Thursday, December 18, 2014

The Heartbeat: The schedule of upcoming races and events in Canada & on TV


In case you missed my announcement, Olympic Hearts will be expanding soon to Olympic Hearts Canada Sports, or simply OHCanada Sports (www.ohcanadasports.ca). You can read more by clicking here. Be the first to find out when the website goes live by following on Twitter @ohcanadasports or liking our Facebook page.

My top picks:
  • Bobsleigh/Skeleton World Cup in Calgary
  • first Track Cycling events being held at Milton Velodrome
  • Alpine Skiing televised on CBC and Sportsnet

If I have missed an event being held in Canada or an event that is televised or livestreamed, feel free to contact me on Twitter @olympichearts or email suzanne@ohcanadasports.ca

***************************************************************************

Upcoming Events in Canada

Bobsleigh Skeleton World Cup
December 19-20
Calgary
More info
televised on Sportsnet

Hockey World Junior Championships
December 26-January 5
Montreal and Toronto
More info

Long Track Speed Skating Canadian Championships
January 2-5
Calgary
More info

Track Cycling Canadian Championships
January 3-6
Milton
More info

Track Cycling World Cup
January 9-11
Milton
More info

Moguls World Cup
January 3
Calgary
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Various sports
Upcoming Pan Am Games Test Events: Click here

***************************************************************************

Televised Events
(all times Eastern unless otherwise noted)

Alpine Skiing Men's Downhill - Val Gardena
livestream 6:15am Friday  cbcsports.ca
televised Saturday 2:30pm CBC
(also Super-G this weekend)

Alpine Skiing Women's Downhill - Val D'Isere
Saturday 12pm Sportsnet (4:00pm Sportsnet ONE)
Sunday 2pm Sportsnet ONE

Alpine Skiing Men's GS
Sunday 2:30pm Sportsnet ONE (also 9pm)

Figure Skating Grand Prix Final (recorded last weekend)
Saturday 4pm Men's Free and Pairs Free
Sunday 1pm Dance Free and Ladies Free

Bobsleigh Skeleton World Cup from Calgary (Sportsnet ONE)
Friday 4:15pm Women's Skeleton
Friday 5:15pm Men's Skeleton
Friday midnight (Sat 12:00am) 2-Man Bobsleigh
Saturday 2:15pm Women's Bobsleigh
Saturday 3:15pm Men's Skeleton
Saturday 5pm 4-Man Bobsleigh (also 10:30pm)
rebroadcast on Sunday afternoon


***************************************************************************

Other Events

Snowboard Parallel Slalom
Dec 17-19
Austria
More info

Ski Jumping World Cup
Dec 19-21
Switzerland
More info

Cross-Country World Cup
Dec 20-21
Switzerland
More info

Nordic Combined World Cup
Dec 20-21
Austria
More info

Aerials World Cup
Dec 20-21
China
More info

Alpine Skiing Men's Slalom
December 22
Italy
More info

Biathlon World Cup
Dec 18-21
Slovenia
More info

Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
Dec 19-21
South Korea
More info

Friday, December 12, 2014

The Heartbeat: The schedule of upcoming races and events in Canada & on TV


In case you missed my announcement, Olympic Hearts will be expanding soon to Olympic Hearts Canada Sports, or simply OHCanada Sports (www.ohcanadasports.ca). You can read more by clicking here. Be the first to find out when the website goes live by following on Twitter @ohcanadasports or liking our Facebook page.

My top picks this weekend:
  • Luge World Cup in Calgary
  • Bobsleigh/Skeleton World Cup televised and livestreamed
  • Dew Tour slopestyle and superpipe televised and livestreamed

If I have missed an event being held in Canada or an event that is televised or livestreamed, feel free to contact me on Twitter @olympichearts or email suzanne@ohcanadasports.ca

***************************************************************************

Upcoming Events in Canada


Luge World Cup
December 10-13
Calgary
More info
Dec 12 WC races start 3pm (training 10am)
Dec 13 WC races start 11:15am

--------------------------------------------------

Grand Slam of Curling Canadian Open
December 9-14
Yorkton, SK
More info
Televised on Sportsnet December 11-14. Click here for schedule.

--------------------------------------------------

Various sports
Upcoming Pan Am Games Test Events: Click here

***************************************************************************

Televised Events
(all times Eastern unless otherwise noted)

Alpine Skiing
Saturday 4pm Men's GS CBC
(livestreamed Friday 10am first run; 1pm second run)
Sunday 12pm; 5pm Men's slalom Sportnset

Figure Skating Grand Prix Final
televised next weekend
click here for ISU livestream including juniors
Saturday livestream schedule on cbcsports.ca:
10am Pairs free
11:25am Women's Free
1:25pm Ice Dance Free
2:45pm Men's Free
4:45pm Awards Ceremony

Curling Canadian Open (Sportsnet unless otherwise noted)
Thursday Dec 11 12pm, 3:30pm 7:30pm
Friday Dec 12 12pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
Saturday Dec 13 1pm (CBC), 6pm SN ONE, 10pm
Sunday Dec 14 Men's final: 1pm (CBC), Women's final 6pm

Bobsleigh/Skeleton World Cup (Sportsnet ONE unless otherwise noted)
More info
livestream
Friday 3:30pm Women's Skeleton
Friday 4:30pm Men's Skeleton
Friday 6pm 2-Man Bobsleigh
Saturday 11am Women's Bobsleigh
Saturday 3pm 4-Man Bobsleigh
Sunday 1pm Women's Bobsleigh (Sportsnet)
Sunday 2pm 4-Man Bobsleigh (Sportsnet)
Sunday 3pm Women's Skeleton
Sunday 4pm Men's Skeleton

