Crafty Canadians allegedly ensuring home-ice advantage

With Wednesday marking 100 days out from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the Canadians' attempts to protect their home-turf advantage as they try to top the medal chart are ruffling Olympic officials internationally.
U.S. officials and athletes have alleged for months that Canada is limiting access to training at the 2010 venues more than the USA did before the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

"It's less," said Mike English, the U.S. Olympic Committee's chief of sport performance. "I don't have a number. We haven't tracked that."

The British Olympic Association recently complained to the International Olympic Committee about lack of access to the 2010 skeleton track.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee is "following the rules of access" to venues established by each sport's governing body, Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC's executive vice president for sport and Games operations, said in a statement.

Practice time on tracks, ski runs and ice sheets is key because familiarity with drops, turns and ice conditions can provide a competitive advantage. The USA and Canada are expected to be in a tight medals race after finishing second and third, respectively, in the 2006 medal count.

"It just seems like (Canadian athletes) have spent quite a bit more time than everybody else" at the 2010 speedskating venue, U.S. speedskater Chad Hedrick said, "and I think everybody should have equal rights to use the facility."

USA Luge CEO Ron Rossi said the Canadians got extra time on the 2002 track prior to the Salt Lake City Games, but "when we asked for the same thing (for 2010), they said, 'no, its not going to happen.'"

Source: USATODAY.com

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BlueNation said:

Canada is a pathetic excuse of a country.

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FPS said:

Its all good, we are going to destroy in the Winter Olympics and stop your cheating.

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BlueNation said:

Canada is a pathetic excuse of a country.

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Gtown said:

at least Canada has home grown athletes rather than getting other athletes from all over the world, just take a look at all of the American athletes and I'm sure most of them have European names

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Gtown said:

at least Canada has home grown athletes rather than getting other athletes from all over the world, just take a look at all of the American athletes and I'm sure most of them have European names

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BlueNation said:

Canada is a pathetic excuse of a country.

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JoshHoward5 said:

I'm sorry that people from all over the world want to come to America for great opportunity, instead of going to America's hat.

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ROCKSTAR said:

im sorry more people immigrate to canada then the states, and more of our athletes are homegrown.

can we lock this before i get banned please. theres enough uninformed douchebag comments from americans

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