Field Hockey Canada
2000 OLYMPIC GAMES

AMSTELVEEN, Holland. Nestled in a wood in suburban Amsterdam, picturesque Wagener Stadium is giving Sydney a lesson in how to throw a party. Start with the world's top hockey teams, add up to 9,000 passionate Dutch fans, conjure a dazzling array of hospitality and merchandising marquees - even an on-site disco - and mix.

A force-10 tempest - so named by the police who forced the stadium to be evacuated and play abandoned on Sunday - was not forecast, but not even that has dampened enthusiasm for the 2000 Champions Trophy.

In an Olympic year, the Trophy is the only other prize worth having and Australia's defence of the men's and women's titles won on home soil last year has started well. The Olympic, world and Commonwealth champion Hockeyroos were undefeated in games against New Zealand and Argentina and were due to play Germany early on Tuesday, while the Kookaburras withstood an onslaught from the lethal Korean forward line to emerge with victory and were locked 0-0 with Spain before the storm hit. The big test will come on Wednesday for the Hockeyroos, who take on the Netherlands, the only team which seems capable of denying them the trophy, and on Thursday for the Kookaburras, who also face the Netherlands, the undisputed kings of men's hockey.

"The Dutch in front of a Dutch crowd on Dutch soil - now that's a game of hockey," midfielder Michael "Mouse" Brennan said of the looming showdown. "Bring it on!"

The Champions Trophy was first played in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1978 and won by the home side, which is not playing this year, having failed to qualify for the first time in those 22 years. The absence of both Pakistan and India has been a talking point around Amstelveen, but so, too, is the presence of Russell Garcia.

The bad boy of world hockey is back. The youngest player to win Olympic gold, as a 17-year-old in 1988, Garcia did for his sport this year what other sportspeople routinely do for theirs: he "brought it down", as one International Hockey Federation member lamented at the weekend: to the horror of hockey's gentle burghers, Great Britain's 29-year midfield general tested positive for cocaine while playing club hockey in Germany. It was a rare blight on the sport's good name but, with Garcia's return from a three-month suspension, order has returned. He has his sights set on his fourth Olympics, an elite club to which Australia's fiery redhead, midfield colossus Jay Stacy, hopes to gain admittance in September.

The opening days of the tournament have brought excitement off the field as well as on, where the attacking genius of Dutchmen Teun de Nooijer and Remco van Wijk, Korea's Seung Tae Song, Germany's Natascha Keller and Australia's Alyson Annan, Katrina Powell, Stephen Davies and Craig Victory have given a tantalising glimpse of what Sydney promises in September. Australians are passing milestones in Amstelveen. Annan has played her 200th international while the Hockeyroos shoot for their sixth consecutive Champions Trophy.

The 22nd Champions Trophy for Men and the 8th Champions Trophy for Women are played in Amstelveen (Holland) from May 27 to June 4. Canadian Umpires Ann Van Dyk and Sumesh Putra are officiating in these elite competitions.

OLYMPIC SQUAD NAMED

Training camp is over and our bodies are repaired from the intense sessions. After taking a couple of days off we were back training on the wednesday evening with questions in the air, who will be named to the America's cup, who will get carded and don't forget about the Olympics! We trained at Livingstone for the evening as a group, knowing that many of us would be challenging one another on the weekend down in California at the Cal Cup.

Some guys hopped into their cars on Wednesday evening, arriving on Friday morning at Moorpark, California. The rest of the guys travelling down climbed aboard airplanes on Thursday and enjoyed the quick trip. Competition started Friday with all three teams from Canada in action. Not a great day for the Canadians: the Millionaires lost their opener to Barford (England), AK Pro (Ontario) opened with a draw as did India Club.

The temperature continued to rise on Saturday up into the mid-nineties and the competition increased. All three Canadian teams faired much better as they began to prepare for the final day of pool matches. Sunday was another scorcher and the guys were starting to bake in the mid-day sun, sunscreen was mandatory.

On to Memorial Day, Monday, and the crossover matches. Millionaires squared off with AK Pro at 7am in the first semi-final match. A tight game that ended 0-0 and went straight into penalty strokes. End result: Millionaires edged AK Pro out 4-3. The second semi-final featured India Club and Barford. India cruised to the final with little trouble.