Canadian Women's Hockey League All Star Game
Saturday Dec 13 12:30pm Sportsnet ONE

Dew Tour - superpipe and slopestyle
Saturday 1-3pm NBC
Sunday 1-3pm NBC
livestream December 11-14
website


Livestreamed Events

Biathlon World Cup
December 11-14
Austria
More info
livestream

Long Track Speed Skating World Cup
December 12-14
Netherlands
More info
livestream of A races

Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
December 12-14
China
More info
livestream

Dual Moguls World Cup
December 13
Finland
More info (français)
More info (event website)
Freestyle Skiing YouTube channel
livestream

Synchronised Swimming World Trophy
December 13-14
More info
livestream

Rugby Sevens World Series
December 13-14
South Africa
More info and livestream


***************************************************************************

Other Events

Sailing World Cup
December 7-14
Australia
More info

Beach Volleyball Mangaung Open
December 9-14
South Africa
More info

Alpine Skiing Women's GS and Slalom
December 12-13
Sweden
More info

Dual Moguls World Cup
December 13
Finland
More info (français)
More info (event website)
Freestyle Skiing YouTube channel

Ski Jumping World Cup
December 12-14
Russia
More info

Cross-Country World Cup
December 13-14
Switzerland
More info


Friday, December 5, 2014

The Heartbeat: The schedule of upcoming races and events in Canada & on TV


In case you missed my announcement, Olympic Hearts will be expanding soon to Olympic Hearts Canada Sports, or simply OHCanada Sports (www.ohcanadasports.ca). You can read more by clicking here. Be the first to find out when the website goes live by following on Twitter @ohcanadasports or liking our Facebook page.

Suzanne's picks:

  • Women's Alpine Ski from Lake Louise (livestreamed (Fri-Sun) and televised (Sat-Sun)
  • Men's Alpine Skiing from Beaver Creek (livestreamed and televised Fri-Sun)
  • Swimming Short Course World Championships (televised starting Fri-Sun)
  • Ski Cross World Cup in Nakiska, Alberta (Fri-Sat)

If I have missed an event being held in Canada or an event that is televised or livestreamed, feel free to contact me on Twitter @olympichearts or email suzanne@ohcanadasports.ca

***************************************************************************

Upcoming Events in Canada

Squash Women's World Team Championship
December 1-6
Niagara on the Lake
More info

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Curling Canada Cup
December 3-7
Camrose, AB
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Diving Camo Invitational
December 4-7
Montréal
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Short Track Speed Skating 
Canadian Open National Qualifier
December 4-7
Montréal
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Ski Cross World Cup
December 5-6
Nakiska, AB
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill and Super-G
December 5-7
Lake Louise, AB
More info

Livestream www.cbcsports.ca:
Friday 2:30pm Downhill#1
Saturday 2:30pm Downhill #2
Sunday 1pm Super-G

Televised on CBC (note CBC Sportsweekend is from 3-6, start and end time of individual races can vary from publisehd start time)
Saturday 3pm Downhill #1; 5pm Downhill #2
Sunday 2pm Super-G

--------------------------------------------------

Para-Swimming Can-Am Championships
December 5-7
Edmonton
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Luge World Cup
December 10-13
Calgary
More info
Dec 10-11 Training
Dec 12 WC races start 3pm (training 10am)
Dec 13 WC races start 11:15am

--------------------------------------------------

Grand Slam of Curling Canadian Open
December 9-14
Yorkton, SK
More info
Televised on Sportsnet December 11-14. Click here for schedule.

--------------------------------------------------

Various sports
Upcoming Pan Am Games Test Events: Click here

***************************************************************************

Televised Events
(all times Eastern unless otherwise noted)

Women's Alpine Ski World Cup Downhill and Super-G
(note CBC Sportsweekend is from 3pm-6pm Saturday, start and end time of individual races can vary from published start time)
Saturday 3pm Downhill #1; 5pm Downhill #2 CBC
Sunday 2pm Super-G CBC

Men's Alpine Ski World Cup
Friday 5pm (repeat 11pm) Sportsnet Downhill (8pm Sportsnet ONE)
Saturday 4pm CBC Super-G
Sunday 7pm Men's GS (repeat 10pm)

Swimming Short-Course World Championships
Friday 7pm Sportsnet ONE
Saturday 6pm Sportsnet ONE
Sunday 8am Sportsnet ONE
Sunday 10pm

Curling Canada Cup
Friday 10:30am TSN1/3/4/5; 3:30pm TSN1/3/4/5; 8:30pm TSN2
Saturday 3:30pm Women's Semi TSN1/3/4/5
Saturday 8:30pm Men's Semi TSN1/3/4/5
Sunday 12pm Women's Final TSN1/3/4/5
Sunday 7pm Men's Final TSN2

Track Cycling World Cup
Monday December 8 7am (Sportsnet ONE)

2015 Women's World Cup Soccer Draw
Saturday noon TSN1/3/4/5


Livestreamed Events 


Biathlon World Cup
November 30- December 7
Sweden
More info
livestream

Halfpipe Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard Grand Prix
December 3-6
Copper Mountain, USA
More info
YouTube Channel (Freestyle)
YouTube Channel (Snowboard)

Swimming Short-Course World Championships
December 3-7
Qatar
More info and livestream
Click here Team Canada competitors.
Click here for Swimming Canada preview article.
Televised on Sportsnet ONE
Friday 7pm
Saturday 6pm
Sunday 8am; 10pm

Track Cycling World Cup
December 5-7
Great Britain
Event website
televised on Sportsnet and RDS

