Ontario Athletes On The Quest For Gold

 
 

February 10, 2010 11:00 AM

McGuinty Government Supports Athletes Pursuing Excellence At The Olympic And Paralympic Games

Ontario is supporting 33 athletes who will be representing Canada at the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Established in 2006, the province's Quest for Gold program is helping Ontario's athletes reach the highest level of international competition by giving them access to high-performance training and competitive opportunities.

Quest for Gold recipients will be competing in 13 events at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, including Patrick Chan in men's figure skating, Jennifer Botterill in women's hockey, and Kristina Groves in women's long-track speed skating.

The province has committed $10 million to the Quest for Gold program in 2009-2010. Approximately $6.3 million is going directly to more than 1,100 high-performance athletes, including those vying for spots on Canada's team for the Paralympic Games in March.

QUICK FACTS

 
  • Approximately 85 per cent of eligible Ontario athletes competing in the Vancouver Olympics are Quest for Gold recipients.
  • Since 2006, the Quest for Gold program has provided over $42 million to support more than 8,000 high-performance athletes and coaches.
  • At the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, 131 of the 180 Ontario athletes on Team Canada were Quest for Gold recipients. Twenty-three of these athletes won medals.
  • Ontario has invested an additional $2.5 million over three years in 'Own the Podium', a national program to help Canada's winter athletes succeed at the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver.

CONTACTS

  • Wendy Vincent
    Minister's Office
    416-326-8497
    wendy.vincent@nullontario.ca
  • Julie Rosenberg
    Communications
    416-326-4833
    julie.rosenberg@nullontario.ca



Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport
ontario.ca/health-promotion


 
PLAY                             
PLAY

Jennifer Botterill - Quest For Gold

Read transcript
 

"Supporting high-performance athletes is an important part of our government's plan to build sport in Ontario. Our Quest for Gold program ensures that our athletes have every opportunity to reach their full potential. We are proud of our amateur athletes. They are wonderful role models who inspire Ontarians to lead healthy, active lives"

 – Margarett Best
Minister of Health Promotion

"Quest for Gold has had a huge impact on me as an athlete. The funding I receive through this program gives me access to the resources I need to become a better hockey player"

 – Jennifer Botterill
Canada's National Women's Hockey Team

 
 
 
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