AK Pro then went on to beat Barford later in the day in the Bronze Medal match assuring Canada a 1-2-3 finish!!! Finally, the main event had arrived: India Club vs. Millionaires at 2:30pm, the hottest time of day. This was phenomenal training for guys going to Cuba to play a lot of quality matches in hot temperatures. When it was all said and done, the Millionaires prevailed 2-0 and walked away with the $5,000 US prize money.

What a weekend, great games, bright sunshine and the cash! Its the first time I have ever won in the competitive division at California Cup, the fifth time for the Millionaires.

It looks like the Canadian players are rounding into form and continue to push each other as the team announcements are due any day. Keep up the training and enjoy!

Some of Canada's top athletes will gather at Erindale College in Mississauga at noon to receive their share of the Canadian Olympic Association's (COA) Athletes Fund.

The COA's Athletes Fund supports world-ranked Olympian and Pan American athletes in financial need. Approximately $988,990 will be distributed to 221 athletes over the next couple of months. The Fund has committed four million dollars over four years (1997-2000), making it the largest private sector financial contribution to Canadian athletes.

Local Toronto area athletes will receive their cheques at a lunch organized for COA volunteers who are in town to prepare for the 2000 Olympic Games. Carol Anne Letheren, chief executive officer of the COA, says the Fund will provide athletes with much needed financial support that will help them achieve their goals at this summer's Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

The 16 field hockey players who won the Gold Medal at the Pan American Games are amongst the recipients:

The COA, a private, not-for-profit corporation, is the largest private sector funder of amateur sport in Canada. Its board of directors includes representatives of the National Federations of every Olympic and Pan Am sport. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Olympic Movement, including Canada's participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games. In addition, the COA manages a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means.

1. In accordance with the FIH's qualification system, the South Africa men's hockey team participated in the qualifying tournament for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney 2000 – the 7^th All Africa Games in Johannesburg in 1999 – which it won. On 20 May 1999, well in advance of the qualifying tournament, NOCSA had informed FIH that if South Africa were to qualify, NOCSA would consider selection according to its own policy.

2. On 9 February 2000, NOCSA informed SAHA and FIH that it had decided to select the women's hockey team for the Sydney Olympic Games, but not the men's hockey team (hereafter "the NOCSA decision").

3. In accordance with Rule 49, §3 of the Olympic Charter, SAHA, through the FIH, appealed to the IOC Executive Board against the NOCSA decision (hereafter "the SAHA appeal). All parties have stated and developed their arguments in writing. Their briefs are attached hereto. SAHA and NOCSA appeared in front of the IOC Executive Board on 24 May 2000; FIH declined to do so, whilst declaring its support of SAHA's appeal.

4. Rule 31, §3 of the Olympic Charter states the following: "The NOCs have the exclusive powers for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games and at the regional, continental or world multi-sports competitions patronized by the IOC. In addition, each NOC is obliged to participate in the Games of the Olympiad by sending athletes."
   * * *
5. The IOC Executive Board considers that the principle established in Rule 31, §3 of the Olympic Charter is of such importance that a decision by a NOC may only be reversed if a fundamental principle or a mandatory rule of the Olympic Charter is violated by such decision.

6. In this instance, notwithstanding certain allegations or motivations invoked by the parties, the IOC Executive Board has noted, after considering the written arguments filed by all parties and after having heard the representatives of both SAHA and NOCSA, that, in the final analysis, the determining ground for NOCSA's decision was that the latter was not satisfied that the South Africa men's hockey team would be ranked at least ninth at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in accordance with the NOCSA Guidelines of 16 May 1998 for the selection of the South African Olympic team to compete in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Thus, it appears that the determining ground for the NOCSA decision results from sport considerations.
   * * *
7. Under such circumstances, whilst expressing its sympathy to the athletes who were not selected, the IOC Executive Board nevertheless considers that the decision taken by NOCSA does not exceed the limits of its authority and shall not be annulled.

In view of the above, the IOC Executive Board has decided the following in accordance with Rule 49, §3 of the Olympic Charter:
I. The SAHA appeal is rejected.
II. The NOCSA decision is confirmed.
III. The present decision shall be notified by fax to SAHA, FIH and NOCSA.

