July 15/04 7:10 am - Make an Olympic Choice

Posted by Editor on 07/15/04
 

Make an Olympic Choice

Randy Starkman, a sports writer with the Toronto Star, today put forward the name of judo athlete Nicolas Gill for Canadian flag bearer in Athens. While we are sure that Gill is a strong candidate, we would like to put forward another name: Alison Sydor.

Consider. Alison Sydor will be attending her fourth Olympic Games in Athens. At the Olympics, she has a silver medal (1996), 12th (1992) and 5th (2000). On the world cycling scene, Sydor is a three time world champion, three time World Cup champion, many time world number one ranked (currently number two), and holds a record unlikely ever to be equalled - 13 consecutive top-5 finishes in the world championships, with a total of 9 medals. In 1991, Sydor won a bronze medal at the Road World Championships, and two weeks later finished fifth at her first Mountain Bike World Championships.

In a sport constantly under attack (often unfairly) for drug use, Sydor stands out as a rider known for her scrupulous fair play and passion for the sport. She was one of the founders of Kids on the Shore, a Vancouver-based organization of professional cyclists that encourages the participation of kids in cycling.

In the 15 years that I have personally known Alison, she has always been one of the most respected athletes in Canadian sports. It is time to recognize this.

Want to support Alison Sydor as flag bearer? Send a message to the COC: Mark Lowry - Executive Director, Sport, Caroline Assalian - Director, High Performance & Games. Pass this message on to everyone you know, and let's support a cyclist who has done us all proud.