HALIFAX, NS – Veteran Olympic Coach Jan Kruk will lead the NextGen Training Group for Atlantic Canada, focusing on supporting potential performers at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. Originally from Poland, Kruk was a decorated national canoe team member, club head coach and personal coach of Tom Hall when he won the 1999 Junior World Championships.

“Atlantic Canada is a concentrated hotbed of canoe clubs, quality coaches, high performing athletes and world-class sport science and medicine. As we work to ensuring canoe-kayak continues to be an Olympic medal winning leader in Canadian sport, this initiative will be a critical piece to programing systematic success,” say Scott Logan, High Performance Director, CanoeKayak Canada.

Jan will join a team of coaches, including veteran national team coach Csom Latorovzski and Chad Brooks, supporting all athletes in the Atlantic region high performance pathway. Jan will have a particular focus on canoe programs nationally and regionally, but will also assist with other disciplines in Nova Scotia.

CanoeKayak Canada has launched the NextGen initiative in partnership with the Atlantic Division, CanoeKayak Canada and the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic (CSCA). CSCA President Ken Bagnell says “Canoe-kayak is the top performing high performance sport in Atlantic Canada. Through this new initiative, the CSCA is continuing to explore ways that result in more athletes achieving their international podium objectives.”

Research from Own the Podium has demonstrated that building a plan and providing quality coaching and sport science support for this long-range timeframe is necessary to develop young aspiring talent into senior-level medalists.

About CanoeKayak Canada

CanoeKayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. The organization’s vision is to be a Canadian sport for families, communities and champions. From supporting clubs to developing a competitive National Team, CanoeKayak Canada works to grow a sport that is a rich part of Canada’s heritage.

About the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic

The Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic is dedicated to supporting athletes and coaches for sustained international sport excellence and works with current Olympic and Paralympic athletes as well as those aspiring to represent Canada in the future. The organization provides leading edge sport science and coaching support to over 1500 different athletes across Atlantic Canada annually.

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For more information, contact:

Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca