Don't you think they'd spend it if they had it? Canada does not subsidize skating, nor should they tax people for an elite Olympic sport. They aren't China. The world is on the brink of financial collapse. Where do you suggest they find the money? Health care rationing worsens. Canada has all the problems we do. It's great to be a fan but not live in a skating bubble.
They had to suspend their popular skater/hockey show, Blades of whatever for lack of money. It simply is not there. The money, and of course in bad times, extras get cut out. Hockey will survive as it generates money, but the WC Chan is losing money not making it.
I agree Joannie should not be pressured, but she seems to be in excellent shape, free of injuries. Plushenko is lauded, and he is older and has had surgeries. Joannie has the talent and the motivation. They just don't have any really good Olympic caliber skaters right now and I support her if she returns. She is beautiful to watch.
There are a number of things that Canada and Provinces can do to fix the funding model. Right now, all the funds are showered on the top few skaters in each discipline. There is nothing to help out families as skaters develop through the ranks for many years. Unless a skater has a lot of family money, there is a tremendous amount of sacrifice made by the skater and the entire family. In order for that sacrifice to be worthwhile, a skater and family need to have a strong reason to continue in the sport: either a solid chance of eventually reaching the top ranks, and/or a belief in all the other benefits that are gained through the sport. (For example, Michael Phelps swims because it is an antidote for ADD and behaviour/achievement concerns.) If you are a parent of a young lady in the sport in Canada, and you do not have a ton of money, you are going to look at the prospects of your daughter against hundreds across the country. There are probably 40 or 50 ladies competing at Pre-Novice and Novice at the Sectional level. Your daughter would need to qualify in the top 4 in order to go to Challenge, and then, at Novice, finish top 18 in order to even get the right to compete at Nationals. It's going to take a lot of years and money and development to get to top 5 in Canada at Novice, Junior or Senior. With so many other sports that don't cost this much money at the development level, it is not surprising that we in Canada would lose a ton of great lady skaters. They just don't stick around long enough to develop to their potential. They don't see their way through, or the cost for very uncertain benefits are just too great. I also think there are less and less parents willing to make Houdini-like sacrifices personally for their kids to compete at a high level. There are also many other sporting opportunities for girls: basketball, soccer, volleyball, cycling, speed skating, etc. Hockey for women is huge in Canada. It's a team sport, and therefore often a whole lot more fun than skating can be. When skating is a too often seen as corrupt, full of favouritism, and basically a glorified beauty contest (the Salt Lake scandal only reinforced those notions), then the cost/benefit is a lot harder to make.
I think the new judging system is helping to bring credibility back. Good role models like Kurt Browning, Joannie, Scott and Tessa, Dylan and KMT, and Andrew and Kaitlyn are helping tremendously. But now we need to address funding, not just for the ladies, but all competitive athletes associated with national sporting associations, and competing at a Provincial or National level. Canada especially is in a much better financial position than many other countries. It's a fact. It will be impacted by global events, but the fundamentals mean that Canada is in a better position now and in the future. The reality is that there are people with lots of money in Canada. And they currently reduce their tax load by giving away their money to things that are important to them. This is money that already doesn't go to healthcare or the government coffers in general - or to the CBC which is government funded, and which produces Battle of the Blades. Corporations do this, as well as individuals. This is not about government funding. It's about spreading around and maybe increasing slightly money that already doesn't go to the government. It should be possible for these corporations and individuals to support local athletes at the development level as part of this yearly give away of money. That doesn't mean money will dry up completely for cancer research funding. That's silly. It means that some money can go to sports, especially where corporations and individuals see local talent deserving of support, as well as cancer research. And it's not a dollar for dollar benefit. It's a portion of a dollar, which is at least a small benefit to encourage more giving. We need to get into a mindset that supporting so called elite athletes benefits the broader society. (I will never understand the disdain for elite athletes in Canada. We are ok with supporting a local soccer team of little kids, but we somehow think it is wrong to support athletes who are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to hopefully one day represent their country?? We want them to succeed on the world stage, but are unwilling to acknowledge them outside of competition, almost like they have a disease because they are "elite". The stereotypes around "elite" athletes is just odd to me.) Good role models and athletes encourage the over all activity level of kids and young people, and the other skills learned in the sport mean that many athletes become the next generation of leaders. All of us need healthy minds and bodies. Skating, along with other sports, help achieve that balance, even if a young athlete never makes it to the big leagues. That's good for society and the tax burden on many levels. Many skaters I know are also great students, and achieve good things beyond the world of skating. Skating should not be just for the financially rich. It should be for the athletes who have the dedication, desire, mindset, passion, work ethic - a big dream with a plan to get there - as well as talent. Greater community involvement and support will produce better results as more athletes stay in the sport and the best rise to the top, which will also result in a wider viewing audience and increasing popularity in the sport, which will result in greater participation, etc..
