OTTAWA, April 19, 2007 - Podium Canada announced today that performance technology expert Emil Kossev has joined the Road To Excellence initiative in the position of Performance Technology Advisor. Kossev is scheduled to begin his duties this week and will report to Podium Canada's Director of Sport Sciences, Medicine and Technology, Dr. Peter Davis.
As a Performance Technology Advisor, Kossev will be responsible for providing mentoring support to Canada's targeted summer sports as part of their preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. Kossev will also assist in the development and implementation of a new national "Train The Trainer" program that will focus on building capacity among Canada's summer and winter National Sport Federations (NSFs) and Canadian Sport Centres (CSCs) while also educating technical staff in the areas of applied high performance technology and advanced video systems.
As a U.S. national team rowing coach for the past nine years, Kossev has obtained extensive knowledge and expertise in integrating advanced video feedback into an athlete's training regimen. Since 1992, twenty-eight of Kossev's athletes and crews have earned medals in elite international competition through the utilization of leading edge performance technologies.
"Kossev's proven track record of successfully merging scientific theory and methodology with applied technologies in order to maximize and sustain athletic performance will be a tremendous asset to Canada's Olympic and Paralympic teams," said Dr. Davis.
"When fractions of a second are what make the difference between podium performances and fourth-place finishes, it is vital that our technical staff and coaches take advantage of today's latest technologies for training and competition," said Kossev. "With just over one year before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games, these innovative training techniques will be key in helping Canada's athletes and coaches achieve podium success in Beijing."
The Road To Excellence program is a national sport initiative designed to provide high performance leadership and technical support to Canada's Olympic and Paralympic summer sports, leading to a more coordinated, effective and sustainable Canadian sport system supported by world-class programs, policies and financing to help Canada achieve international podium success.
Podium Canada is a high performance technical advisory body that makes funding recommendations to the national funding partners for enhanced resources for National Sport Federations and Canadian Sport Centres based on expert analysis.