Judo Grand Prix
December 5-7
Japan
More info
livestream

Long Track Speed Skating World Cup
December 5-7
Germany
More info

Alpine Ski World Cup
Men's Downhill, Super-G and Giant Slalom
December 5-7
Beaver Creek, USA
More info
Televised
Friday 5pm Downhill
Saturday Super-G 4pm CBC (time approximate)
Sunday 10am Downhill (Sportsnet ONE)
Sunday 7pm Men's GS (repeat 10pm)
livestreamed www.cbcsports.ca
Saturday 12:45pm Super-G

Luge World Cup
December 5-6
Lake Placid
More info

Cross-Country/Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping World Cup
December 5-7
Norway
More info

Artistic Gymnastics World Cup
December 6
Scotland
More info

Sailing World Cup
December 7-14
Australia
More info

Beach Volleyball Mangaung Open
December 9-14
South Africa
More info

Bobsleigh/Skeleton World Cup #1
December 8-14
Lake Placid
More info
livestream
Televised on Sportsnet starting December 12


***************************************************************************

Friday, November 28, 2014

The Heartbeat - The schedule of upcoming races and events in Canada & on TV


In case you missed my announcement, Olympic Hearts will be expanding soon to Olympic Hearts Canada Sports, or simply OHCanada Sports (www.ohcanadasports.ca). You can read more by clicking here. Be the first to find out when the website goes live by following on Twitter @ohcanadasports or liking our Facebook page.

If I have missed an event being held in Canada or an event that is televised or livestreamed, feel free to contact me @olympichearts or suzanne.olympichearts@gmail.com

***************************************************************************


Upcoming Events in Canada

Alpine Skiing World Cup Men's Downhill and Super-G
November 29-30
Lake Louise
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Racquetball National Team Selection
November 28-30
Kitchener
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Cross-Country Running Canadian Championships
November 29
Vancouver
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Squash Women's World Team Championship
December 1-6
Niagara on the Lake
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Curling Canada Cup
December 3-7
Camrose, AB
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Diving Camo Invitational
December 4-7
Montréal
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Ski Cross World Cup
December 5-6
Nakiska
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill and Super-G
December 5-7
Lake Louise, AB
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Various sports
Upcoming Pan Am Games Test Events: Click here

***************************************************************************

Televised and Livestreamed Events
(all times Eastern unless otherwise noted)

Alpine Skiing Men's Downhill - Lake Louise
Saturday November 29 2:30pm EST CBC
livestream cbcsports.ca: Sat. Nov 29 1:30pm

Alpine Skiing Men's Super-G - Lake Louise
Sunday November 30 3pm local CBC
livestream cbcsports.ca: Sunday 1pm

Alpine Skiing Women's GS - Aspen, USA
Saturday November 29 5pm Sportsnet (9pm Sportsnet ONE)

Alpine Skiing Women's Slalom - Aspen, USA
Sunday November 30 7pm Sportsnet

Figure Skating - NHK
Saturday November 29 4pm EST CBC
Sunday November 30 2pm local CBC
livestream cbcsports.ca: 
Sat. Nov 29 12am Pairs Free; 2:50am Women's Free; 5:40am Men's Free; 11pm Free Dance

Biathlon World Cup
November 28-30
Norway
More info
livestream

Cross-Country World Cup
November 29-30
Finland
More info
YouTube Channel

Ski Jumping World Cup
November 29-30
Finland
More info
YouTube Channel

Nordic Combined World Cup
November 29-30
Finland
More info
YouTube Channel

Sailing World Cup Final
November 27-30
UAE
More info
livestream

Judo Grand-Prix
November 27-29
Korea
More info
livestream

Halfpipe Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard Grand Prix
Wednesday December 3-6
Copper Mountain, USA
More info
YouTube Channel (Freestyle)
YouTube Channel (Snowboard)


***************************************************************************

Monday, November 24, 2014

Alpine Canada - building excitement for upcoming season

Have you seen Alpine Canada's video for the upcoming season? Watch it below or on Alpine Canada's YouTube channel by clicking here.




Now that you're excited about the upcoming season, you've got the chance to see Canada's best skiers competing in Canada soon. Upcoming events are listed below.

Stay tuned to Olympic Hearts (expanding to OHCanada Sports in 2015) for future listings. Follow us at @olympichearts and @OHCanadaSports or on Facebook by clicking here. If you're not following Alpine Canada yet, follow them at @Alpine_Canada.

Alpine Ski World Cup

Men's downhill and Super-G
November 29-30
Lake Louise, AB
More info

Women's Downhill (x2) and Super-G
December 5-7
Lake Louise, AB
More info


Ski Cross World Cup

Men's and Women's Qualifications and Finals
December 5-6
Nakiska, AB
More info
Full schedule


Para-Alpine World Championships

February 28-March 10
Panorama, BC
Official website
Schedule


Upcoming Television Listings

Alpine World Cup Men from Lake Louise
Saturday November 29 3pm CBC (Downhill) livestream starts at 1:30pm
Sunday November 30 3pm CBC (Super-G) livestream starts at 1pm


Alpine World Cup Ladies from Aspen
Saturday November 29 5pm Sportsnet (GS)
Sunday November 30 7pm Sportsnet (Slalom)
(check listings for repeat on Sportsnet and Sportsnet ONE)


Friday, November 21, 2014

The Heartbeat: The schedule of upcoming races and events in Canada & on TV



In case you missed my announcement earlier this week, Olympic Hearts will be expanding soon to Olympic Hearts Canada Sports, or simply OHCanada Sports (www.ohcanadasports.ca). You can read more by clicking here. Be the first to find out when the website goes live by following on Twitter @ohcanadasports or liking our Facebook page.

If I have missed an event being held in Canada or an event that is televised or livestreamed, feel free to contact me @olympichearts or suzanne.olympichearts@gmail.com

***************************************************************************


Upcoming Events in Canada

Can-Am Long Track, Junior World Cup
November 20-23
Calgary
More info
Schedule

--------------------------------------------------

Grand Slam of Curling: the National
November 19-23
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
More info
scroll down for television schedule

--------------------------------------------------

Bobsleigh/Skeleton North America Cup
Nov 21-23
Calgary
More info
Click here to read a CBCSports preview article of next month's World Cup (and mention of this weekend's event): Kaillie Humphries to break gender barrier in bobsleigh World Cup

--------------------------------------------------

Canadian Women's Hockey League
November 21-23: Brampton Thunder at Calgary Inferno
November 29-30: Toronto Furies at Montreal Stars

--------------------------------------------------

Alpine Skiing World Cup Men's Downhill and Super-G
November 29-30
Lake Louise
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Racquetball National Team Selection
November 28-30
Kitchener
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Cross-Country Running Canadian Championships
November 29
Vancouver
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Various sports
Upcoming Pan Am Games Test Events: Click here

***************************************************************************

Televised and Livestreamed Events
(all times Eastern unless otherwise noted)


Figure Skating Trophee Bompard
Television coverage:
Saturday November 22 3pm Pairs and Women's free CBC

Livestream on cbcsports.ca
Saturday November 22
7:15am Pairs Free;
9am Women's Free;
12:45pm Free Dance;
2:20pm Men's Free

Canadians competing: 
Alexandra Paul/Mitchell Islam
Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier
Véronik Mallet
Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro
Preview article from Skate Canada, click here.

--------------------------------------------------------

Grand Slam of Curling: the National
Thursday November 20 4pm Sportsnet; 10:30pm Sportsnet ONE
Friday November 21 12pm; 3:30pm; 7:30pm Sportsnet
Saturday November 22 12pm; 3:30pm (semi-finals) Sportsnet; 10:00pm Sportsnet ONE
Sunday November 23 3:30pm Final Sportsnet

--------------------------------------------------------

Cyclo Cross World Cup
Sunday November 23 1:30am; 3:30am Sportsnet ONE

--------------------------------------------------------

Davis Cup Final - France vs Switzerland
Friday November 21 8am Sportsnet ONE
Saturday November 22 9:30am Sportsnet ONE
Sunday November 23 7am; 6pm  Sportsnet ONE

--------------------------------------------------------

Speed Skating World Cup
November 21-23
Republic of Korea
COC article: click here.

Live streaming of A group races at available in at

--------------------------------------------------------
Rugby Friendly Canada vs Romania

Kick off is 11:30am ET/8:30am PT on Saturday vs & you can watch LIVE at !



***************************************************************************

World Championships

Women's Boxing World Championships
November 16-24
South Korea
More info
livestream

Aiba channel in youtube has all the bouts.



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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Introducing OHCanada Sports

I am very excited to announce that Olympic Hearts will soon be expanding to...

Olympic Hearts Canada Sports
or simply

OHCanada Sports

As many of you know, for the past two years I was working with SportCafé. I initially joined them when I introduced a weekly newsletter of upcoming events where Canadian athletes were competing and regularly contributed my Olympic Hearts blog posts.

SportCafé added a calendar last year and my role on the website grew to SportCafé Editor.

This fall, the SportCafé co-founders Etienne Morneau and Antoine Meunier decided to take the website in a new direction focusing on athlete lifestyles in the form of an online sports magazine. They were no longer interested in the weekly newsletter and events calendar or aggregating athlete blogs and sports news.

Their passion and enthusiasm always was towards promoting the athlete lifestyle. For those who are disappointed to hear about SportCafé's change, perhaps their explanation on their website will explain it better:

Sharing The Athlete Lifestyle
This was the original vision we first had during our annual Florida training camp back in the Spring of 2012. Shortly thereafter, we sought to turn SportCafé in the destination of choice for fellow athletes and fans eager to get a taste of the athletes lifestyle.  
The platform evolved over time to become the biggest sports news aggregator in Canada with over 300 athletes contributing by sharing their stories on the site. In the process, SC became a daily routine for thousands of athletes and sports fans.  
With its sharp new skin, SportCafé is going back to its roots and to its mission of sharing the athlete’s lifestyle by taking the form of an online sports magazine.

Etienne and Antoine recognized that SportCafé had changed from their original vision and made the changes to go back to what they envisioned in the first place.

As for me, my passion and focus was always on the competitions and the Games (Olympic, Pan-Am, Commonwealth, etc) and following the athletes year-round.

I have decided to continue to share my passion but want to expand Olympic Hearts that I debuted in 2011 as a blog about my love for the Olympics and Olympians.

I am in the process of building a new website that will hopefully include some of the following:

  • an events calendar
  • who, when and where to watch athletes compete focusing on events held in Canada and events around the world that are televised or livestreamed.
  • television listings and livestream information
  • Olympic Hearts blog posts
  • sports organization news
  • athlete stories
  • in the news items
  • build-up to the 2015 Pan-Am Games
  • focus on the Olympic Games
  • keeping an eye on up and coming athletes like CIBC Team Next
  • events previews and reviews
  • venue information
The learning curve will be steep, but I am very excited to see the website go live in 2015 and continue to share my love for amateur sports with athletes and sports fans across Canada.

If you'd like to be one of the first people to follow OHCanada Sports, you can find me on Twitter @ohcanadasports and/or like my Facebook page by clicking here. You'll be the first to know when OHCanada Sports is up and running.

