Team Canada’s Hugo Bernard embarks on college career at Saint Leo
National Amateur Squad member Hugo Bernard of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., has officially signed on as a member of the Saint Leo Lions golf team for the 2016 season.
Bernard, a former Quebec Men’s Amateur Champion, joins senior and fellow Canadian Joey Savoie (Montreal) in Saint Leo, Fla., as one of 12 on the Lions’ roster.
The smooth-swinging lefty joins the Lions on the heels of a season that featured Top-5 finishes at all three legs of the Quebec triple crown (Quebec Amateur, Duke of Kent, Alexander of Tunis) and a runner-up finish at the Canadian Amateur.
Bernard and the third-ranked Lions (Div II) are set to kick off competition in 2016 when they take on the field at the Matlock Collegiate Classic from Feb. 8–9.
Brooke Henderson among six athletes named to Team BMW
Team BMW (BMW Group Canada)
Richmond Hill, Ont. — A new year may be just beginning, but it’s not too early to look forward to the upcoming Olympic Games. The Games begin in August, but BMW Group Canada took advantage of the kick-off to 2016 as a means to introduce Team BMW, a group of six high-performance Canadian athletes aiming to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Support for Team BMW athletes will be on various levels in an extension of the company’s role as National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team.
Passionate about performance and driven to succeed, Team BMW brings the BMW spirit to life. This group of athletes represents the essence of the BMW Group in human form: efficient performance, innovation, power and grace. BMW Group Canada is proud to support each of these athletes on their road to success.
BMW Group Canada announced its partnership with the Canadian Olympic Team in January of 2013. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, the company and its retailers have since provided athlete support and generated funds that go towards specialized programs, sports medicine, coaching and travel, among other items. This Olympic year will see those efforts continue, with Team BMW being only the beginning.
Team BMW consists of the following athletes:
Roseline Filion, 10m Synchronized Diving: Roseline and diving partner Meaghan Benfeito have been one of the best 10m teams in the world since 2005. Reaching Rio would be Roseline’s third Olympic Games. She currently holds gold, bronze and silver medals from various competitions including the Olympic Games, the Pan Am Games, and World Championships.
Meaghan Benfeito, 10m Synchronized Diving: Diving partner of Roseline Filion, Meaghan began diving at age seven. In her second Olympic Games at London 2012, the pair won bronze. She has won multiple medals at other multi-sport games, including the 2011 Pan Am Games where she won silver with Filion and bronze individually. In 2014, she was a double Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 10m and 10m synchro events.
Mark de Jonge, 200m Sprint Kayak: Mark has come a long way since learning to “just stay upright” in a kayak. Earning a bronze medal at his Olympic debut in London 2012, Mark has proven himself to be a resilient and focused athlete. In 2015, he successfully defended his world championship gold medal, making him the first man to win back-to-back titles since 2003.
Derek Drouin, High Jump: At his first Olympic Games in London 2012, Derek was part of a three-way tie for bronze after clearing 2.29m. It was Canada’s first Olympic high jump medal since 1976. In 2013, he won bronze at the 2013 IAAF World Championships, and in 2014, he became one of 12 men in history to jump the height of 2.40m, breaking his own Canadian record. This past summer, he won gold at the Pan Am Games, followed by another gold at the World Track and Field Championships.
Ryan Cochrane, 400m and 1,500m Freestyle Swimming: Ryan is one of Canada’s most-decorated swimmers ever. His six medals at the FINA World Championships are the most ever earned by a Canadian swimmer. He is also just the second person to reach the podium in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events at three straight Worlds, winning a total of four silver and two bronze. His Olympic history includes a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and a silver medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Brooke Henderson, Golf: Brooke Henderson made history in September, 2014 when she became the first Canadian to be ranked number one in the Women’s World Amateur Rankings. With more than 50 amateur victories to her credit, she turned pro in December, 2014. She then earned her first pro win at the 2015 Four Winds Invitational in June, becoming the third-youngest winner in Symetra Tour history. In December, 2015, she was named the Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year, and is on track to represent Canada as golf makes it return to the Olympic Games in Rio.
