CANADIAN MINING PERSPECTIVE: Teck shines at Olympic Games

Teck Resources of Vancouver has made the podium at the Olympic Winter Games being held in British Columbia. Well, technically, corporations are not eligible to compete for medals, but the metal in the gold, silver and bronze medals was supplied exclusively by Teck.

Most importantly, Teck is an official supporter of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Without the monetary commitment of such sponsors, our athletes could not shine - and none shone more brightly than Alex Bilodeau who became the first Canadian in history to win a gold medal at a Games held in this country.

To commemorate the occasion, Teck and the Canadian Olympic Committee awarded him a gold-plated maple leaf to commemorate his achievement. The award is inscribed: "Celebrating the first Olympic gold medal won by a Canadian athlete in Canada."

"The first-ever Olympic gold medal won on Canadian soil is truly a special moment for our nation," said Teck president and CEO Don Lindsay. "Sharing this triumph with Alex and all Canadians is a source of incredible inspiration for everyone at Teck."

"Alex's gold medal win is an extremely joyous occasion for all Canadians. We believe that it sets the stage for more to come," said Michael Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

This is a monumental achievement for the Quebec mogul skier, and one that will inspire other Canadian athletes to stretch their abilities into award-winning performances. Maëlle Ricker was inspired, all the way to a gold medal of her own in the sport of snowboard cross.

The medals themselves are a historic achievement, each is a unique piece of contemporary Aboriginal artwork inspired by mountains, ocean waves and drifting snow. Individual images for the medals were cropped from a small section of a master artwork of an orca whale created by Corrine Hunt, an artist of Komoye and Tlingit heritage. Each medalist also receives a silk scarf printed with the full orca master work.

The medals are the first to contain metals recovered from end-of-lie electronics. The bronze medal is the first in Olympic history to be made of pure copper. Alas, the gold medal is plated with six grams of gold, rather than being 500-600 grams of pure gold. They were manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa.

The Olympic Games run through the end of February on the CTV network and its sister broadcasters. Or visit the official site of the Canadian Olympic Committee at www.Olympic.ca.