CALGARY — Roger Jackson, the man who headed the program that helped Canada enjoy its most successful Winter Olympic Games ever, will step down as chief executive officer of Own the Podium on Thursday.
Alex Baumann, a Canadian Olympic gold medallist in swimming, will be the interim CEO, OTP said in a release Monday.
“It certainly has been a privilege, and an exciting challenge to have had the opportunity to build OTP, and to work with the sport community and our government and corporate partners on such an important national project,” Jackson said.
Own the Podium was a $117-million program created with the goal of helping Canada win more medals than any other country at the Vancouver Olympics. The program was funded by the federal government and the Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee.
Money from the program was used to fund training, hire coaches and medical staff, and invest in new sports technology.
While the U.S. led the Olympic medal count with 37, Canada won 14 gold, more than any other country at a Winter Games. The Canadian total of 26 medals, including seven silver and five bronze, was the country’s best-ever showing at a Winter Olympics.
The recent federal budget promised $17 million a year for the next two years for Own the Podium. The goal for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is for Canadian athletes to have a top-12 placing.
Jackson was responsible for building and staffing the Own the Podium program. His team developed strategic and operational plans designed to meet performance objectives for the 2010 Olympic Games and to strengthen Canada’s high-performance sport system.
Chris Rudge, the outgoing CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said support for Canada’s athletes, coaches and national sport Federations has never been stronger.
“The development of sport science and research is providing tools for success that will build the foundation for future Olympians,” Rudge said in a release. “Roger had the perseverance and vision to stick to his guns through the development of this program and the sport community owes him a big thank you.”
Baumann was hired in January 2007 to direct the summer program and will direct OTP from its Ottawa office.
“Roger has been a great mentor who has shown that if you aim high and believe, great things can be achieved,” Baumann said.
Own the Podium is undergoing a review of the current program and structure and an analysis of the results achieved to date.