“I know I speak for our retailers and associates nationwide when I say how proud I am to help Canadian athletes drive towards their Olympic dreams,” said Kevin Marcotte, Marketing Director, BMW Canada. “The BMW Group and the Olympic Movement share many common values, which makes our partnership resonate with every one of us. Supporting the Canadian Olympic Team enables us to give back to our community in a unique and fulfilling way by supporting athletes from coast to coast. It is an honour and a pleasure to assist these six athletes in their quest for the podium.”
“BMW has been an outstanding partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and we are honoured to continue our partnership with them,” said Derek Kent, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee. “Both of our organizations strive for high-performance and we look forward to seeing Ryan, Meaghan, Roseline, Mark, Derek and Brooke, with BMW’s support, bring this shared value to life on the road to Rio.”
“I’ve appreciated BMW products for quite some time,” said Olympic bronze medallist Mark de Jonge. “As an engineer, I really appreciate the innovation built into them. Having BMW as a partner has inspired me to look at my paddle differently and helped me to think differently about how I approach my sport.”
“I’m so happy to have a partner like BMW,” said Roseline Filion, Olympic bronze medallist. “Sponsorships help fuel the entire athlete. From food to training to transportation, the support is very much appreciated. My BMW X3 helps me get to all of my appointments and training and home to visit my parents. It helps me live the slightly hectic life of an athlete in training a bit more easily.”
BMW Group Canada is proud to partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and will showcase Team BMW on bmw.ca. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, BMW’s partnership will provide athlete support and generate fundraising opportunities for the team.
Canadian golf journalists names their 2015 Players of the Year
David Hearn (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
TORONTO – In a year in which Brooke Henderson stole the show in Canadian golf, she can add two more honours to her trophy case.
The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) is proud to announce Henderson, David Hearn, Corey Conners, and Maddie Szeryk are the 2015 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country. Henderson’s spectacular first season as a professional was also named the Canadian Golf Story of the Year.
“GJAC is thrilled to honour these wonderful golfers in 2015,” said Grant Fraser, GJAC President. “The accomplishments of the winners – and each of the nominees – show that Canadian golf is in very good hands.”
Henderson became the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour since Lorie Kane in 2001 after capturing the Cambia Portland Classic by eight shots. At 17 years, 11 months, and 6 days old, she was the third-youngest champion in LPGA Tour history and was granted LPGA Tour membership in August. The native of Smiths Falls, Ontario also defended her title at the 2015 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and notched one victory (with five top-10’s in five events played) on the Symetra Tour. Henderson ended the year 17th on the Rolex Rankings – the official world ranking of female professional golfers.
Her choice as Female Professional of the Year was a unanimous decision.
Meanwhile, David Hearn – who’s run at the RBC Canadian Open was another nominee for Canadian Golf Story of the Year – was named Male Professional of the Year. Hearn is Canada’s highest-ranked male golfer, and nearly won twice on the PGA Tour in 2015. He held the 54-hole lead at the Canadian Open, and then lost in a playoff at The Greenbrier Classic. The 36-year-old finished 55th in the FedEx Cup standings and earned $1.8 million – his highest total ever as a professional.
Corey Conners was named the Male Amateur of the Year for the third year in a row in a tight vote with Blair Hamilton and Garrett Rank. After finishing as runner-up at the U.S. Amateur in 2014, Conners participated in The Masters where he played the first two rounds with Mike Weir. The 23-year-old finished as low amateur before announcing he would turn professional. He was ranked 21st on the Official World Amateur Golf Ranking prior to turning pro.
Maddie Szeryk was named Female Amateur of the Year after finishing first on Golf Canada’s National Women’s Order of Merit. The Golf Canada national team member is currently ranked no.38 (first in Canada) on the Official World Amateur Golf Ranking. The 19-year-old is set to graduate from Texas A&M in 2018, and in her first collegiate season, she was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year.
