January 11/05 12:26 pm - Awards Announced: Dahle Wins Multiple Awards in Norway, Lalonde Wins Sport Official Award, The Broken Spoke Award to Dalton McGuinty

Posted by Editor on 01/11/05
 

Dahle Wins Norwegian Awards, Donates $30,000 to Tsunami Relief
Courtesy Harald Nybru

Olympic Mountain Bike Champion, Gunn Rita Dahle was awarded 3 prizes in the Athlete's Awards in Hamar, Norway on January 8th.

She was awarded the Endurance prize, The Athletes Prize (Athletes in Norway voted to award this prize to Gunn Rita) and the third prize she was awarded was 'The Name of the Year' prize (a People's Choice Award).

Gunn Rita sold her 'Name of the Year' prize in auction, and she gave the money (approx. CAN $30 000) to the Tsunami victims in South East Asia.


Lalonde Wins Sport Official Award

Sports Officials of Canada (SOC) and Fox 40 International Inc. announced today that Louise Lalonde of St-Sauveur, Que., and Graham Waters of Halifax are the winners of the Kitch MacPherson Fox40/SOC Sport Official Awards.

Lalonde has been a cycling official for 34 years and has worked at numerous international events including the Tour de France, the 1992 Olympics, a Pan Am Games and two Commonwealth Games in addition to many world championships and World Cups. In 2004 she was the first woman to be Chief Commissaire at a Paralympic Games.

Waters is in his 26th year as a squash official. He is one of only nine referees appointed by the World Squash Federation and is the director of the rules and referees committee. He worked at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and several world championships. He has also conducted clinics and seminars for current and aspiring squash officials on every continent.


Broken Spoken Award to Dalton McGuinty

The Cycle Canada Report has announced the Broken Spoke Award for 2004. The first annual award goes to Ontario's Premier Dalton McGuinty. In October the Premier announced $5 million annual funding for Active 2010 "to increase participation in sport and physical activity throughout Ontario". By January 2005 the program was promoting a new contest with a prize of a new car.

An early contender for the award was the Rochester - Toronto ferry service for its innovative fare structure that was a world beater in gouging cyclists. However due the financial difficulties of that organization it was dropped from the competition.

The Broken Spoke Award is an annual award given to a government representative, politician, department, agency or corporation who has demonstrated an exceptional lack of understanding towards the cycling community.

Voting is now open for the 2005 award. Submissions will be accepted at any time during the year and a final decision will be made in January 2006.

www.CycleCanada.com/Report/