The federal government says it is doubling annual funding for the Next Gen athlete program to $10 million, with private-sector donors matching the amount beginning this year.
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The federal government has announced it is doubling its annual investment in the Next Gen athlete program to $10 million, starting this year with private-sector donors matching the amount dollar-for-dollar.
Officials say the announcement, made Thursday by the federal government, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, brings total annual public-private investment in the program to more than $20 million.
Launched in 2017, Next Gen is designed to support emerging high-performance athletes on the path to future Olympic and Paralympic Games by providing access to coaching, training environments, competition opportunities and sport science expertise.
According to the Canadian Olympic Committee, 401 athletes who came through the Next Gen program have gone on to the Olympic Games, and 134 have gone on to the Paralympic Games.
The committee also says 62 per cent of Canada’s Olympians at the Milan Cortina Games benefited from Next Gen support, including 15 of the country’s 21 medallists.
On the Paralympic side, the committee says 65 per cent of Canada’s team received Next Gen support, accounting for 16 of Canada’s 30 medallists.
Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State for Sport, said in a statement that “Canada’s top athletes are a great source of pride for our entire country, and our government is committed to investing in their success on the world stage,” adding that the partnership with the private sector will bring “new investment into Canadian sport to support the next generation of Team Canada athletes.”
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