MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- If everything goes according to plan for Moose Jaw product Luka Markon in the coming weeks and months, he’ll be on the fast track to making Team Canada and competing in the Winter Olympic Games.
Only it’ll be in a sport far different from one he’s used to.
Markon -- a 14-year-old competitive mountain biker with local connections who now lives in Comox Valley, B.C. -- has been named as one of the final athletes in the the RBC Training Ground program, which acts as the Canadian Olympic Committee’s official cross-country talent search.
Going down hills at speed and being used to maneuvering quickly in tight quarters combined with his testing scores led to RBC Training Ground scouts identifying Markon as a potential luge athlete, with success in the final stage of the program putting him on the fast track to spot on the Olympic team.
“Luka has a strong interest in luge, athletic abilities, and enthusiasm for learning and developing in the sport,” said Sam Edney, High Performance Director, Luge Canada. “He’s earned his spot in the national final through his testing results at RBC Training Ground and in the sport-specific testing we’ve done with him.”
Markon was one of 2,500 athletes aged 14-25 from a wide range of sports who participated in free local qualifier events across the country, performing core speed, strength, power and endurance tests in front of Olympic talent scouts to either find the sport for which they are most suited, or earn a funding boost in their existing sport based on their raw physical abilities.
Markon cracked the top 100 thanks to his showing during the RBC Training Ground Victoria qualifier back in March.
The next step is the RBC Training Ground national final on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Halifax, N.S. Thirty athletes from the final will earn funding, a spot on Team Canada with one of twelve partner national sports organizations -- including Luge Canada -- and an accelerated path to the Olympics.
During national final testing, athletes’ speed, power, strength, and endurance will again be tested against sport-specific, high-performance benchmarks under supervision of program sport partners. An athlete’s body measurements (height, wingspan, etc), sport-specific testing (conducted following the qualifier stage) and competitive sport history also play a role in who is selected for funding.
The finalists, who will have transportation hotel and food covered by RBC, will be joined at the Final by RBC Training Ground alumni and several Olympic medalists.
The 30 athletes selected for funding will be announced in the weeks following the final.
