Name change for Olympic development group

The Calgary Olympic Development Association, which carried on the legacy of the 1988 Games, is rebranding itself as the Canadian Winter Sport Institute — or Winsport Canada.

Officials said the name change "better suits the organization's role as a catalyst for the development and support of Canadian athletes."

The transformation will also remove some of the fundraising restrictions that are associated with the Olympic name.

"Winsport Canada by its nature is a national name, so we are able to speak to national sponsors," said the group's president, Guy Huntingford Friday.

The rebranding should help as the group embarks on a fundraising campaign for a 2,500-seat international-sized hockey rink and three NHL-sized rinks.

WinSport runs Calgary's Canada Olympic Park (COP), which hosted the ski jump and sliding events at the 1988 Games and is now undergoing a $200-million expansion.

The goal is to develop a centre that will bring athletes, researchers, medical experts and coaches under one roof.

The Alberta government has committed $69 million to the project, the federal government another $40 million and the City of Calgary about $20 million.

On Friday, officials praised CODA's legacy since 1988, noting that almost three-quarters of the medal winners at the 2006 Winter Olympics were either Albertan or had trained at the COP.