The Next Generation of Olympic and Paralympic Athletes — Backgrounder

Through Budget 2015, the Government of Canada committed to an investment in the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, to be matched by the private sector.

It is a priority that ensures that athletes with longer-term medal potential get the support they need to achieve their goals.

This initiative will provide $5M—to be matched by the private sector—in ongoing, annual funding to support additional coaches, improve the daily training environments of athletes, as well as invest in sport science and sport medicine services for Olympic and Paralympic athletes who have demonstrated medal potential for the subsequent Olympic or Paralympic Games.

This initiative is designed to complement the current investments in the sport system and address the gaps between the services received by targeted athletes (who have demonstrated medal potential for the upcoming Olympic or Paralympic Games) and next-generation athletes (who have demonstrated medal potential for the subsequent Olympic or Paralympic Games).

The aim of this investment is to allow next-generation athletes to get the support they need to achieve their goals.

While other programs provide funding to athletes that have already shown medal potential, this funding will support athletes who show progression toward medal potential.

Process

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), through their respective foundations, will provide the matching private sector funding, which is $4M and $1M per year respectively.

National sport organizations will put forth submissions to obtain funding for athletes with evidence of medal potential for the subsequent Olympic/Paralympic Games.

Own the Podium will be the technical agency to provide assessments of NSOs’ submissions to the initiative and will make funding recommendations to Sport Canada, the COC and the CPC.

Sport Canada, the COC and the CPC will review Own the Podium’s recommendations and determine the successful selected national sport organizations and their respective funding amounts.

Only sports, events and/or disciplines on the Olympic/Paralympic Program that are confirmed for the upcoming and subsequent Games will be considered.