Brooke Henderson named Canadian Press female athlete of year
Brooke Henderson (Vaughn Ridley/ Getty Images)
TORONTO – Red-eye flights, pre-tournament qualifiers and last-minute travel plans were often the norm for golfer Brooke Henderson in her first season as a professional.
At the start of the year, she hoped to post some decent results and use her rookie campaign as a learning experience. Henderson did much more than that in 2015 – she became the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour in more than a decade and rocketed into the top 20 in the world rankings.
Not bad for someone who just celebrated her 18th birthday a few months ago.
Henderson capped her impressive season Monday by winning the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as The Canadian Press female athlete of the year. She picked up 21 votes (37 per cent) in the annual survey of editors and broadcasters from across the country.
“I’m hoping this is just the start of a pretty long career, and one where I can chase after some bigger dreams and goals that I’ve set for myself,” Henderson said. “Really I think that there are no limits and I think anything is possible. My 2015 year proves that it’s true _ that anything is possible.”
Soccer player Kadeisha Buchanan was well back in second place in the voting with 10 votes (17 per cent). Tennis player Eugenie Bouchard won the award the last two years.
Henderson is the first golfer to capture the honour since Lorie Kane in 2000. Kane was also the last Canadian to win on the Tour until Henderson blew away the field at the Cambia Portland Classic in August to end Canada’s 14-year victory drought.
The youngster from Smiths Falls, Ont., needed to play in a qualifier just to enter the tournament field that week. She showed she belonged by finishing with a whopping eight-shot victory.
“A couple days I was playing there and I was thinking back to when I would just kind of daydream when I was little,” she said. “I was looking at my putt on the green and I could see the hole and the ball and I could see the fans around the green. They were kind of blurred and it was just exactly how I pictured it when I was little. I was like, ‘Wow, you know what, this is my dream.”’
Henderson, who also posted fifth-place ties at two major events last season, was granted immediate LPGA Tour membership by commissioner Mike Whan after the win.
“The LPGA Tour win – that was really the pinnacle of the season,” she said. “It was when I was playing my best and I was able to secure my LPGA Tour card and get my first LPGA Tour victory. (The year) as a whole was a result of a lot of hard work and it was just something where everything came together and I thank God for that.
“It was just a miracle year really.”
Henderson will be able to play a full Tour schedule next year and make her plans well ahead of time. Gone are the days of needing sponsor invitations or travelling overnight to make it to the course in time for morning qualification rounds.
“I wanted to play against the best in the world,” she said. “Most of the times when I was doing that, I wasn’t a member and I didn’t really have anywhere else to play. I was trying to make my way onto the Tour and trying to make my mark. It was something that I knew I had to do and it was exciting to know that I could have a chance to do something amazing.”
Henderson finished the season ranked 18th in the world – a jump of over 200 positions from a year ago – with over US$100,000 in official LPGA earnings and more than $700,000 in combined earnings as a pro.
“Already a top-flight golfer at such a young age,” said Red Deer Advocate sports editor Greg Meachem. “Proved she can compete – and be successful – against the best of the best in a global sport.”
Canadian women’s team coach Tristan Mullally, who has worked with Henderson since she was 14, said she’s a remarkably steady ball striker with the accuracy to be consistent on different types of golf courses.
“When you combine those two, that makes for a pretty potent recipe,” Mullally said.
Henderson hopes to start strong early in the 2016 season with a goal of cracking the top 10 in the world rankings. She’s also a virtual lock to play for Canada when golf makes it return to the Olympic program at the Rio Games in August.
“I still have many years ahead of me and I’m working hard for 2016 and the years after that,” she said. “But this award for 2015 is definitely something I’m proud of and I’ll be very honoured to accept.”
Michelle Kim wins CJGA’s Helena Harbridge Sportsmanship Award
Michelle Kim (Josh Schaefer/ Golf Canada)
Richmond Hill, Ont. – The Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) is pleased to announce Michelle Kim as the recipient of the 2015 Helena Harbridge Sportsmanship Award.
Kim, an 18-year old CJGA member living in Surrey, B.C. is the first British Columbian to earnthe honorable distinction for an award that recognizes sportsmanship, dedication, and commitment in the game of golf.