Rio de Janeiro, 26 May 2000

Canadian athletes aren't the only ones training for this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sydney: a delegation of 200 Canadian mission staff, including members of the communications, medical and village operations teams start today at Erindale College in Toronto a four-day seminar on servicing the Canadian Teams.

The Olympic Team is headed by Chef de Mission Diane Jones Konihowski and Assistant Chef de Mission Betty Dermer-Norris, while Wayne Hellquist, Chef de Mission and Louis Barbeau, Assistant Chef de Mission are leading the Paralympic Team. All have extensive sport experience and have been involved in the planning for over two years.

"The Canadian Olympic Association (COA) is known for its exceptional training program for staff and volunteers before each Games. Our goal is to prepare and plan well in advance so that we can offer the best programs and services for Canadian athletes and coaches," says Konihowski.

Our Men's Field Hockey Team was represented at this Orientation Seminar by Coach Shiaz Virjee, Team Leader Patrick Burrows, Doctor Navin Prasad, Physiotherapist Bob Dunlop and Media Attaché Yan Huckendubler. As for the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Yan is part of the global Communications Group for the Canadian Olympic Team but has been specifically assigned to the Field Hockey Team (as well as to 4 other sports...).

Another field hockey player has been selected as a volunteer for the Mission Staff of the Canadian Olympic Team: Glynis Peters will work in Team Leader Services, a central position where she'll help the 31 Team Leaders with the multiple administrative tasks surrounding athletes in a multi-sports environment.

Well, the much anticipated week of the annual training camp is finally here. This year, there is an extra excitement amongst it as in addition to the carding selection and the selection for the America's Cup team, the Olympic squad will be announced! This means one last chance to show what you've got in hope of making it to the Olympics.

Most of the players decided to stay close to the field at the Best Western Hotel which saved a lot of driving time for all of the guys. It was also surprising to see the room list with Short, Kant, Pereira and Kullar in the same room. Probably the first and last time but it was great!

The training camp started on Thursday in Coquitlam for most of the forty players with a 3km run for the field players and a 5km run for the goalkeepers. The standard for the players is eleven minutes and twenty-one minutes for the goalies. Also, for the first time, there was a 30 metre sprint and an agility test put together by Derek Hansen. The overall times were very good with only a handful of players missing the cut. The first day concluded with meetings with Shiaz, Saul Miller and our excellent training staff. A relatively easy day that had the guys ready to hit the field in the morning.

The second day started with the A-team coached by Patrick Burrows and Louis Mendoca practising at 8am and the B-team headed by Niki Sandhu and John Sacré on the field at 10am. The teams had a good session and were ready for the match that night. It was a competitive match as it always is because everyone has something to prove to themselves and the coaches. It was a good start with the A-team winning match one.

Each day included a practice in the morning, meetings and a match at night. The penalty corner specialists and the goalies had an extra session in between while the rest of us relaxed. Glad I'm not a goalie! The weather didn't help as it was rainy and cold for most of the weekend... The A-team ended up winning all four of the games but the sudden death overtime win on Sunday could have went either way: Andrew Griffiths deflected a Robin D'Abreo cross for the win with only minutes left!

Many battles developed throughout the camp including Green and Milkovich, Gifford and Milkovich, Mosher and Hammond, and Gifford and Short just to name a few. Tension also was building as each day players were brought up to the A-team and dropped to the B-team for the next day. Room #335 was the busiest with Mosher, Deol and Gacek moving up and down while Wettlaufer stayed with the A's. Sources tell me that the atmosphere was very tense in this room amongst them as they all slept with one eye open for the last couple of days! It was good to see that everybody could laugh about the situations afterwards even though everybody was fighting for a spot on the team.

Tim Horton's and Wendy's became a familiar breakfast and lunch spot as it was walking distance from the hotel. Burgers and doughnuts probably weren't ideal but they sure tasted good! Earl's was the favorite dinner spot. One of the funniest things had to have been Short leaning over to Ken while he was sleeping and playing with his hair because he thought it was his girlfriend... Too funny!

Meet the Team Leader: Patrick Burrows

Field hockey teams are familiar with the concept of Team Manager, the person who is officially in charge of making sure that the team adheres to the Technical Regulations of the competitions but also, most of the time, has the responsibility of organizing a smooth sailing life for the team off the pitch.

