Released on February 3, 2014
The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to congratulate the athletes with Saskatchewan connections who will attend the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Nineteen Saskatchewan athletes qualified to compete: Chelsea Valois (Bobsleigh, Zenon Park), Lyndon Rush (Bobsleigh, Humboldt), Ben Coakwell (Bobsleigh, Moose Jaw), Graeme Rinholm (Bobsleigh, Saskatoon), Scott Perras (Biathlon, Regina), Mark McMorris (Snowboard, Regina), Hayley Wickenheiser (Hockey, Shaunavon), Ryan Getzlaf (Hockey, Regina), Patrick Marleau (Hockey, Aneroid), Chris Kunitz (Hockey, Regina), Paige Lawrence (Pairs Figure Skating, Kennedy), Rudi Sweigers (Pairs Figure Skating, Kipling), Lucas Makowsky (Speed Skating, Regina), Kali Christ (Speed Skating, Regina), Marsha Hudey (Speed Skating, White City), William Dutton (Speed Skating, Humboldt), Colette Bourgonje (Para-Nordic Cross-Country Ski, Porcupine Plain), Brittany Hudak (Para-Nordic Cross-Country Ski, Prince Albert) and Kurt Oatway (Para-Alpine, Regina).
“Congratulations, athletes, on qualifying for the upcoming Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Kevin Doherty said. “Thank you for being strong role models and exceptional ambassadors, and for showing the world that you can grow up to be a world-class hockey player, figure skater or snowboarder right here in Saskatchewan.”
Programs that promote amateur sport participation in Saskatchewan include the Sport Legacy Fund, a gift-giving program that encourages those who have benefitted from sport to make a donation to sport for the benefit of current and future amateur sport participants; SPORT. It’s More Than A Game, a campaign that aims to grow and develop amateur sport in Saskatchewan by promoting the benefits of amateur sport participation; and the Saskatchewan Program for Athletic Excellence, which helps financially support the province’s elite athletes.
“The success of our high performance athletes reflects the strong programs and resources we have in our province,” Sask Sport Inc. President Shane Reoch said. “For most athletes, they come through the Saskatchewan amateur sport programs with the support of volunteer coaches and community programs in our province. Then they move on to the programs in place for high performance athletes such as Future Best, Canadian Sport Centre, Sask and the Saskatchewan Program for Athletic Excellence. Congratulations, you make Saskatchewan and Canada proud!”
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For more information, contact:
Chelsea Coupal
Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5781
Email: chelsea.coupal@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-527-8152
Della Ruopp
Sask Sport Inc.
Regina
Phone: 306-780-9375
Email: druopp@sasksport.sk.ca
Cell: 306-570-9990