Majority of Canadians feel proud about performances by Olympic athletes: poll

DONALD MCKENZIE
Canadian Press

July 26, 2004


MONTREAL (CP) - Eighty per cent of Canadians planned to watch some of this summer's Olympics while 89 per cent believe the performances of the country's athletes are a source of pride, a poll suggests.

The Leger Marketing survey indicated 21 per cent of Canadians would watch the Games regularly, 35 per cent would tune in somewhat regularly and 24 per cent would take them in occasionally.

Twenty per cent of respondents in the July 6-11 poll said they wouldn't watch any of the sporting spectacle.

The regional breakdown for non-watchers was the Atlantic provinces, 26 per cent; Quebec, 25; Alberta, 19; Ontario and British Columbia, 18; and Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 16.

The poll also suggested athletics will be the most popular sport at the Games for 33 per cent of men, followed by aquatics at 12 per cent and soccer at four per cent.

Among women, 27 per cent opted for aquatics, 18 per cent chose athletics and 12 per cent picked gymnastics.

The question about pride was the following: "As a Canadian, do you believe the Olympic performances of our athletes are a source of pride?"

Eighty-nine per cent replied Yes, while nine per cent said No. The remaining two per cent refused to answer or said they didn't know.

Regionally, 93 per cent of respondents from Manitoba and Saskatchewan felt such pride, compared with 91 per cent in Alberta, 90 per cent in the Atlantic provinces and Ontario, 88 per cent in Quebec and 86 per cent in British Columbia.

The Canadian Olympic Committee interpreted the results as a groundswell of support for Canadian athletes heading to Athens for the Aug. 13-29 Games.

"We think the results are pretty good and we're quite happy with them here," committee media officer Stacie Smith said in an interview.

"Podium finishes, medals, and even coming in top 10, top 12, at the Olympic Games really means something to Canadians.

"Sure, we're sending over this team but success is often a determinant of Canadian pride, and we want to see our athletes do well."

Smith said committee CEO Chris Rudge hopes the numbers will prompt the federal government to increase funding to athletes over the next four years.

Canadians appeared divided when asked in the Leger poll whether governments should give more money directly to elite amateur athletes even if it meant reducing subsidies paid to amateur sports federations.

Forty-four per cent said Yes and 41 per cent replied No.

The survey of 1,500 Canadians is considered accurate within 2.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The margin of errors on the regional breakdowns are higher.

reprinted with permission