At major Games (Olympic, Pan American and Commonwealth), these individuals are called "Team Leaders" and have the added responsibility to serve as a contact with the Canadian Olympic Association who is ultimately in charge of the Canadian Delegation. The Team Leaders are the persons passing up to the Canadian Mission Staff comments, complaints and special requests from their Team (changing a bus schedule, a simple enough task in an international competition focusing on one sport, can become a logistical nightmare in an event regrouping 10,000 athletes from close to 200 nations...) as well as passing down to their Team information of importance to the whole Canadian Delegation (Opening and Closing Ceremonies, special events, emergency, etc...).

Patrick is well known in the field hockey community: he was a member of our Men's Field hockey team from 1980 to 1990 and, after four years of "retirement", returned to the team from 1994 to 1998. He hung up his turf shoes for good at the end of the 1998 World Cup in Holland, after 224 international games, 2 Olympic Games (1984 and 1988), 3 World Cups (1986, 1990 and 1998) and 3 Pan American Games (1983, 1987 and 1995) where he won 2 gold and 1 silver medals!

Patrick now lives in Mountain View, in the heart of the Silicon Valley, with his wife Susan (a very good field hockey player herself!) and their 18 month old son Geoffrey. He teaches in a private school in Palo Alto.

He rejoined the Men's team in January as an Assistant Coach for the preparation for the Sydney Olympic Games. Patrick is looking forward to the trip: although his travels with the National Team took him to Perth and Melbourne in Australia, he never had the pleasure of visiting Sydney !

Based in Lausanne (with a secretariat in Rome, Italy), FIPO's main purpose is to bring together people who have an interest in Olympics and who wish to achieve their aim through philately. From a handful of collectors in 1982, FIPO has now grown to 31 national chapters and is associated with 50 sports collectors groups of the International Federation of Philately. They organize the philatelic area of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne as well the Olymphilex World Exhibition during the Olympic Games. In Atlanta, Olymphilex was a huge success: with 63,000 visitors, it was the most frequented cultural exhibition of those Games!

If you are interested in stamps, coins or other olympic memorabilia, make sure to visit their web site @ http://www.collectors.olympic.org/!

This national camp is a critical step in the final selection of the Men's Olympic Hockey Team. Forty athletes will be attending and trying to gain a ranking high enough to factor into the final Sydney roster which will be determined following the Americas Cup, June 22 to July 2 in Havana, Cuba. From the America's Cup, Canada can also gain a berth directly into the 2002 World Cup in Malaysia.

From the camp, 34 athletes will be selected for national carding and a roster of 18 for the Americas Cup. The squad of 40 will be narrowed for final Olympic selection in July. Four Canadian coaches plus past Olympic and World Cup captain, Pat Burrows will be looking over the squad. Two Dutch coaching experts have also been brought in to work with the athletes and coaches during the camp.

National Men's Coach Shiaz Virjee may be looking to make some changes on the national squad: the defensive style of the Canadian team has not netted them the results they wanted in their last two performances in Spain and Malaysia. Younger athletes like Ronnie Jagday , Sean Campbell, and Paul Wettlaufer have certainly proven that they can upset the opposition and perform against the world's best - no doubt they would like to make this the first of two or three visits to the Olympics. The vigorous six day camp will no doubt test the bodies of some of the more senior players hoping to hold onto their positions.

Monday is the scheduled rest day for me, however it found me in bed ridden with some new flu strain that my immune system did not bank on. Waking in a fevered sweat, suddenly with only one thought... must get well for dreaded 3000m run at camp next week!

Flashback (because this is how my train of thought has been this last week): last week's practices saw the triumphant return of the second of our Holland internationals, Mr. David Yule, always a welcome addition to practice and to the piano bar.

As illness had made walking up the stairs a form of anaerobic training, the Theatre of Pain, a sinister deluge of sand hills, roots, rock faces and old-growth Douglas Fir tangles (the popular and highly exclusive training ground for those in Victoria), was given a pass. Instead, any non-recovery energy was directed into cleaning the house into which I recently moved (known in town as the Caddy Bay Hotel). It is amazing the devastating effect bleach has had on the various interior flora and fauna left by the previous tenants (note: Vim works great in the kitchen and bathroom but not in the garage).