Thanks for the support.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Heartbeat









***************************************************************************
Apologies for events that are missed...catching a flight to NYC for the weekend. Didn't research events as much as I normally do.

Happy weekend everyone!


Upcoming Events in Canada


Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
November 14-16
Montreal
More info
televised on CBC

--------------------------------------------------

Various sports
Upcoming Pan Am Games Test Events: Click here

***************************************************************************

Televised and Livestreamed Events
(all times Eastern unless otherwise noted)

Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships
Saturday November 15 2pm (recorded from last weekend)

Figure Skating Grand Prix Russia
Saturday November 15 3pm ET
Sunday November 16 2pm local time

also livestream on cbcsports.ca
Saturday 6am Ladies Free; 8:10am Pairs Free; 9:55am Men's Free; 12:10pm Dance Free

Short Track Speed Skating (from Montreal)
Saturday November 15 5pm ET
Sunday November 16 4pm local time

Long Track Speed Skating World Cup
November 13-16
Japan
More info
livestream


***************************************************************************

World Championships

Weightlifting World Championships
November 8-16
Kazakhstan
More info
livestream


***************************************************************************


Friday, November 7, 2014

The Heartbeat: Where to see Canadian athletes compete this weekend.









***************************************************************************


Upcoming Events in Canada

Rowing Canadian Championships
November 7-9
Victoria
More info
livestream Saturday 12:45-4pm PST and Sunday 12pm-2:45pm PST

--------------------------------------------------

Luge Canadian Championships
November 9
Calgary
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Judo Ontario Open - Pan Am Test Event
November 7-9
Whitby
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Sledge Hockey International Women's Cup
November 7-9
Brampton
More info

--------------------------------------------------

Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
November 14-16
Montreal
More info
televised on CBC

--------------------------------------------------

Various sports
Upcoming Pan Am Games Test Events: Click here

***************************************************************************

Televised and Livestreamed Events
(all times Eastern unless otherwise noted)

Figure Skating - Grand Prix China
Saturday November 8 3pm CBC

Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships
livestream cbcsports.ca (also more info in World Championships below)
Saturday November 8 4:45pm
Saturday November 8 7pm

Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
November 7-9
Salt Lake City
More info
ISU Skating Channel

ATP World Tour
Preview: Saturday November 8th 5pm Sportsnet ONE
Raonic vs Federer: Sunday November 9th 3pm Sportsnet ONE (replay 10pm)
Full schedule, click here.
Raonic will also play Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori
Daniel Nestor also playing in doubles, but not seeing if televised.

Beach Volleyball Doha Open
November 4-8
Qatar
More info
livestream
Update: Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter (CAN) in final.  Video on demand here

Track Cycling World Cup
livestream November 9th 5pm ET
Televised: Tuesday November 11 3am Sportsnet ONE


World Championships

Karate World Championships
November 5-9
Great Britain
More info

Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships
November 7-9
Florida, USA
More info
livestream
YouTube Channel including livestream
televised on CBC next weekend

***************************************************************************


Monday, October 6, 2014

Pan Am Tickets Part 2

Today is the last day to request tickets for the Pan Am Games in the initial lottery process. Have you sent in your request? I wrote last week about the criteria I was using to order my tickets. You can read that post here.

This post is giving a bit more information about the various events and venues. You can see the seating charts for the venues and ticket pricing chart below. They really help in choosing what price point to choose as some events will be much better with the most expensive seats (for example, along the 100m straight/finish line at the athletics venue). For others, cheaper tickets are great value. People who are used to seeing the Raptors at the ACC won't mind seeing basketball from any location in the much smaller Ryerson Athletic Centre.

I decided to request tickets for the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, triathlon and trampoline medal session through this ticket process. I'm hoping to get tickets for many more events once the general sale occurs and/or the schedule is revealed in more detail (who is competing and when).

I chose trampoline because there is only one medal session for the sport which means that we are assured of seeing Canada's best in men's and women's as opposed to artistic gymnastics which have various disciplines and are ticketed separately. It is also a great opportunity to hear the Canadian anthem played or see our trampoline athletes on the podium. I am making an assumption that medals will be handed out after the event.

I love this description for the triathlon:
"Grandstands will be erected for both water and road course sides, providing spectators with a prime location to experience all sports at this venue. Taking full advantage of the dual seating system will be the men’s and women’s triathlon – with the grandstands allowing for a view of the swimming course, the transition area and the course’s finish line."

I have never attended a triathlon event, but this sounds like a great vantage point to see the race.

For me, this type of special seating makes it worth going to the Pan Am Games. I would love to see track cycling and really hope to get tickets during the general sale and when I have a better idea of the specific schedule but I know that in the years to come, I will go to Milton to see track cycling. The venue will not change. This is also the case for many sports like swimming, diving, athletics, canoe, rowing, etc. so I am considering whether I will be able to see a sport (before and) after the Games when choosing my tickets.

Another venue that I am hoping to see is the Beach Volleyball Centre:
"Built as a temporary venue, the Chevrolet Beach Volleyball Centre will have 3,000 metric tonnes of sand brought in to create an urban beach. This must-see venue will welcome thousands of enthusiastic spectators for nine days of heart-stopping competition."
I know some beach volleyball players who could compete at the Pan Am Games so I am choosing to wait until the schedule is posted in the hopes of seeing one of them compete. Fingers crossed that it won't be sold out by then - although sold out events will be good news for the Pan Am Organizing Committee.

The Pan Am Organizing Committee announced a few days ago their top 10 ticket requests so far. This is probably a good indication of the events that will sell out first (depending on venue size). Gold medal and bronze medal games are also great choices if you don't mind who is playing but want to see the best representing Pan Am nations.