The award is named after Helena Harbridge, an outstanding junior golfer and CJGA alum that passed away in 2006 during her freshman year at West Georgia University.
“I’m extremely proud and honored to be named the recipient of the Helena Harbridge Award this year,” said a thrilled Michelle when notified of the award. “Junior golf has not only taught me goal setting, it has taught me honesty, patience, sportsmanship, and etiquette. It has brought out my inner competitiveness.”
Taking a similar path to that of Helena, Kim is a freshman at the University of Idaho. She is also a member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team, after spending one season on their Development Squad. Looking into the future, Kim sees herself turning professional after graduating university with the goal of playing on the LPGA Tour.
“I’ve always had big goals and dreams for golf. This game requires commitment and dedication, and golf has taught me both of those things.”
Kim has had an exceptional CJGA playing career amassing nine top 5 finishes and six top 10 finishes since 2011. She had a notable win earlier this year at the CJGA Western Canadian Junior Championship.
Winners of the Helena Harbridge Sportsmanship Award will receive an elegant custom trophy courtesy of Lorry Moffatt and Classic Awards as well as a complimentary life time membership to the CJGA.
2006 – Lauren Bowerman-Ritchie (Ontario)
2007 – Juanita Rico (Alberta)
2008 – Jocelyn Alford (Alberta)
2009 – Thea Hedemann (Saskatchewan)
2010 – Shannon Lee Greenshields (Quebec)
2011 – Marlies Klekner-Alt (Ontario)
2012 – Molly Molyneaux (Prince Edward Island)
2013 – Genevieve Stelmacovich (Ontario)
2014 – Bria Jansen (Alberta)
2015 – Michelle Kim (British Columbia)
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Helena Harbridge Award
The Helena Harbridge Award is an award dedicated to the memory of Helena Harbridge, a CJGA alumna, who passed away in 2006 during her freshman year at West Georgia University. The award exemplifies the traits that Helena exhibited throughout her career, both on and off the course: sportsmanship, dedication, and contribution to the game of golf. Each year, the Canadian Junior Golf Association selects one female junior member for this award. The award recipient will be one that holds the same characteristics that Helena exemplified. The recipient of the award will also receive a lifetime membership with the CJGA.
Blair Hamilton and Maddie Szeryk recognized as Canada’s top amateur golfers for 2015
Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., and dual citizen Maddie Szeryk who hails from London, Ont., as well as Allen, Texas, have been recognized as Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers after finishing atop their respective National Orders of Merit for the 2015 season. Charles-Éric Bélanger and Michelle Kim claimed top honours on their respective CN Future Links Junior Orders of Merit.
“We are excited to celebrate our four winners for their performances over the course of the season which led to their successes on both the National Orders of Merit and CN Future Links Junior Orders of Merit,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “These rankings recognize our athletes’ outstanding accomplishments while providing them with a great measuring tool for their continued development. As the National Sport Federation, they provide us with a strong indicator for tracking up-and-coming players and their achievements.”
Hamilton, who in 2016 will spend a second consecutive season as a member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, finished with 3,768.46 points in 12 events – almost 1,000 points clear of second place. At No. 112 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the 22-year-old is one of Canada’s top-ranked talents. The University of Houston Cougar’s 2015 campaign netted him a PING All-America Honourable Mention and selections to the PING All-Central Region Team and the All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) Team. He claimed individual titles at the NCAA’s 2015 Border Olympics and the 2015 NCAA Lubbock Regional before adding Top-20 finishes at the 2015 Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship and the 111th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to his season. Hamilton and fellow 2015 National Amateur Squad member Austin Connelly were co-recipients of the Gary Cowan Award after tying for low amateur honours at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open.
Kimberley, B.C., native and 2016 National Team member Jared du Toit completed the season in second place on the National Men’s Order of Merit ahead of 2015 Team Canada Development Squad member Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon County, Alta. Fellow Albertan Brett Hogan of Calgary was fourth, while 2016 National Team selection Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver completed the Top-5.