My thesis, which seems to be lasting longer than the entire paleolithic period, is about done with all results computed and written (topic: "NIRS estimation of skletal muscle oxygenation and blood volume changes during 10RM and 4RM resistance exercise protocol in trained and untrained males") and an incredibly creative discussion is underway. It may be done and dusted by June (Yeah right!).

Flashback: while putting spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots and broccoli into a juicer may seem like a good way to get all your needed nutrition, it does not resemble in any way something that should be ingested.

As has been a common theme in the previous diaries, I too am relishing a reunion with all members of the team at the upcoming camp. It represents the final phase of Olympic preparation after which we will be together more often, stockpiling for Operation Angry Beaver (the code name for the invasion of Australia in September - sorry, too much of the history channel and old WWII films). This is an exciting and tense time for all of us not assured a spot on the team to Sydney.

Ron Clarke, the athlete who lit the cauldron at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, led a barrage of criticism yesterday against Mr Kevan Gosper (International Olympic Committee Vice President, from Australia) for allowing his daughter to be the first Australian torch-bearer for Sydney 2000.

The former Olympian and world record holder joined politicians and other Australians in expressing disgust at the mishandling of the spiritual start to the Games when Sophie Gosper, 11, stepped into the role expected to be filled by a 16-year-old Greek-Australian, Yianna Souleles. Mr Clarke said he could not understand why Mr Gosper had accepted the Greek invitation to his daughter. "As a father and as an IOC delegate he could have stopped it and he didn't," he told the Laws radio program. Asked whether Mr Gosper's IOC role was a factor in the invitation, he said: "You have to say he had something to do with it. He's an IOC delegate, it's his daughter. Of course he's got something to do with it."

The Premier also weighed in, questioning whether Olympic organising officials had learnt anything from earlier debacles and saying that the Games were "bigger than the ego of any one person". Labor Senator Chris Schacht, of South Australia, asked all Federal politicians to join him in protest and said he would move a motion in Parliament urging the Senate to express deep regret at the decision.

Note: Mr Gosper will now be travelling to Lausanne, where the IOC Ethics Commission is due to report on claims that his family received hospitality during Salt Lake City's bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics...

Following the traditional Lighting Ceremony (using the sun's rays and a parabolic mirror), the flame will journey around Greece for a ten-day Relay conducted by the Hellenic Olympic Committee. A handover ceremony will be conducted on 20 May at the Zappeoin Hall in Athens when the flame will be officially presented to the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG).

The Olympic flame will then be flown on an Ansett charter from Athens to Guam, the first destination in Oceania. During its 17 days in the Pacific region, the flame will visit 13 countries, spending one day travelling through each capital city and three days in New Zealand. The flame arrives at Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park in Australia on 8 June 2000 for the first day of its Australian journey.

Travelling for 100 days, through 1000 towns and visiting every state and territory, it will be the longest Torch Relay in the history of the Modern Games. Once on Australian soil, 11,000 Torchbearers will carry the flame 27,000 kilometres to its destination inside Stadium Australia for the Opening Ceremony (September 15). They will be assisted by 2,500 student escort runners and 47 permanent support vehicles, including police escort motorcycles. The flame will travel on close to 50 different modes of transport. It will be carried across the Nullabor Plain in central Australia by the Indian Pacific train. A scuba diver will carry it underwater at the Great Barrier Reef. It will also be borne by a camel, a surf-lifesaving boat and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

SOCOG Chief Executive Sandy Hollway said the Torch Relay is a very important part of the lead up to the start of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. "Not only is the lighting of the Torch a clarion call to athletes around the world that the Games are about to begin, but it is also a major milestone for the thousands of people involved in staging the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. As the Torch Relay travels around Australia, it takes the spirit of the Olympics to every state and territory and reinforces the message that this is Australia's Games as much as Sydney's".

Innovative, visionary, modern Did you know that the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch draws its inspiration from the Sydney Opera House, the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and the subtle curve of the boomerang? The design of the torch includes three layers which are representative of earth, fire and water. The inner layer is polished stainless steel, the middle layer is anodized aluminium and the outer layer is specially coated aluminium. The inner combustion system is made from copper, brass, aluminium and stainless steel. The Olympic flame must be safe, burn brightly, be environmentally friendly and be able to survive any weather. The torch weighs just over one kilogram and is 72 centimetres tall. The canister of fuel will burn for 20 minutes and used fuel canisters and leftover fuel will be recycled.