1. Soccer (Hamilton $20-$35) very affordable with strong Canadian teams.
2. Opening Ceremony (July 10 Rogers Centre $100-$350)
3. Equestrian (Caledon and Mono $25-$75) Choice of dressage, eventing, jumping
4. Track & Field (York University $40-$140) 10am prelims ($40-$70) 5/6pm medal ($80-$140)
5. Artistic Gymnastics (Pan Am Park, Toronto $45-$75) 9 medal sessions to choose from
6. Swimming (Scarborough $40-$140) 5 days: 10am prelim ($40-$70) 7pm medal ($80-$140)
7. Diving (Scarborough $20-$45) 6 medal sessions ($35-$45) to choose from
8. Beach Volleyball (Pan Am Park $20-$45) 25 prelims($20-$30), 2 medal sessions ($35-$45)
9. Indoor Volleyball (Pan Am Park, Toronto $20-$45) 18 prelims and 4 medal sessions
10. Synchronized Swimming (Scarborough $20-$45) prelims July 9, 2 medal sessions Jul 11

Here is an overview of the pricing for the various sports:


Here are the available seating charts with pricing for the various categories.

Opening Ceremony CatA $355 CatB $230 CatC $155 CatD $105
Closing Ceremony CatA $205 CatB $155 CatC $125 CatD $95
CatA $145 CatB $125 CatC $105 CatD $85
CatA $145 CatB $125 CatC $105 CatD $85
(note: CatC and CatD are in front of the diving facility)
CatA $145 CatB $125 CatC $105 CatD $85
CatA $80 CatB $65 CatC $50
CatA $50 CatB $40
Medal Games CatA $80 CatB $65 CatC $50 (Prelims $30-$50)
Medal CatA $80 CatB $65 CatC $50 (Prelims $30-$50)

CatA $80 CatB $65 CatC $50
CatA $50 CatB $40

Good luck to all of you who have requested tickets and thank you for reading.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Pan Am Games Torchbearer Contest

Olympic gold medallists Simon Whitfield and Catriona Le May Doan were the MC's this morning as Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games launched the torchbearer contest at the Eaton Centre in Toronto.



"To help ignite the Pan Am spirit, TO2015 is calling for Canadians to enter the TORONTO 2015 torchbearer contest for their chance to carry the flame in the TORONTO 2015 Torch Relay for the Pan Am Games. 
The contest is an invitation to the nation to join the journey, share the spirit and show community pride.
TO2015’s torchbearer contest for the Pan Am Games opened October 1, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. and will close on December 1, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. (ET). Torchbearers for this relay will be announced beginning in March 2015."
(source 2015 Pan Am Games website) 

The event was very well attended by dignitaries including Minister of Sport Bal Gosal and Premier Kathleen Wynne, sponsor representatives, media and spectators in the main area and the balcony above.


The highlight of the event was the introduction of the first torchbearer who will launch the 2015 Pan Am torch relay: Colonel Chris Hadfield. (pun taken from the announcement - I can't take credit)



Colonel Hadfield proceeded to take a selfie with a young girl who couldn't decide whether to become an athlete or a politician - or perhaps an astronaut. I'd love to see this second selfie and photobomb.



The torch relay will begin on May 30th in Toronto and will end when it lights the cauldron at the Pan Am Opening Ceremony at Rogers Centre in Toronto. It will visit 5 major Canadian cities outside of Ontario and 130 communities throughout Ontario.




5 cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal and Halifax.

In Ontario, the torch will travel through 130 communities including:
  • South/west to Leamington, Windsor, Chatham/Kent, Sarnia, London and Woodstock
  • Northwest to Thunder Bay, Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie
  • North to Sudbury, North Bay, Parry Sound, Huntsville, Gravenhurst, Orillia, Midland, Collingwood and Owen Sound.
  • East to Ottawa, Smiths Falls, Kingston, Belleville and Brighton
  • and the GTA:


"The flame for the Pan Am Games is traditionally lit outside Mexico City in Teotihuacan at the Pyramid of the Sun, in a ceremony led by native Aztecs. Following the lighting, the flame will be handed over to a representative from the Host City. The flame will then be flown back to Canada to begin its nationwide journey before arriving in Toronto to light the cauldron at Opening Ceremony, which signifies the start of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games." 
(source 2015 Pan Am Games website) 

You can sign up for the contest at one of the two touch screen terminals at the Eaton Centre until Sunday October 5th (up one floor from the fountain), just like Olympic gold medallist Rosie MacLennan did just before I did.

(photo credit: TO2015 Twitter)


...or you can sign up online at the Pan Am Toronto 2015 website.

I can't finish this post without a photo of Pachi mingling and posing for photos with fans.



If you haven't requested Pan Am tickets yet, you may want to click here to read my previous post about my selection criteria for choosing which events to attend.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Pan Am Games Tickets On Sale

(Photo credit Toronto 2015 Facebook)

It's the last week to request tickets in the initial window for the Pan Am Games. Have you requested yours yet? I have been researching the events, the venues, the schedules and prices and have come up with the following criteria for my choices. I'd love to hear how you made your decision on what to request, especially if I'm missing something.

This is for the initial 3 week ticket request window. It allows people to take their time and request tickets according to their own schedule (rather than everyone going online at the same time). No orders will be processed until after the closing date of October 6th at 9pm ET. If there are enough tickets available in the session(s) you requested, your credit card will be charged. If there are more requests than tickets, a lottery will determine who gets tickets.

Later, the remaining tickets will be released on a first come first serve basis.

