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Search for Olympic talent returns to Prince George

 

RBC Training Ground gives local athletes – no matter what sport they are involved in – the chance to test their strength, speed and endurance in front of officials from 14 Olympic sports, and earn ‘Future Olympian’ funding

On Saturday, January 20, Olympic officials will again be looking for potential new Olympians in Prince George.

Last year close to 100 athletes attended the Prince George event. Several athletes were invited for additional sport specific testing as a result of their performances in Prince George. Seven were also invited to attend the RBC Training Ground regional final in Vancouver.

This Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and RBC initiative to bring new and undiscovered athletes into Canada’s Olympic talent pool is holding an open, free, talent discovery event in Prince George on Saturday January 20. The event is one of more than 30 regional combines happening across the country in 2018.

Top performers in Prince George (and any athletes deemed to have potential) will advance to a B.C. regional final in Richmond on April 7, 2018, or begin further testing with specific sports.

In addition to training support from their existing sport or a national sport organization the athlete may not have considered, top performers also win financial support from RBC.

There is no charge to participate. Local athletes (between the ages of 14 and 25) curious about whether they might be suited to an Olympic sport are encouraged to sign up in advance at rbctrainingground.ca

At the event they will be measured for anthropometric suitability and perform speed, power, strength and endurance benchmark tests in front of officials from the Canadian Olympic Committee and 14 national sport organizations in hopes of reenergizing a dream or being discovered and directed toward an Olympic sport.

Overall, the program is designed to help fill a hole in Canada’s amateur sport system (talent identification in a country as big as Canada) and to then provide the uncovered talent with the high-performance sport resources they need to achieve their podium dreams.

Organizers expect approximately 100 athletes from the Prince George area from a wide range of traditional and non-traditional sports

Officials will be on hand from the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, Canada Snowboard, Canada Basketball, Cross Country Ski Canada, Wrestling Canada and Speed Skating Canada will join returning partners Athletics Canada, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, Canoe Kayak Canada, Cycling Canada, Rowing Canada, Rugby Canada, Freestyle Canada, Judo Canada and Water Polo Canada – searching for hidden gems and potential cross-over talent

It all gets underway at 8 a.m. Saturday, January 20, at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre with registration. Testing will be underway by 9:30 a.m. and run to approximately Noon)

To officially kick-off its third year, RBC Training Ground has added Saskatchewan and Manitoba to its regional line-up, enabling even more young Canadian athletes to compete for a prime spot with a national sport organization. In addition, the number of organizations participating in the program has grown to 14.

In 2017, more than 300 athletes out of a total of over 2,100 athletes who attended RBC Training Ground events were invited for
additional testing by a national sport governing body. Thirty athletes were then selected to receive ongoing support funding from RBC in order to pursue their Olympic dreams (including travel, coaching and nutrition expenses).

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