Szeryk – who will return in 2016 as a member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad – collected 5,505.42 points over 12 events to top the National Women’s Order of Merit. The 19-year-old is No. 43 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and is No. 1 in Canada. In her first year with the Texas A&M Aggies, she notched seven Top-5 and nine Top-10 finishes in 12 tournaments en route to a First Team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and Conference Freshman of the Year honours. She finished first in the NCAA with five eagles and second in the nation with 127 birdies. Her 7-under 209 showing at the SEC Championship secured her second place and led the Aggies to the conference team title. Szeryk was a quarter-finalist at the 2015 British Ladies Open Amateur and the 2015 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur champion.
2015 National Team member Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., finished runner-up on the National Women’s Order of Merit, while the 2016 National Amateur Squad’s Josée Doyon from St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., claimed third. Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., joined her 2016 National Squad teammates by finishing in fourth, while Anica Yoo of Port Coquitlam, B.C., was fifth.
Recently-named Team Canada Development Squad member Charles-Éric Bélanger completed the 2015 campaign atop the 18-and-under CN Future Links National Junior Boys Order of Merit with 4,855.63 points in 12 events. The 16-year-old from Québec began the season by winning the 2015 Quebec Junior Spring Open before registering a third-place finish at the 2015 CN Future Links Ontario Championship and a runner-up result at the Quebec edition of the championship series for juniors. The highlight of Belanger’s year would come at the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship where he prevailed in a playoff to become the first Quebec native since 1976 to claim the national junior title.
Fellow Quebec native and 2015 Development Squad member Étienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu was second on the CN Future Links National Junior Boys Order of Merit, followed by 2016 members Alexander Smith of Calgary and A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont., took fifth place.
A banner year propelled Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C., to the top of the CN Future Links National Junior Girls Order of Merit with a total of 4,685 points accumulated across 10 events. Now in her freshman year at the University of Idaho, she opened last season by claiming the 2015 CJGA Western Canadian Junior Championship. Kim excelled at the provincial level, capturing the B.C. Women’s Amateur and B.C. Junior Girls titles before translating those victories into success on the national stage by winning the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The 2015 Development Squad member’s achievements garnered her a spot on the 2016 National Amateur team.
Orleans, Ont., native Grace St-Germain – who is returning in 2016 for a second stint with Team Canada’s Development Squad – was second on the 2015 CN Future Links National Junior Girls Order of Merit. Naomi Ko, a product of Victoria, B.C., finished third before graduating alongside Kim to the 2016 National Team. Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., and Monet Chun from Richmond Hill, Ont., completed the Top-5.
The National Men’s and Women’s Orders of Merit recognize and celebrate the season-long achievements of Canada’s amateur golfing talents. The CN Future Links Junior Boys and Junior Girls Orders of Merit were established to acknowledge and identify Canada’s top junior golfers.
2015 National Men’s Order of Merit – Top-10
Blair Hamilton – Burlington, Ont. – 3,768.46
Jared du Toit – Kimberley, B.C. – 2,857.83
Tyler Saunders – Sturgeon County, Alta. – 2,581.69
Brett Hogan – Calgary, Alta. – 2,194.15
Stuart Macdonald – Vancouver, B.C. – 1,917.70
Josh Whalen – Napanee, Ont. – 1,903.29
Eric Banks – Truro, N.S. – 1,820.45
Hugo Bernard – Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. – 1,802.50
Young Pro Squad’s Svensson takes outright lead at Web.com Tour Qualifying
Adam Svensson (Claus Andersen/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – Canadian Adam Svensson started the second round of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament with four consecutive birdies on the par-72 Fazio Course at PGA National Resort & Spa en route to a 7-under-par 65. The 21-year-old from Surrey, Vancouver, British Columbia’s 14-under 129 total is good for a commanding five-stroke lead over former No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking Ollie Schniederjans (68).
In a tie for third, six back, are PGA TOUR Latinoamérica alum Justin Hueber (69) and Australian Alistair Presnell (68).
