Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
Did you know that Tokyo is the first city to host the Paralympic Games for a second time? Tokyo first hosted the Paralympic Games in 1964, where 378 Paralympic athletes competed for 419 medals. Now, 57 years later, 4,237 athletes will be competing for 1,522 medals. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games kick off today and run…
Collaborative sport delivery
At the Olympic Winter Games, there are 93 medals to be won across 31 events in Biathlon, Nordic Combined, Nordic Skiing, and Ski Jumping. Since 1924, Canadian athletes have won only six medals in these events—and none since 2006. Read about how the four Canadian Nordic sports are teaming up to improve their international performance…
Supporting athlete transitions out of sport
Transitioning out of sport after standing on an Olympic or Paralympic podium, or after provincial/territorial competition, can be difficult. Tips to support athlete mental health through this transition include: Detrain your body and mind to adjust to the different but challenging demands of life after sport. Find purpose in the day to day by exploring…
Equestrian sports during the pandemic
For Equestrian Canada, advancements in the use of technology allowed their sport to find novel and cost effective ways to engage with stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included working with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to have some of their events shown on its streaming platform, which has helped to increase the visibility of the…
Effective coaching
A new study has shown that coaches of Olympic gold-medal swimmers are likely to be more agreeable, less narcissistic, and have a greater perception of emotion than many of their counterparts. It also found that traits like extraversion, openness to experience, and conscientiousness have little impact on a coach’s success.
Karate
Karate is a traditional Japanese sport that originated on the island of Okinawa in the 17th century. It will be making its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 with two types of events. Kata features solo demonstrations of offensive and defensive movements that are judged, and Kumite is a sparring event in which athletes are awarded…
Triple threat
Canadian track cyclist Georgia Simmerling is the first, and only, Canadian to compete in three different sports at three different Olympic Games: alpine skiing (Vancouver 2010), ski-cross (Sochi 2014) and track cycling (Rio 2016). After claiming bronze in the women’s cycling team pursuit in Rio, Simmerling will take to the track once again in Tokyo.
How time of day effects performance
Although Olympic athletes are known for their meticulous pre-competition routines, many aspects of competition are out of their control. For example, research shows that Olympic swimmers have 0.32% improved performance when they race in the evening compared to in the morning—showing that time of day could be enough to make or break a podium performance.
Rise of the athlete voice
“As athletes, we’re being taken more seriously and senior leaders are asking for our opinions – not because they feel they have to check a box, but because they believe we have something important to bring to the table.” – Seyi Smith, Chair of the COC’s Athletes’ Commission and two-time Olympian, reflects on the rise…
Summer’s Olympics
Fourteen-year-old Toronto-based swimmer Summer McIntosh is Canada’s youngest Olympian in Tokyo. In June, the Grade 9 student won the 200m freestyle at the Canadian Olympic Trials, beating out 2016 Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak. Make sure to watch this rising star and the rest of Canada’s Olympic swim team in action until August 1 in Tokyo!