Funding was announced Monday for Saanich’s Commonwealth Pool. The province announced $100,000 to help high-performance athletes access the facility in preparation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. (Lisa Beare/Twitter)
The B.C. government is stepping up with funding so Olympic athletes eyeing Tokyo in 2020 can keep training here on the island.
The province is pouring in $100,000 into Commonwealth Place in Saanich, covering a two-year funding shortfall that would have left Olympic and Paralympic athletes preparing for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, without proper training.
“Saanich Commonwealth Pool is a critical training ground in the pursuit of the international podium for Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes connected to the aquatic sports,” said Anne Merklinger, Own the Podium’s chief executive officer.
“This much-needed investment by the B.C. government reinforces the important role sport plays on Canada’s West Coast and ensures the lane to Tokyo 2020 for these athletes will continue to flow through Victoria.”
The investment will reduce the costs associated with high-performance aquatics training at the pool, supporting around 600 club-based Olympic athletes who use the facility’s athletic resources.
The 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics take place July 24 to Sept. 6 in Tokyo.
#Saanich Commonwealth Place provides a unique daily training environment for community club-based athletes to train beside national team athletes. We know the hard work, focus and dedication required to represent the Province or Canada in national and international competitions. pic.twitter.com/8blQDWDhux
— Lisa Beare (@lisabeare) April 8, 2019
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