Saw this on Nic’s web site. Anyone else have any other information on this?
Nicolas Macrozonaris statement regarding funding denial:
"A few days ago Athletics Canada released its funding list for the 2005-2006 season. I was surprised not to see my name on either the regular or medical application categories.
Apparently Athletics Canada did not accept the time I ran in Mexico on May 21. My request for a medical category card was denied as well. It is a matter of record that I was injured for most of the season following that Mexico race, and only ran in 3 other competitions the rest of the summer. Documents to that effect were submitted with my funding application. My fans were also kept updated of my injury status on my website.
Athletics Canada, in guiding the sport of Athletics in our country, must be, at the top, staffed largely with people who are unaware of how little they know, or, by people who simply do not care. On the other hand, it may simply be payback for my prior outspokenness about qualifying standards and other issues.
I am forced to speculate and draw my own conclusions because no one at Athletics Canada has contacted me to discuss this. What I do know is that regardless of the decision in this case, it feels, as it would for any athlete I am sure, like my country has let me down. I must now devote energies to the charade known as the appeals process, taking away from my work for the upcoming season.
I want my fans to know that I have proudly represented my country since Day 1, in the Olympic Games, World Championships and other international competitions. I will continue to do so, and will continue to remain outspoken, regardless of the outcome of this process."
I’m not surprised at all! It frustrates me to see athletes who go to these meets to run ONE round and end up as spectators. Frankly I would like to see more carding money directed into the womens program as it seems to be more promising at the moment.
Don’t write off Nick. He needs support to get the wheels back on the cart. Coaching changes- and coaching visits have led to injuries. He may not have known the importance of sticking with the person who brought him to the fore (sorry I don’t know the man) but it is the responsibility of the Federation to advise on matters of such importance, but they have lost control.
This has led to a disastrous trend in Canada lately for top athletes to run off in all directions from coach to coach as if their results had nothing to do with the coach who brought them to prominance, and the results are clear. Walking away from known talents in pursuit of some new bundle of unknowns is hardly an answer!
Having said all that, where does a federations involvement with an athlete and coach start and finish? I’ve spoken with some junior Canadian world and pan am team members and they speak of the horror stories in how they manage a team! So I would find it hard to trust their advice or recommendations in such decisions.
So is it simply a matter of waiting for new talent to come about before they start redirecting the funds? One can’t help to feel some of the athletes that have been “on top” of Canadian track and field have lost that sense of urgency. When you know that you’ll be on a team regardless of circumstances it’s easy to become…I guess passive or comlacent. :o
So stress the top athlete in your country by cutting them off and making them more desperate…BRILLIANT!
No, I agree with Charlie here: “He needs support to get the wheels back on the cart. Coaching changes- and coaching visits have led to injuries. He may not have known the importance of sticking with the person who brought him to the fore”
Lets break this down:
1: The level of incompetence from the administration is equal for the new as well as the old.
2: The admin has dropped Anson Henry as well as Nic, thus destroying the relay- the event where most Canadian medals came from and the easiest place to get medals in the future.
3: Both these athletes had their year destroyed by following the admin’s advice on who to train with. These injuries have been seen time and again, with no lessons learned.
4: A quick perusal of the carding list will tell you if all the remaining cards have more potential than these two.
5: The relays were a disaster because those in charge had relay camps in March when the athletes were least ready, and, if that wasn’t stupid enough, ran speed sessions for a week straight and THEN ran races, where qualifying standards were predictably missed.
6: If you wait for new talent, you will wait till HELL FREEZES OVER.
7:As a corollary, if you think your job as an administrator is only to wait, you should be booted out before another dime is wasted!
8: The athletes havn’t lost a sense of urgency- they’ve lost a sense of possibility. A self-fulfilling prophesy.
Touche… I was unaware of AC’s level of involvement with coach selection .
But should one receive funding/support just because they’re the best a country has to offer!?! Sadly, to be the best in Canada in some of the events doesn’t mean alot and hasn’t for a little while now .
Interesting about the Relay. This is where UKA is putting a lot of funding because they see it as thier best chance of winning medals. Gerald Mach talks about how good relay practice can lead to spectacular results in his training manual. For once the UK is on the ball with this area!
Coaching selection is indirect via funding to training camps under certain conditions. As for involvement, I’d say the opposite is the case, with insufficient support for existing coaching situations leaving athletes running from pillar to post.
Now the ability to intervene is gone as everyone, from athletes to Sport Canada, recognizes this crew’s lack of credibility.
I love the fact that we hired 17 new staff for athletics canada, lets say an average of 45k each thats around 765,000 dollars being put into staff, and we can assume some are getting paid more then that!. That could fund training camps and or a lot of athletes, but instead we pay ppl who have no idea and are worried about “marketing” when there is nothing to market!“oh but we looked good in are gear!”
Don’t forget, whatever salary you calculate, double it for office expenses etc. This, however, is one thing that’s not AC’s fault. Sport Canada offers salaries for staff and they can either take it or leave it. It isn’t possible to transfer one expense to another cause.
I was unaware of AC’s level of involvement with coach selection 
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