According to reports in the Canadian Press, Canada’s living ski racing icon, Ken Read, has been put in charge of Canada’s winter Olympic sport funding program “Own the Podium.”

Read, an original member of the Crazy Canucks while an athlete with the Canadian national team in the 1970’s and ’80’s and ran Alpine Canada Alpin’ until retiring in 2008 and moving to the Alberta Alpine organization.

Own The Podium chief Alex Baumann is expected to make the announcement later today (Wednesday).

Read was among sport leaders who helped set the original tone for the OTP.

“I think it’s great,” Alpine Canada Alpin’ director Max Gartner told The Star. “Ken knows what it takes to be at the top level. He was a world class athlete. He knows what it takes to win. The more brainpower we have in that respect, the better it will be for Canadian sport.”

Read photo by GEPA