Another six players are knotted at 7-under 136 and tied for fifth.
Svensson opened with a 64 on the tougher Champions Course on Thursday and successfully carried that momentum into Friday. After three consecutive birdies to the start the second round, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada alum blocked his tee shot right on the par-5, 4th hole behind a group of trees. After a successful layup, Svensson flushed his third, a 9-iron from 142 yards, to 15 feet behind the hole and drained the tricky downhill putt for birdie.
“I was hitting it pretty well,” said Svensson, who found every green in regulation on the front nine. “Every shot was close to the pin and I just kept it going.”
This past season, Svensson had an opportunity to earn a PGA TOUR card through the Web.com Tour with a victory at the Regular Season finale. This past fall at the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented Kraft Heinz the former two-time All-American at Barry University had a one-shot lead over Dicky Pride heading into the weekend and carded 74-71 to fall back into a tie for 13th place.
The tournament did not end the way Svensson had hoped but he was able to take away some positives from the experience.
“I think the Oregon event helped me out a lot,” said Svensson. “I learned a lot from it and I think it was a good thing what happened to me there.”
With two rounds left before a champion is crowned, Svensson knows he must finish strong the final two days to accomplish his goal for the week.
“It’s huge to have full status and get into every event,” said Svensson, who made seven starts on Tour this past season. “It’s good to pick your own schedule, but I’m having fun and looking forward to the weekend.”
One key to Svensson’s success this week has been his play from off the tee. Through two rounds, he is T1 in Driving Accuracy (25 of 28).
Svensson’s 36-hole total of 129 (-14) is the lowest of his professional career. His previous low 36-hole total of 130 (-14) came at the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft Heinz on the Web.com Tour.
The last time Svensson competed at PGA National Resort & Spa, he was a member of the Barry University golf team and led the Buccaneers to a 19-stroke win in the three-day event. Svensson used a second-round 64 to win the individual title by three strokes.
Players will be repaired for the third and final rounds according to scores. The leaders will play the Fazio Course in the third round and the Champion Course in the final round.
Tricia Smith elected new Canadian Olympic Committee president
Tricia Smith (The Canadian Press Images)
MONTREAL – Olympic medallist and lawyer Tricia Smith was voted president of the Canadian Olympic Committee on Sunday morning.
A four-time Olympic rower from Vancouver, Smith won silver at Los Angeles 1984 in coxless pairs with teammate Elizabeth Craig. Smith – a recipient of the Order of Canada – had been vice-president of the Canadian Olympic Committee since 2009.
“I feel enormously privileged and grateful that our sport community has entrusted me today with the leadership of the COC,” said Smith in a statement. “It’s an honour I accept with pride and gratitude at a time when the eyes of the country are upon us. Based on my platform, this endorsement sends a clear message that our members embrace the values of sport and expect integrity.”
COC board members chose between Smith and award-winning high performance coach and lawyer Peter Lawless, who will continue to serve the organization as vice-president.
Smith recently became interim president of the organization following Marcel Aubut’s resignation in early October after women accused him of sexual comments and unwanted touching.
“I will be a champion for creating a safe and inclusive environment for our employees and all those involved in the Olympic Movement in this country,” said Smith. “I will be a tireless advocate for unity, inclusiveness and collaboration with our many partners.
“We now enter an Olympic year with great excitement and anticipation. We must be at our best. We will do everything in our power to ensure we create an optimal environment for Rio 2016, so our athletes and coaches can be the very best they can be.”
Smith has served the COC in various capacities for over 30 years. Since joining the COC’s athletes’ council in 1980 as rowing’s representative, Smith has been a member of the executive, team selection, games, governance and compensation committees. She was Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2007 Pan American Games.
She is also the vice-president of the International Rowing Federation and has been a leader in creating opportunities for women in FISA, in all aspects of the sport, increasing the number of opportunities for women to compete, coach, administrate and officiate in international rowing. She has also played a strong role in FISA’s anti-doping policies as a member of the executive committee.
