The new season gives Canadian athletes aged 14 to 25 the opportunity to explore thirteen Team Canada Games sports for free, including speed skating
Toronto, January 16, 2024 – Speed Skating Canada will once again search for Olympic talent through the RBC Training Ground program and athletes are encouraged to register for the new season testis.
This year, the program will welcome two new sports partners, visit three new markets and continue its efforts to break down barriers to participation in sports by reaching diverse communities across Canada through 19 free qualifying events.
“What started in 2016 as an idea to discover the next generation of Team Canada has since become a cornerstone in the development of Olympic talent in this country. It is a testament to the raw athletic skills we see in “Across Canada, and the program’s ability to break down barriers for young athletes who may not otherwise have the opportunity to achieve their Olympic dreams.” “There is no doubt about the power of sport to unite and inspire communities, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners to discover future Canadian Olympians.” “
Speed Skating Canada, a long-time participant in the RBC Training Ground program, is proud to announce the addition of three new athletes – Julia Sungrove (Dartmouth, NS), Keira Bagge (Montreal, QC) and Myriam Gohar (Sherbrooke, QC) – have been selected for funding based on 2023 assembly and testing results. They join Fergus English (Saskatoon, SK), Aimé Perrault (Saint-Romuald, QC), Serena Dallaire (Saskatoon, SK), and Ryan Kulbacki (Winnipeg MB), who are entering their year The second is funded as part of the programme.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics just around the corner, up to 20 RBC Training Center graduates are preparing for spots on Team Canada. This would mark a major milestone for the program after five graduates represented Canada at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games and eight graduates competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Among them are Avalon graduates Wasteneys (gold, Tokyo 2020, rowing), Pierce LePage ( Decathlon World Champion) and two athletes who had no Olympic experience until they competed in the RBC Training Ground event, Kelsey Mitchell (gold, Tokyo 2020, track cycling) and Marion Thénault (bronze, Beijing 2022, freestyle skiing).
“With so many incredible success stories, the RBC Training Ground has become an integrated program for fostering future Olympic talent,” said Jacqueline Ryan, COC Chief Commercial and Brand Officer and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. “We are pleased to continue our partnership with RBC on this important program as we work together to support Team Canada on the road to Paris 2024 and beyond.”
New markets hosting qualifying events in 2024 include the Northern Ontario (Sudbury), Durham (Whitby) and Halton (Milton) regions. Returning markets include Thompson, Man., Winnipeg, Man., Hamilton, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia, with priority given to diverse and Indigenous communities. The full schedule of 2024 RBC Training Ground qualifying events is available at RBCTrainingGround.ca.
In these free qualifying events, athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 compete in tests of speed, strength, power and endurance in front of National Sports Organization (NSO) partners. This year the program welcomes two new NSO partners, Football (Flag) Canada and Squash Canada, who will be participating for the first time at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. They are joined by several long-standing partners including Rugby Canada, Rowing Canada and Speed Skating Canada.
The top 100 athletes from the qualifiers will advance to the national final and 30 future Olympians will receive RBC funding and resources to further develop their sport. Last week, RBC Training Ground announced… RBC Future Olympians 2023 List.
The RBC Training Ground was developed in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic Foundation, and with support from the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sports Institute Network. Since its inception in 2016, the RBC Training Ground has tested more than 14,000 athletes across Canada, with more than 1,600 athletes identified by national statistical organizations as having Olympic potential – many in sports they had never previously considered. Registration and the latest event information for all local RBC Training Ground events is available at RBCTrainingGround.ca.
