintain and operate the Olympic facilities following the games. Today, that fund has grown to $185 million. [6] The Toronto Star challenged the claim of profitability in 1999 following Toronto's failed bid for the 1996 Summer Olympics, claiming that $461 million in government spending was not accounted for in the final figures. [7]

With the completion of the games, CODA rededicated itself to maintaining the facilities left in the legacy of the games, and in developing Canada's Olympic athletes. [2] CODA is credited with contributing to Canada's dramatic improvement at the Winter Olympics, as the nation has seen an increase in podium finishes in every games since Calgary, growing to 26 medals at the 2010 Winter Games from just five at Calgary. [8]

On January 23, 2009, CODA began operating as the Canadian Winter Sport Institute, or "WinSport", the first such institution in Canada. [9] [10]

Facilities

Canada Olympic Park is one of the most visible legacies of the 1988 games Canada olympic park summer 2005.jpeg
Canada Olympic Park is one of the most visible legacies of the 1988 games

WinSport maintains several facilities built for the 1988 games. Chief among them is Canada Olympic Park (COP). The primary facility of Canada's first Centre of Sport Excellence, COP still receives over one million visitors per year. [11] COP is also home to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. [12]

The Olympic Oval was the first covered speed skating venue in North America, and remains one of the fastest speed skating surfaces in the world. Over 150 world records have been set at the Oval. [13] The Oval continues to host international speed skating events. It also served as the home arena for the Calgary Inferno women's ice hockey team.

WinSport also runs the National Sport School in partnership with the Calgary Board of Education. Founded in 1994, the National Sport School is specifically designed for Olympic calibre students in grades nine through 12, allowing them to compete internationally without compromising their studies. 20 current or former students at the school represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Winter Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Turin, Italy

The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter Olympics, the first being in 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo; Italy had also hosted the Summer Olympics in 1960 in Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Winter Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Lake Placid, New York, US

The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Winter Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Vancouver, Canada

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games and also known as Vancouver 2010, were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the surrounding suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University of British Columbia, and in the nearby resort town of Whistler. It was regarded by the Olympic Committee to be among the most successful Olympic games in history, in both attendance and coverage. Approximately 2,600 athletes from 82 nations participated in 86 events in fifteen disciplines. Both the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were organized by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), headed by John Furlong. The 2010 Winter Games were the third Olympics to be hosted by Canada, and the first to be held within the province of British Columbia. Canada had hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Winter Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Calgary, Canada

The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Calgary 1988, were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Alberta, Canada as main host city. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to be held for 15 days, like the counterpart Summer Olympic Games. The majority of the events took place in Calgary itself. However, the snow events were shared by Nakiska ski resort in Kananaskis Country at the west of the city and the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park in the town of Canmore.

The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is North America's first covered speed skating oval; it was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics and opened 37 years ago on September 27, 1987. Located on the University of Calgary campus, it is the official designated training centre for Speed Skating Canada and the Elite Athlete Pathway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotiabank Saddledome</span> Multi-use indoor arena in Calgary, Alberta

Scotiabank Saddledome is a multi-use indoor arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located in Stampede Park in the southeast end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League, and to host ice hockey and figure skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada Olympic Park</span> Sports venue in Calgary, Canada

Canada Olympic Park (COP), formerly known as Paskapoo Ski Hill, is a ski hill and multi-purpose training and competition facility located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, owned and operated by WinSport. It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public. Canada Olympic Park was one of the venues for the 1988 Winter Olympics, being the primary venue for ski jumping, bobsleigh, and luge.

The National Sport School (NSS) is a public high school in Calgary, Alberta which teaches grades 8 through 12. In partnership with Winsport Canada, the school was created to support student athletes with Olympic potential. Developmental and competitive athletes are able to train and travel internationally, while staying in school. It was founded in 1994 as the first national sport school in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Olympic Oval</span>

The Richmond Olympic Oval is an indoor multi-sports arena in the Canadian city of Richmond, British Columbia. The oval was built for the 2010 Winter Olympics and was originally configured with a speed skating rink. The venue has since been reconfigured and now serves as a community multi-sport park and includes two ice hockey rinks, two running tracks, a climbing wall, a rowing tank and a flexible area which can be used for, among other sports, basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and table tennis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Olympic Oval</span> American speed skating oval

The Utah Olympic Oval is an indoor speed skating oval located 14 miles (23 km) southwest of Salt Lake City, in Kearns, Utah. The Oval was built for the 2002 Winter Olympics and it hosted the long-track speed skating events for the 2002 games, a role it is expected reprise for the 2034 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Calgary</span>

Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is home to a deep-seated tradition of winter sports. Much of this stems from its location, with proximity to the Alberta Rocky Mountains and Banff National Park. After hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics, the city has also had winter sports and training facilities. Beyond winter sports, Calgary has several professional and amateur sports teams and is a major world pro rodeo center, with the city's Stampede Park holding the annual Calgary Stampede.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada Olympic Park bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track</span>

The Canada Olympic Park bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Calgary, Alberta. Part of Canada Olympic Park, it hosted the bobsleigh and luge competitions at the 1988 Winter Olympics. This track is one of only two of its type in the world to be featured in a non-documentary film when it was part of the 1993 American film Cool Runnings which loosely followed the Jamaican Bobsled Team during their competition in bobsleigh at the 1988 Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Own the Podium</span> Canadian not-for-profit sporting organisation

Own the Podium is a Canadian not-for-profit organization. Originally created as Own the Podium - 2010 to prepare Canadian athletes to reach medal finishes at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the program has since expanded to include a division for summer sports as well, known as Road to Excellence. As of 2012 the program's CEO is Anne Merklinger following the resignation of Alex Baumann for health reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 1988 Winter Olympics</span>

For the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a total of nine sports venues were used. Calgary tried twice to host the Winter Olympics in the 1960s without success before finally winning the 1988 Winter Games in 1981. Stampede Corral was built in 1950 while McMahon Stadium was built in 1960. When the National Hockey League (NHL) Flames franchise was relocated from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States during the summer of 1980, a new arena was needed. The Saddledome construction was underway in late 1981 when Calgary was awarded the 1988 Games. Completed in 1983, the Olympic Saddledome has played host to the Flames ever since, including three Stanley Cup Finals and the NHL All-Star Game in 1985. An innovation for the games was the first indoor long-track speed skating venue which has served as a model for future Olympics. The bobsleigh and luge track was the first combination track in North America and was noted for the Jamaican bobsleigh team crash during the four-man event. Both the Oval and the bobsleigh/luge track continue to host the World Championships in their respective sports since the 1988 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bids for the 1988 Winter Olympics</span>

The selection process for the 1988 Winter Olympics consisted of three bids, and saw Calgary, Alberta, Canada, be selected ahead of Falun, Sweden, and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The selection was made at the 84th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Baden-Baden, West Germany, on 30 September 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebec City bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics</span>

Quebec 2002 was an unsuccessful bid by Quebec City, Canada, and the Canadian Olympic Committee to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. This was the city's first time to bid. Canada had previously hosted the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta and would go on to successfully bid and host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Calgary 2026 was an unsuccessful bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics by the city of Calgary, Alberta and the Canadian Olympic Committee. Calgary previously hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics. The bid was withdrawn after a local referendum in which 56.4% of Calgary voters rejected the bid.

The Olympiques Calgary Olympics '88 (OCO'88), originally incorporated as XV Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee was the organization responsible for overseeing the planning and development of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.

1988 Winter Olympics marketing was a long running campaign that began when Calgary won its bid to host the games in 1981.

References

  1. ↑ "Winsport 2017 Annual Report" (PDF). Winsport. p. 4. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "CODA – Our Story". Calgary Olympic Development Association. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  3. ↑ Cotton, Crosbie (1981-09-30). "Canada missed six prior bids". Calgary Herald. p. A19.
  4. 1 2 Cotton, Crosbie (1981-09-30). "Around the world, CODA has given its best shot". Calgary Herald. p. A19.
  5. ↑ Cotton, Crosbie (1981-09-30). "Worlds best head West". Calgary Herald. p. A1.
  6. ↑ Zimmerman, Kate. "Legacies of North American Winter Games, Volume two: Calgary 1988" (PDF). Vancouver Olympic Committee. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  7. ↑ Walkom, Thomas (1999-02-08). "The Olympic myth of Calgary: Making money ; Be prepared to spend, spend, spend is lesson for any host city". Toronto Star. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
  8. ↑ "British Columbians can take comfort from Calgary's real experience, former President and CEO of Calgary 88 says". Vancouver Olympic Committee. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  9. ↑ "Calgary Olympic Development Association Announces Transformation to Canadian Winter Sport Institute" (PDF). Canadian Winter Sport Institute. 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  10. ↑ "CODA changes its name". CTV News Calgary. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  11. ↑ "CODA – Canada Olympic Park". Calgary Olympic Development Association. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  12. ↑ "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame" . Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  13. ↑ "CODA – Olympic Oval". Calgary Olympic Development Association. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  14. ↑ "CODA – National Sport School". Calgary Olympic Development Association. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2008-10-25.

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