There are 36 sports and 52 disciplines! With 75% of tickets $45 and under, it seems like it's affordable. That is true for anyone wanting to go to a few events. For someone like me who loves a variety of sports and would love to see as much as possible including medal events (which are sometimes a minimum of $80), the total adds up quickly.

How does one choose which events to attend? 

Here are some of my criteria:

1. Opening Ceremony (Rogers Centre)

This is a definite for me. I love to see Team Canada enter the stadium (normally on television). The question for me is whether I want to be close ($350) to see the athletes and Cirque du Soleil performers better or whether I want to be higher up in the stadium to get an overview of the spectacle.

2. Closing Ceremony (Rogers Centre)

Another definite for me. Opening and Closing Ceremonies are so rare that I would love to attend both. Sign me up!

3. Competitions

How does one choose which competitions to attend? There is a lot to consider:

a) Schedule
(some events conflict with each other or with your work or family schedule)

There are sports with competitions over several days and other sports with a single event on a specific day. I started by looking at single events I really wanted to see. Examples of single events (or 2 day events) include:
triathlon, open water swimming, marathon, race walk, synchronized swimming, slalom canoe/kayak, BMX cycling, mountain bike, individual time trial cycling, road cycling, trampoline, modern pentathlon, roller sports, rugby sevens.

The time and length of the event will also be a consideration. For example the marathon is at 7am so it is possible to see two (or three) events on that day (depending on traffic/transit).

b) Location

No one can live close to all the events, so location will be a consideration. Parking and driving will be an issue so I may choose to stay in downtown Toronto for most of my events. There are various events near Exhibition Place so multiple events in one day is possible.

Click here to see the different venues that lists which sports each will be hosting. For example, the CIBC Pan Am Park at Exhibition Place/Ontario Place will host 16 different sports. Transit routes already exist for this location so it may be easier to get to than the CIBC Pan Am Aquatic Centre and Field House at Morningside and Shepherd. What will the game time transportation be like?

Events held on the subway line may be even better like at Varsity Stadium (archery), Ryerson (basketball) and Pan Am Fields at U of T (field hockey).

You can view the Ministry of Transportation strategy document by clicking here. It states that there will be no parking at the venues, so when more details are released about transportation, I will make the decision whether to go to venues that are further away.

If you don't live in Toronto, it may be best to avoid travelling into the city unless it's an event you really care about. There are plenty of great events outside of the city.

If the overall schedule is overwhelming, you may want to check a venue easily accessible from where you live and see which events are being held there.

c) Sports you love

If you love watching a certain sport, then you may not mind who is competing. It's just a matter of deciding which day to go. There are many preliminary rounds which are more affordable than medal rounds. Ordering tickets now will require luck on whether you see Canadians compete.

The initial request window is also a great time to try to get gold medal game tickets. These will probably be very popular and very difficult to purchase later.

d) Athletes you love

To see a particular athlete, it will often times be best to wait to see a detailed schedule. An event where everyone competes at the same time or in the same ticketed session (like golf, marathon, triathlon, trampoline, gymnastics) make it easier, but if you want to see a specific wrestler or beach volleyball team, it may be best to wait to see a schedule but you take the chance that tickets are no longer available.

e) Chance to hear O Canada with a Canadian winning gold

Who doesn't want to hear O Canada in person (especially at home)?

Canada is defending champion in over 30 disciplines. There will be lots of chances to see Canada on the podium. Click here to see Canada's results from the 2011 Pan Am Games.

f) Sports you rarely get the chance to see

With new venues being built comes sports we haven't seen in this area before. I'm thinking of track cycling for example. The Pan Am Games also gives a chance for some lesser known non-Olympic sports to get some attention like handball, racquetball, roller sports (figure skating and speed skating), squash, waterski and wakeboard.

g) Sports that are great spectator sports

Any type of racing is exciting if the crowd gets up and cheers for their favourites. Sports that show the speed or lets you appreciate the technique can be great to see live, especially if you can get seats close to the action. Non-stop action sports like team or racquet sports are great to keep the downtime to a minimum. Sports that will have multiple events like athletics, swimming, rowing, canoe/kayak, gymnastics all-round and combat sports would also be great to see live.

h) Chance to see best athletes in the world (where the best in the world are from a Pan Am country)

I've already mentioned Canada's best. Will the USA send their best swimmers, gymnasts, track athletes or basketball players? Will Jamaica send some of their best sprinters?

What Olympic or world medallists will be competing?

The Women's Soccer World Cup ends on July 5th. Will Canada send some of their best women to the Pan Am Games that start a week later? USA have already decided not to field a team.

Those lucky enough to see some of the best tennis players at the Pan Am Games with a $30-$45 ticket will be a steal compared to the Rogers Cup prices.

k) Price (and value for the money)

The women's and men's marathons, race walks and the road cycling events can be viewed at free points along the course or with a $35 ticket at the start/finish line. Sailing and the cycling individual time trial are non-ticketed events.

The most expensive sporting medal events include:

$80-$140 per session
swimming, track and field and track cycling

$45-75
basketball, boxing, equestrian, artistic gymnastics, rowing

The remaining sports are a minimum of $35 for medal sessions.

The cheapest tickets for preliminary rounds is $20 (half-price for students/seniors).

Although it may seem like tickets aren't that expensive, sometimes the sessions are quite short. On July 12th for example, there are three medal diving sessions (10am, 1:30pm, 7pm). They are all ticketed separately at $40-$50 each. At least there's no travelling between these sessions, so it is feasible to watch diving all day and evening if you buy tickets to each one.

In comparison, the modern pentathlon has a women's event and a men's event for $40 each. That's 5 events for the price of one and I imagine a full day session.

