Canada’s sliding sports plan to unite

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and Luge Canada have signed an agreement to bring the two federations together as one national sport organization.

The proposed merger, announced Thursday by the organizations, would see the sliding sports of bobsled, luge and skeleton unite as a single NSO.

“This is about building something stronger together while preserving what makes each sport special,” Luge Canada executive director Tim Farstad said in a statement. “Luge, bobsled and skeleton each have their own culture, history and community.

“We want to carry those identities forward, learn from what each sport does well, and bring their strengths together to create something even better for athletes, coaches and the broader sliding community.”

The initiative marks the first merger of national sport organizations in Canada in response to the federal government’s Playground to Podium vision.

The proposed merger would combine resources, expertise and leadership from both organizations with a shared objective of building a stronger foundation for athletes, coaches, clubs, and members, the organizations said.

It wasn’t immediately clear if there would be any job cuts within the organizations as a result.

The agreement establishes a joint process focused on the key elements required to bring the organizations together, the statement said. They included the legal structure, governance and organizational structure, high-performance and athlete development, financial structure and integration plan.

The name and brand were also on the list of elements that will be examined over the coming months.

“Canada’s sport system is changing, and we would rather lead that change than wait for it,” said Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton CEO Kien Tran. “Bringing our organizations together creates efficiencies, gives us greater scale and strengthens our ability to attract investment and partnerships.

“Ultimately, that means more capacity to invest in our athletes, coaches and programs and build a stronger future for Canadian sliding sports.”

Subject to required board and membership approvals, the combined organization’s goal is to begin operations next spring.

“I think this merger is the beginning of a bright future for Canada’s sliding sports,” said Canadian skeleton racer Hallie Clarke. “It opens up opportunities for collaboration that can help athletes and coaches at all levels of our sport.”

Canada did not win an Olympic medal in sliding sports at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Four years earlier in Beijing, Canada won two bronze medals in bobsled. Christine de Bruin finished third in women’s monobob, and Justin Kripps piloted his team to a third-place finish in the four-man bobsled.