Canadas shameful performance.

[5bigtoes]

I got to admit, I was very anxious to see Perdita kick some Yank ass!!! What a let down not to be able to even compete...I feel awful for her...the question is can she come back or is this going to haunt her forever?

 

[Jinky]

She claimed to be "in the zone" for this race.

Well Christ, I'd hate to see her run on an off day.


Who was she racing against in this photo? David Bowie?

 

[termatofylakas]

I don't feel bad at all for Perdita, I feel bad for the Russian woman whose last four years have been wasted by something she could not prevent. I hope Perdita at least comes out and apologizes. Although it might sound something like "Sorry for ruining your chance at gold" at least she can say she attempted to apologize. If I am the Russian woman I'd be pretty ticked off right now.

 

[Dude]

Read here, or check the source.

Prémont Takes Silver

CANADIAN SILVER MEDALIST MOUNTAIN BIKING SPONSORS, Rocky Mountain BICYCLES and Business Objects, call on more companies to support Canadian athletes

Vancouver, B.C. -- August 27, 2004 --- Following the success of Canadian mountain bike riders Marie-Hélène Prémont and Alison Sydor in Athens today, Rocky Mountain Bicycles and Business Objects are calling on Canadian companies to increase their support for Canadian athletes.


Marie-Hélène Prémont of Chateau-Richer, Quebec, won a Silver medal in the Olympic women's mountain bike competition. Alison Sydor of Victoria, British Columbia, followed Prémont, ranking fourth overall. Both ride professionally for the Rocky Mountain Business Objects Mountain Biking Team.


Rocky Mountain Bicycles, a Canadian company that has been hand-building mountain bikes in Vancouver for over 20 years, has supported and paid the salaries of its riders at various levels since 1991. In 2002 Business Objects became the co-title sponsor of the Rocky Mountain Business Objects Mountain Biking Team. Business Objects is the World's leading business intelligence software company. It is headquartered in Paris, France, and has its largest employee base in Vancouver, Canada.


"As sponsored riders with the Rocky Mountain Business Objects Mountain Biking Team, Marie-Hélène Prémont and Alison Sydor have been able to dedicate their time to improving their performance. This has greatly contributed to their success today," said Jean Poisson, General Manager, Rocky Mountain Bicycles. "But the fact is companies can get as much from sponsoring athletes as the athletes do."


"Sponsoring athletes is not only about corporate branding," said David Swanson, Vice President, Human Resources of Business Objects. "Our co-sponsorship of the Rocky Mountain Business Objects Mountain Biking Team provides us with an ideal opportunity to encourage health and well being among our employees."


Business Objects is the world's leading business intelligence software company, with close to 4000 employees in 22 countries. Business Objects currently employs 1150 people in Canada. The company regularly hosts company events lead by world class team athletes, such as cycling skills building clinics, motivational talks and post-race slide shows and barbeques.


Marie-Hélène Prémont finished the race in one hour, 57 minutes and 50 seconds to win a Silver medal. Alison Sydor followed closely behind Prémont, placing fourth after finishing the race in one hour, 59 minutes and 47 seconds. About Rocky Mountain Bicycles Rocky Mountain Bicycles has been hand-building bicycles since its inception in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1985. Its mission is to create a high-grade quiver of bikes that meets the needs of the myriad of road and off-road cyclists. To do this, Rocky Mountain Bicycles pays particular attention to innovation, quality and detail. Rocky Mountains Bicycles hand builds all bicycles and wheels in Vancouver, British Columbia, offering bikes to people who love to ride, designed and built by people who love to ride. Rocky Mountain bicycles are sold word wide by a network of dedicated dealers. For more information on Rocky Mountain Bicycles, visit www.bikes.com.


About Business Objects Business Objects is the world's leading business intelligence (BI) software company. Business intelligence enables organizations to track, understand, and manage enterprise performance. The company's solutions leverage the information that is stored in an array of corporate databases, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.


Popular uses of BI include enterprise reporting, management dashboards and scorecards, customer intelligence applications, financial reporting, and both customer and partner extranets. These solutions enable companies to gain visibility into their business, acquire and retain profitable customers, reduce costs, optimize the supply chain, increase productivity, and improve financial performance.


In December 2003, Business Objects completed the acquisition of Crystal Decisions, the leader in enterprise reporting. The combined product line includes software for reporting, query and analysis, performance management, analytic applications, and data integration. In addition, Business Objects offers consulting and education services to help customers effectively deploy their business intelligence projects.


Business Objects has more than 26,000 customers in over 80 countries. The company's stock is traded under the ticker symbols NASDAQ: BOBJ and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 - BOB). It is included in the SBF 120 and IT CAC 50 French stock market indexes. Business Objects can be reached at 408-953-6000 and http://www.businessobjects.com. . ### Business Objects, the Business Objects logo, Crystal Reports, and Crystal Enterprise are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects SA or its affiliated companies in the United States and other countries.

Rant 2, on.

I had lunch today with Dave Murray, the operations manager @ Rocky Mountain. They're proud of Marie-Hélène Prémont, but fully expecting to lose her to Trek or Cannondale next season. They won't be able to afford to keep her. That said, they're happy for her, and happy to have contributed to her success.

As I've stated before, Rocky is an anomaly in the cycling world...a Canadian company actually investing in international competition exposure. They do it here, and on the DH & Freeride scenes. Prémont's silver out of nowhere will likely mean she will be offered- and accept- a big money offer to ride for an American team. Once again, the best "minor league" system in mountain biking- riding for Rocky Mountain- has produced a world class athlete that has produced for our nation. Had she been on her own, and racing as a true amateur, she would not have stood a chance.

The only reason Alison Sydor is now racing for a Canadian team is because she can't command the big money from an American squad anymore. Again, a great athlete who has raced for her country in now four Olympics- while winning three World Championships- who owes thanks to mostly American companies for the 6 figure contracts and open wallets.

Lori-Ann Muenzer, bless her heart and desire to win, went to the games in debt from funding herself in track cycling. She couldn't afford to bring her coach over, or even a suitable set of replacement parts to see her through. During the comp, she blew out two wheels and a couple of tubulars, too. The wheel go for about $2,500.00 apiece. The tires, about $200.00 each. She was forced to borrow the parts from her competitors to continue on.

Against all odds, she wins a gold.

So, should we be proud of our country, or our athletes? Well, there is absolutely no way in hell our politicians can take any credit for the few good results our athletes have had. They all have done it against the odds. Especially Shewfelt & Muenzer...ironically, our only two gold medallists.
Personally, I'm as proud a Canadian as they come, but I am ashamed of how we, as a nation, chose to support our athletes whom dedicate themselves to representing us. We have the athletes. They have the talent. They live in one of the riches countries in the world. Why can't we find a way to support them?

Rant 2, Over.

 

[termatofylakas]

Great rant and great race by her Dude, but what is an armature?

 

[Dude]

Don't know what you're on about.