Sochi 2014: Chris Del Bosco is in search of Olympic redemption

Chris Del Bosco has come a long way in three years.

As a Canadian Olympian in ski cross at the 2010 Games Del Bosco was moments away from capturing bronze before a fall on the last jump of the final race in Vancouver dashed his hopes at a medal.

However, rather than allowing the disappointing finish define his Olympic career, Del Bosco has maintained his position near the top of the sport and appears to be a medal hopeful for Canada once again in Sochi with the Games just over a year away. The 30-year-old won gold at both the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in 2011 – an event that happens once every two years – and the Winter X Games in 2012.

“I have the experience of the one Olympics now; I’d never competed at that level before,” Del Bosco said in an interview Wednesday. It’s definitely different; all the emphasis is put on that one event, that one day every four years. I think I have a little better handle on it now. I’ve definitely put in the work and feel like I’m ready.”

Del Bosco was one of a handful of Canadian Olympic athletes in attendance at the Hotel Le Germain in downtown Toronto Wednesday as Canadian Tire announced a new eight-year partnership with Canada’s Olympic team. CEO of Canadian Tire Stephen Wetmore says the new agreement “gives greater financial stability to athletes in training to showcase the best of Canada on the world stage” and it’s a position he believes his Corporation should have been in a long time ago.

The new partnership will also extend to other Canadian sports organizations including the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Canadian Soccer Association, Skate Canada, Hockey Canada and Alpine Canada.

“It’s huge for us as a program to have sponsors like Canadian Tire on board and in the bigger picture, for them to be a partner with the Canadian Olympic Committee is huge,” Del Bosco said of the new partnership.

“We have one of the best programs in the world with the ski cross team and it wouldn’t be possible without this support. We wouldn’t have the coaches, support staff, technicians, everybody plays a key piece in the puzzle and without any one of them we wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Canada had plenty of triumphant moments in Vancouver and it will be the opportunity to repeat that success that will fuel many Canadian athletes who will head to Sochi a year from now. For Del Bosco however, the next Olympics will be a shot at redemption.

“I put myself in a position in Vancouver to win a medal,” he said. “I don’t regret what happened there, it was a learning experience. I’ll just try and put that in the back of my mind and see what we can do in Sochi.