2017 Year in Review - Day 2: And in second place...

Best performances of 2017

2nd place

Kim McRae, Luge
Bronze, Women’s Singles

After a fifth-place finish at the 2014 Olympic Games, McRae broke through to the podium in 2017 with a bronze at the World Championships. The 25-year old Calgary native only discovered luge after she attended a ski show where Luge Canada had set up a booth – a serendipitous beginning to what has become a serious career for McRae – her chances in Korea are bolstered by a strong support team at CSI Calgary, with help in medicine, science, nutrition, mental performance and biomechanics.

Mark Arendz, Para-Biathlon / Para-Cross-Country Skiing
Gold, Para-Biathlon 12.5km Middle – Standing, Gold, Para-Biathlon 7.5km Sprint – standing, Silver, Para-Biathlon 15km Individual – Standing, Bronze: Para-Biathlon 10km Standing, Bronze, Para-Cross-Country 4x2.5 km Relay Open

Mark Arendz has been busy making waves in the Paralymic skiing world – he was recently named as one of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Nordic Skiing’s ‘Ones To Watch’. With good reason – Arendz won two golds and a silver in Para-Biathlon at the 2017 World Championships as well as two bronze medals in the para-cross-country 10km and Open relay. He says the five-medal performance gave him a lot of confidence heading into this Paralympic season, something he’s earned with the help of CSI Calgary’s medicine, science, mental performance and nutrition teams.

CSI Calgary Initiatives

Today we highlight the progress CSI Calgary has made in Innovation & Education

• 4 Major Studies Funded by Own the Podium’s Innovation for Gold Program (concussion, figure skating bone study, speed skating timing system and cross country skiing altitude study)

Concussion
Dr. Brian Benson, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Sport Medicine at the CSI Calgary and Medical Director at the Benson Concussion Institute (BCI), continues to lead the way in the field of concussions. The robotic technology (KINARM) used at BCI has demonstrated efficiency and precision with measuring impairments that are critical in understanding the progress of recovery and what is needed for safe return to athletic activity. With over 2,500 concussion assessments conducted to date, the KINARM, combined with BCI’s integrated approach to managing and monitoring concussions, hold significant promise in being able to accelerate recovery and readiness to successfully return to sport following a concussive injury.

Figure Skating Bone Study
In collaboration with the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine and Skate Canada, the figure skating bone study examines the relationship between training frequency, impact load, nutrition and bone microarchitecture. Ultimately, the research study aims to help develop guidelines for the prevention, early detection and treatment of bone and joint injuries in elite and developing Canadian figure skaters.

Speed Skating Timing System
The joint project between CSI Calgary and the Olympic Oval serves to address a major gap in measuring how a skater’s time is impacted by the way they skate. Using hardware technology developed for motor sport racing and a proprietary software program developed by Olympic Oval IT Specialist, the system provides a detailed measurement of a skater’s performance.

Cross Country Skiing Altitude Study
The study aims to determine the effectiveness of initial preseason altitude training on an athlete to then determine subsequent altitude exposure leading into the Olympic Games. The study is also developing protocols for determining athlete health status and for optimizing nutrient availability to ensure effective altitude training.

• ACL
Under the management of Dr. Matt Jordan, Director of Strength and Conditioning, we are positioning CSI Calgary to be a leader in neuromuscular function with ACL reconstruction. Jordan developed a testing protocol using force plates to measure asymmetry between an athlete’s injured and non-injured knees. The objective measurement, along with a strong multidisciplinary team approach, helps athletes and support teams better understand the recovery process. Moreover, it serves to caution athletes about returning to sport too early.

• Advance Coaching Diploma
After launching our online learning management platform (D2L) two years ago, we are now increasing the scope of online learning for our two cohorts. The first across Canada cohort of 25 coaches is scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2018.

• Strength and Power Performance Course
In 2017, CSI Calgary hosted its fourth Strength and Power Performance Course. The course is an exciting educational opportunity that combines experience in a real world high performance training environment, class room knowledge translation and the chance to exchange training ideas and philosophy with some of Canada’s top strength and conditioning coaches.

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo by: Dave Holland @csicalgaryphoto
14/12/17