Financial crisis hits U.S. snowboarders 16/02/2009 |
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The U.S. snowboard team does not have enough money to make it to the end of the World Cup season as the global economic crisis has stifled sponsorship and inflated costs, officials said on Friday.
"We are short (of enough money) to make it all the way through the season but we've known that since last summer when we did our budgeting," U.S. national team head coach Peter Foley told Reuters.
"We thought they would find that money to get us through March but with the tightness of the economy we just haven't been able to find it. It's tight with sponsorship and donor dollars and everything costs more.
"We're paying way more for over-weight fees on the airlines, plane tickets cost way more. Everything, gas costs more. It all adds up."
Foley said budgets simply did not stretch to cover the costs like they did before.
"It's really hard to make the same budget we had before go the distance we need it to," he added.
The uncertain financial picture had no impact on the U.S. team's performance at a World Cup event at Cypress Mountain on Friday as the Americans placed two athletes on the podium.
Lindsey Jacobellis, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, charged to victory in the women's boarder-cross while Seth Wescott took third in the men's race down the same track that will be used at next year's Winter Games in Vancouver.
With five races remaining on the World Cup schedule, however, it is unclear if the United States will be able to finish out the season by sending full contingents to every event.
SOLID FOOTING
While the shaky economy is weighing heavily on several teams, Canadian snowboarders find themselves on solid financial footing with the government and sponsors providing funding to support their medal efforts next year.
Canadian snowboard officials said they were helping out other teams where they could, but as the season goes on the situation appears to be worsening.
"You're really starting to see other countries fighting just to survive," Canadian team coach Mark Fawcett told Reuters.
"We're blessed here in Canada because the Games are in our backyard people are getting behind us regardless of the financial situation globally.
"But some other countries, the coaches don't come because they can't afford to."
Fawcett said the U.S. team were particularly hard hit.
"The Americans are hurting big time.
"They don't have government funding of any sort, it is completely 100 percent fund-raising and corporate so with the current economy they are really struggling.
"They put so much into the ski program so their snowboard programs, financially are hurting.
"They have great athletes and doing a good job with what they've got but they're struggling."
(Source: Reuters)
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