December 23, 2004 – Each year the racing schedule in Ontario is subject to many influences. This coming year,
the racing schedule has been impacted by a combination of factors that has resulted in a
particularly difficult schedule. In particular:

• The National Championships were moved to an earlier time (two weeks earlier
than last year) to provide an opportunity to use the Championships as the basis of
selection for Juniors to go to the World Junior Championships, scheduled for the
last week of March;
• In order to provide sufficient time to determine the Ontario Development Team
for the Nationals, avoid the weekend usually associated with the OFSAA
championships, and provide appropriate rest and recovery time, three Ontario
Cups were scheduled early in the season, and the forth scheduled for a week after
the Nationals (but not so late as to risk insufficient snow);
• Scheduling three O-Cups early in the season meant carefully selecting weekends
that avoided school exams and New Years weekend, and took advantage of the
Eastern Canadian Championships;
• We consulted and were advised by various school Boards that semester exams
would be complete by the end of January. However, due to a combination of the
way the school calendar was eventually arranged, and the late start to the school
year, these exams are actually being held into February, which is later than usual;
• Although the Ontario High Performance Committee has input into the date for
the Eastern Canadian Championships, many other organizations and calendars are
consulted, including the Host Club, Cross Country Canada, and Cross County
Quebec;
• The reality is that the combined Eastern Canadian Championships/third (NCD) OCup
are scheduled for a weekend (January 29, 30) in the middle of semester
exams for many school Boards. Unfortunately this can not be changed;
• The fourth O-Cup will be held during the March school break (except for the
Toronto District School Board) to help ensure sufficient snow; and
• Further, complicating matters, the OFSAA Championship has been scheduled
directly before the National Championships in order to provide sufficient time
after the semester exams for the preceding regional high school races and OFSAA
selection.
All of this combines to create a demanding racing season.
The High Performance Committee is committed to promoting the importance of
education and has made every effort to schedule O-Cup races around the school schedule.
We are not at all pleased with the outcome of the schedule and we are committed to
making every effort to avoid these conflicts in the future.
In the meantime, we urge all athletes to use the time between now and the race season to
get ahead in your school work and work with your teachers to schedule assignments,
projects and exams around the races as best as possible.

See you at the races!