Baumman and Scott laid out a model for the future that focuses on sports excellence and delegates seemed to appreciate the new found approach after years of the "status quo". However, how one defines excellence is another matter in itself.
In the last decade Athletics Canada and Swimming Canada have seen two athletes, men or woman - Perdita Felicien and Brent Hayden - ranked #1 in the world. Meanwhile boxing has had four different men (Lucien Bute, Steve Molitor, Arturo Gatti and Jean Pascal ) who have been ranked at the very top of their sport.
But when one examines as to who benefits from the Own the Podium funding model we see that Athletics Canada and Swimming Canada are the beneficiaries at the expense of boxing. In 2009-2010 Athletics Canada and Swimming Canada are slated to receive $2,811,000 and $3,314,000 respectively in Own the Podium funding. Meanwhile, Boxing's take from the Own the Podium program is $0.
Basketball Canada produced arguably Canada's most dominant and successful athlete over the course of the last decade in Steve Nash. Meanwhile the Canadian Fencing Federation has never had an athlete stand on the Olympic podium and the sport while improving is a virtual after-thought of the Canadian public. However, it is the Canadian Fencing Federation who is the beneficiary of the Own the Podium funding model not Basketball. The Canadian Fencing Federation will receive $860,000 in sport funding in 2009-2010. Basketball $0.
Justin Morneau - became the second Canadian to win the MVP Award in Major League Baseball in 2006. Trampoline has never had a Canadian ranked higher than second in the world. No matter, it is trampoline that receives $960,000 in annual funding from the Own the Podium program . Baseball Canada gets nothing.
Perhaps it is time for the Own the Podium program to re-evaluate its definition of excellence.
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