February 13/10 10:24 am - Canadians Want Canada to Own the Podium in 2010 and Beyond

Posted by Editoress on 02/13/10
 

In the lead up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, a poll conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of the Sport Matters Group indicates that a strong majority of Canadians believe that it is important for Canada to finish amongst the top-3 nations in total medal count (73%). Similarly, more than seven out of ten Canadians expressed their support for investing in and continuing a performance focused initiative like Own the Podium in the post-2010 era (74%). This level of support applies across all age groups, genders, education levels and regions, with Quebecers more likely to express their support for both the performance objective and the initiative (85% and 79%, respectively.)

The poll also sought the views of Canadians on the impact of a potential top-3 result in podium performances during the Olympic Games. 9 out of 10 Canadians felt this would have a positive impact on national pride (91%) while almost 8 in 10 had the same view on national unity (79%).

Motivating more Canadians to participate in winter sport (84%) and in physical activity in general (77%) was also seen as a positive impact of the potential result.

“This snapshot tells us that on the eve of the Games, Canadians want to see Canadian athletes on the medal podium on the world stage. They want to see us achieve our goals as a nation in Vancouver and they want to see us continue on this path in the years ahead. It’s also clear that Canadians are making a connection between achieving our Olympic goals and other national priorities, like national unity, community sport participation and healthy active living for Canadians,” remarked Ian Bird, Senior Leader of the Sport Matters Group.

“These are indicators that we plan to track over the coming weeks, through the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as in the months that follow. The sport community wants to meet the expectations of Canadians and this kind of information will help us stay on track.”

Visit www.sportmatters.ca to view the detailed tables, data breakdowns and methodology.

The Sport Matters Group (SMG) is a voluntary group of Canadian sport and physical activity leaders who work together to advance the important contribution that sport makes to society, to strengthen public policy and to promote innovation in sport systems.