Smith participated in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the 1984 Los Angeles Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She qualified for the 1980 Moscow Games, but like all Canadians did not participate because of a boycott of those Olympics led by the United States after the Soviet war in Afghanistan in 1979.
Rio Olympic golf course handed over to games organizers
(Matthew Stockman/ Getty Images)
Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic golf course – slowed by environmental lawsuits, land ownership disputes and doubts it even needed to be built – was handed over Sunday to organizers of next year’s games.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes spent 15 minutes defending the course, built in the wealthy neighbourhood of Barra da Tijuca, where most Olympic venues will be located.
“If you are in politics, you always have to spend some time defending your point of view,” Paes said.
Paes spoke to several hundred guests and repeatedly thanked billionaire developer Pasquale Mauro, who stood alongside him. The developer is spending about 60 million Brazilian reals ($16.2 million) to build the course. He is also constructing luxury marble and glass high-rise apartments around the layout, which was created from a nature reserve.
The course is to remain public for at least 20 years, joining two private clubs in Rio.
The course took three years to build, and the stops and starts removed some of the glamor from golf’s return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence.
Construction started six months late. American golf architect Gil Hanse, who won the Olympic bid ahead of bigger names like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, complained early in the project he wasn’t getting paid by the developer and hinted at pulling out.
Lawsuits by environmentalists also slowed development, and there were several legal disputes about who owns the property, some of the most expensive land in the western Rio suburb.
Paes, who is mentioned as a possible candidate for Brazilian president, denied Sunday several reports that Mauro had donated to his political campaigns.
“No, not at all,” Paes said when asked by The Associated Press. “But it was not a problem if he had.”
Paes insisted Sunday that, although some of the nature reserve was bulldozed to shape the course’s grass mounds, the lion’s share was degraded land that had been a sand quarry.
“I think during the Olympic games there’s always going to be lots of controversy,” Paes said. “But people finally understood that this is a great environmental legacy, that this is a great golf course.”
The legacy for the sport is unclear.
Few people play golf in Brazil, and Paes has acknowledged the game probably has little future in the South American country. Some have compared building a golf course in Brazil to setting up a bullring in Finland.
“In Brazil I don’t think there’s much legacy for a golf course,” Paes said. “I’ve always said that. I don’t think this is something Brazil is very famous for, delivering courses. It’s not a popular sport in Brazil. But there are some things you need to do when you deliver the Olympics.”
Carlos Nuzman, the head of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, contradicted the mayor just minutes later.
“It’s a big legacy,” Nuzman said. “It’s a public golf course. There are a lot of young kids – boys and girls – who want to participate to develop golf. It’s a chance for golf in a new region of the world to be developed.”
The sure winner is probably the developer Mauro, who is building the course with private money. It follows the pattern of other Olympic projects in Rio, where large real estate interests have moved in. Another is the nearby Athletes Village – 3,600 high-end apartment units – that will be sold off after the games.
Brazil is spending about $10 billion to organize the games, a mix of public and private money, and is being buffeted by a deep recession with major cuts recently to the games’ organizing budget.
Alberto Murray Neto, a Sao Paulo lawyer and former member of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, said it was unclear why the city would press ahead with construction on legally disputed land. He and others have suggested that the Itanhanga Golf Club in Barra could have been remodeled for the Olympics, and at a lower cost.
“It seems that this is part of real estate speculation that will be favourable to the company that is building the luxury condominium just behind the Olympic course,” Murray said in an email to The Associated Press.
Team Canada’s Eric Banks falls in Argentine Amateur quarter-final
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Team Canada member Eric Banks finally ran out of steam on Friday, falling in his quarter-final match at the Argentine Amateur by 2 holes.
Banks, a Truro, N.S., native, fell at the hands of 13th seeded Luca Cianchetti of Italy at the Tortugas Country Club in the 120th running of the event. He exits competition as the 5th seed, earned by his runner-up finish in the two qualifying stroke-play rounds.
The 23-year-old had an impressive couple weeks in Argentina, which also included placing runner-up in stroke-play at the Tailhade Cup en route to winning the team event.