So, my time in Germany is almost over. With Lisa over here and life being quite enjoyable, there is only one thing that is pulling me back to Vancouver: through every action and movement here in Hamburg, I continue to sense a sort of gravitational pull from my boys. It is time to get back to them!

I miss the sense of team that we have created, the strength of training in numbers and challenging and pushing each other to be fitter and stronger and beter than those we will face in Sydney. These are things I do not share with anyone in Hamburg. If I did not have a lot of self-discipine, I would become a blimp here! I really miss the training we were all doing together in the gym and at 8 rinks. I often draw comparisons between the Canadian team and the UHC team I play for here in Hamburg. Both are full of talented players... but what I think creates the major difference is the level of commitment to each other and the willingness to go to the wall for someone else... that simply isn't here with my club. Some of the players, yes, but not enough...

All the talent in the world won't get you anywhere if it isn't focused. The ability to work together to organize and create, both on and off the field is another strength in the Canadian Team: we put a lot of effort into finding ways to make oursleves better. Meetings and video sessions often seem so tedious but they are so valuable, if used in the right way.

Life has continued to be stressful here in Hamburg: the sun has been shining for the past two weeks, the best weather they've had for this time of year in over 100 years!

Last weekend was a good one for the UHC men, my club: we beat Harvesterhüde for the first time in 8 years and we did it at home! Sunday, we struggled through a weaker team but came away with a much needed six points. The party on Sunday night was a good one. When teams from Hamburg play against each other, it's referred to as a derby game and they are a lot of fun. Lots of pressure to win for bragging rights! They are typically hard-fought battles and fans from both teams are on hand to spur on the players.

HTHC has a pretty good line up, with Bechman, Reinhelt, Green , Blunk, Stengler, Hollensteiner, Garcia... I played right back and had a blast marking Bechman and Reinhelt. Both are speedy and skilled. Bechman, in particular, impresses me. A tall guy with good skils and acceleration. Definitely a dangerman out there. But the auslander-dominated defence of UHC held strong and did the job!!!

One of the rules I like, but have a hard time adjusting to, is the absolute intolerance of one raising his stick when attempting to force an obstruction or even get around a man after dumping it by him. Out of habit, I often do it and lose the call in the process. Though frustrating for me, overall I think it is an excellent rule and one we should look into adopting in Vancouver. When the sticks are kept down it is a safer game for everyone.

Nearly every potential Olympian has signed a pledge to repay any public funding and incentives if he or she tests positive to drugs before or during the Sydney Games. More than 1,000 of our leading athletes and support staff have made the pledge as part of their team agreement with the Australian Olympic Committee. Sponsors of athletes have also included an anti-doping clause in their agreements at the instigation of the AOC.

The secretary-general of the AOC, Mr Craig McLatchey, said any athlete who had not signed the pledge would not be selected for the Olympics. "It's a significant financial disincentive," Mr McLatchey said. "Using a performance-enhancing substance is cheating and anyone caught cheating will be penalised."

All 1,200 members of the Australian "shadow team" - possible Olympic competitors - have been written to and asked to sign the pledge as part of their team agreement. More than 1,000 have already signed, including almost every high-profile athlete. The remainder, mostly those overseas, are expected to sign soon.

Mr McLatchey said the initiative, begun by the AOC last year, arose from concerns that athletes are motivated to take sports drugs for financial gain. "It was put to us that athletes could be tempted to use banned sports drugs because of the financial incentive," he said. "We wanted to create a financial disincentive to balance it out."

Athletes found committing doping offences at the Olympics will have to repay all benefits paid to them by the AOC and the Fosters Sports Foundation in connection with the Games. Successful athletes would also have to repay any awards from the AOC's lucrative medal incentive scheme in the event of a positive test, Mr McLatchey said. The conditions also extend to coaches and support staff, who will face life bans from the Olympics if implicated in doping and have to repay any financial support they have received.

