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Search on for future Olympians

The ultimate sports combine is about to hit the Foothills. In search of future Olympic level athletes the RBC Training Ground comes to the Crescent Point Field House on April 1 as a measure of speed, power, strength and endurance.

The ultimate sports combine is about to hit the Foothills.

In search of future Olympic level athletes the RBC Training Ground comes to the Crescent Point Field House on April 1 as a measure of speed, power, strength and endurance.

Athletes aged 14 to 25 are invited to attempt to hit performance benchmarks set by national sport organizations as a means to scout out talent for the next wave of Olympians.

“They bring in a whole team of people to test the local athletes,” said Shannon Kleibrink, 2006 Olympic bronze medallist, and field house general manager. “Ultimately, the one that wins from our area will go to WinSport for another competition and the ones who come out of there will get trips to the Olympics and RBC funding.

“They don’t have to be in a sport already, it’s just to identify raw athletic talent.”

For most athletes there are a few detours along the way prior to finding the right fit or the proper sport for the characteristics of the individual.

Kleibrink, who represented Canada in curling at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, didn’t have a direct path into the roaring game before finding terrific success on the sheets.

“I stumbled into it,” Kleibrink said with a laugh. “I liked fastball as a kid and thought curling was boring. I ended up in it somehow.”

This marks the second year of the RBC Training Ground initiative.

In 2016, 400 athletes were tested at four regional workouts which saw 94 of those tested meet the stated benchmarks and from there 25 went on to receive funding.

In 2017, that list is set to expand with up to 2,500 diamond in the rough competitors being tested.

“RBC Training Ground offers a tremendous opportunity for young athletes to open their minds to a sport they may not have considered,” said Curt Harnett, three-time Olympic medallist and RBC Training Ground advocate, in a press release.

“Growing up I was focused on a hockey career, and was lucky enough to have a high school coach who introduced me to cycling. Just a few years later, I was standing on the Olympic podium with a silver medal around my neck and grateful to my coach for seeing my potential.”

Each local qualifier will see up to 11 national sport organizations represented as a means to assess the athletes potential including Athletics Canada, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, Canoe Kayak Canada, Cycling Canada, Rowing Canada and Rugby Canada. New organizations at the training ground events this year are Alpine Canada (Ski Cross), Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, Judo Canada, Triathlon Canada and Water Polo Canada.

Those interested in registering for the free event at the Crescent Pointe Field House can do so at rbctraininground.ca


Remy Greer

About the Author: Remy Greer

Remy Greer is the assistant editor and sports reporter for westernwheel.ca and the Western Wheel newspaper. For story tips contact [email protected]
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