There are 4 Canoe Kayak sprint all day sessions for $40 each. Rowing has 3 medal days. At these sessions, there are multiple medal winners whereas in diving there may only be one medal per session. The first three rounds of golf are $45. This is a full day event although perhaps not as exciting or impressive as other sports if you're not a golf fan.
_________________________________________________________________________________

So what tickets should I request during this ticket window? Taking everything into consideration (including my budget)...

For now, I think I will request:
July 10th Opening Ceremony ($100-$350)
July 11/12th one or both of the triathlons ($35 each)
 * then I will hopefully attend extra events in the afternoon/evening at Pan Am Park
July 19th 7pm Trampoline ($50)
July 26th Closing Ceremony ($90-$200)

The rest of the days, I will have to wait to get more information regarding who is competing, which specific event is being held and transportation.

_________________________________________________________________________________

In case you're curious, this is what my Pan Am schedule would look like if I had an unlimited budget (and I had to decide now).

Well, I tried to pick events for each day on this draft schedule, but as you can see, it got a little messy ;-) There are multiple sports and events that I had to accept I couldn't see (whether it be location, schedule, preference or budget). This smaller list at least made my decisions a little easier.

July 7-9 Water-Polo (8am women's 4pm men's $20-$30)
July 9 Synchronized swimming (preliminaries - 2 sessions 10am 6pm $20-$30)

July 10th 5pm Opening Ceremony($100-$350)

July 11th 8:30am Women's triathlon ($35)
  •  and/or Cycling BMX at 2pm (Centennial Park)
  •  and/or Women's Open Water 10k 3:30pm ($35 - same location as triathlon)
  •  and/or Artistic gymnastics 12pm or 5pm ($45-75 - walking distance to triathlon)
  •  and/or Diving 7pm ($40-$50) (transportation info needed to double book with triathlon)
  •  and/or Rugby Sevens 10am or 4pm ($20-$30 - walking distance to triathlon)
July 12th 8:30am Men's triathlon ($35)
  •  or Mountain bike 10am (location makes this a single event day whereas triathlon can be combined with others)
  •  or Rugby sevens 10am ($20-$30) or 4pm (medals $35-45) (walking distance to triathlon)
  •  or Men's Open Water 10k 3:30pm ($35) (same location as triathlon)
  •  or Diving 7pm ($40-$50)
  •  or Artistic gymnastics 10:45am, 2:45pm or 7pm ($45-75) (walking distance to triathlon)
July 13th 9am Canoe Kayak
  •  or rowing $40
  •  or multi-day event (see below)
July 14th 9am Canoe Kayak
  •  or rowing $40
  •  or multi-day event
July 15th multi-day event
July 16th multi-day event

Multi-day events week 1:
July 11-15 Artistic Gymnastics ($45-75) 9 separate medal sessions
July 11-16 Badminton ($20-45)
July 11-16 Tennis ($30-$45)
July 13-20 Beach volleyball 9am, 2:30pm, 8pm prelims ($20-30)
July 14-18 Archery ($20-$35 at Varsity Stadium)
July 14-18 7pm Swimming ($40-$140)
July 16-19 6pm Track Cycling ($80-140)
July 16-19 8am golf ($45 prelim, $75 Sunday)
(other sports with multiple session week 1 include water polo, archery, badminton, baseball, dressage, field hockey, soccer, rhythmic gymnastics, judo, sailing, shooting, softball, squash, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling)

Weekend 18th-19th
July 18 7am Women's Marathon ($35 or free along the course)
  •  or 9am Women's Modern Pentathlon ($35)
  • or 10am Canoe/Kayak - slalom ($20 preliminaries - Minden Hills, ON)
  •  or 11:30am Sailing medal sessions (free)
July 19th 10am Rhythmic Gymnastics ($35-45 Toronto Coliseum)
  •  or men's Modern Pentathlon ($35)
  • or 10am Canoe/Kayak - slalom ($35 medals)
  •  or 11:30am Sailing medal sessions (free)
  • 7pm Trampoline ($40-50 - Toronto Coliseum) - no conflict with other events (or work/kids activities since it's a Sunday evening). Get to see all Canadian athletes who qualify for finals, going with daughter, sister and niece who would also love to see this event.
July 20th 10am Rhythmic gymnastics ($35-45)
  •  or multi-day event week 2
July 21 3pm and 8pm Beach volleyball ($35-$45)
  •  or multi-day event week 2
July 22nd 11am Cycling Individual Time Trial (free) Milton
  •  or multi-day event week 2
Multi-Day Events week 2:
July 21-25 6pm Athletics ($80-140 - at York University)
July 16-25 Basketball ($25-$75 - at Ryerson on subway line)
July 16-25 Volleyball ($20-$45 at Exhibition Centre)
July 20-23 Waterski and Wakeboard ($20-35 - at Ontario Place West Channel)
July 13-25 Field Hockey ($20 - $45 U of T Pan Am Fields)
(other sports with multi-day events week 2 include baseball, bowling, fencing, field hockey, soccer, handball, karate, racquetball, softball, table tennis, taekwondo)

July 25th 7am Men's Marathon (Ontario Place) ($35 or free along the course)
  •  and 1pm Road Cycling (Ontario Place) ($35 or free along the course)
  •  or 11am Basketball bronze ($45-75)
  •  or 4pm Basketball gold ($45-75) 
  •  or 6pm track and field ($80-$140)
  • or 3pm or 8pm Women's indoor volleyball medals ($35-$45 walking distance to Ontario Place)
Sunday July 26 5pm Closing ceremony
  • could also see race walk 7am but will have to miss final day events baseball, soccer, racquetball, softball, indoor volleyball