"We want to win," Mr McLatchey said. "But only fairly." A large number of elite athletes have included the anti-doping clause in their private sponsorship deals, he said. Many large sport sponsors have also approached the AOC to say they had adopted the initiative. Several companies, such as Telstra and the National Australia Bank, confirmed they had included anti-doping clauses in their contracts. Nike said it was considering introducing an anti-doping clause in its sponsorships. "We have a stake in upholding public perceptions and drugs in sport is an important issue," a Nike spokeswoman said.

The Bundesliga has begun!! Hooray!! We met at the club at 9:45 on saturday morning and drove for 5 hours down to Uhlenhorst Mülheim, home of Carsten Fischer, Sven Meinhardt, the Brinkman brothers, Andreas Becker - wer ist ein arschlock wenn er spielt, among others. Mülheim has won the German Championship many times. The last few years have seen the club fall in the standings but I think they will again be very strong in a few years, as their younger players seem strong and will only get stronger with experience.

It was a hard game, typical of the Bundesliga, and the Mülheim goalie stood on his head several times to keep the score to 1-0. Becker and I went at it a little; the last time I was in Mülheim two years ago, I think we were tussling a little then too. He likes to push others around but he's definitely not too keen on taking it. At one point, a bully was called and for some ridiculous reason I took it. Well, on the third "tap" I almost lost my right thumb! But we scored 30 seconds later because I won the bully (easily due to his excitement) and I made sure I let him know, in my perfect German, just how I felt about the whole deal.

We then hopped in the buses for 45 minutes until we arrived in Köln. A nice Italien dinner, a much needed massage and finally sleep. My roommate is Eike. Nice quiet guy and good player. I tink he will make the German team for Sydney. So it's kind of neat for us to be rooming with each other! I often find solice in talking to him about some frustrations I find with the team and some of our procedures. We are both accustomed to a different level of organization and preparation when it comes to games. Other times, though, I refrain from suggestions simply because he plays for Germany. In my opinion, UHC corners are lacking in organization and deception but I don't say a thing because I have no intention of sharing the secrets of the Canadian corner with the opposition!

On with the weekend: we rose at around 9, had some food, a meeting for the game and then walked for fifteen minutes to Club Rot-Weiss Köln, another club steeped in tradition. Plus, I just love the name! Volker Fried is back coaching the team and playing as well, though he did not play against us. Given the fact that Köln had lost 3-0 to Club an der Alster on Satudray and that we seemed in good form after our game, I thought we would win. Wrong... We blew a 2-1 half-time lead and lost 4-2. We had poor possession and played far to openly. A post in the first half that would have put us up 3-1 and likely won us the game, is just one of those things. We had the chances to put it away so we were very frustrated and disapointed, and it was a long long long trip home...

These two game weekends away are my favourite thing about playing in Germany. I love the idea of hitting the road with the team, staying in a hotel and playing two high calibre games in less than 24 hours. It is not pleasant to think about sitting in the bus for five hours but once we're settled and on the autobahn, it's great. The men become boys, we talk dirty, play fight, the works.

Sunday evening was the yearly Tanz in der Mai Party. It took a while for the loss to wear off but by 1 am the pain was eased enough to enjoy some fun dancing with our friends. Jumbo Kopeck came over from a party she was at earlier and our German friends who joined us on the dance floor truly embraced our Canadian style, and those who didn't were a little surprised but enjoyed it all the same! Monday started late and slowly!

As I reflect on the last six months, I feel a sense of pride and belonging growing within me as I have renewed my association with the team. After having been away from the game for so many years, I was concerned with how the guys would respond to me. All of my concerns have proven to be unfounded. The team has welcomed me with open arms and have made me feel a part of the mission to achieve our goals at the Olympics.

Finding the time to train is a constant battle. As with Alan, I am a full time professional and I am lucky enough to have an incredible boss. Whenever I need time away from work for hockey, he gives it without question. Hours of training combined with hours of work each day results in very little time for my wife and I to spend together. This is much tougher than I thought it would be. We were under no illusions as to the strain my return to hockey would put on our lives but we both are working towards a common goal - that of me playing on the National Team again.

Two and a half weeks to camp, four months to the Olympics. The next little while is going to be a very exciting and fun time, and I will savour every moment of it. The blood, sweat and tears that goes with all the hard work is already paying off for me. The sense of togetherness and camaraderie that the team feels is very special, and I am privileged to be a part of it.