It's only fitting the province's most celebrated amateur athlete has signed her first major sponsorship deal with a Manitoba company.
One day after Winnipeg's Cindy Klassen carried the Canadian flag and five medals out of the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, the wildly-successful speed skater inked a multi-year agreement with Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS).
"It's one of the most lucrative deals ever established between an amateur athlete and a Canadian corporation," said Elliott Kerr, president of Toronto-based Landmark Sport Group, which represents Klassen.
Record five medals
"She is thrilled to be signing her first major deal with a Manitoba company."
Klassen won a Canadian record five medals at the 2006 Games, including a gold, two silvers and two bronze and now has six career Olympic medals after winning a bronze in 2002. Canada's most decorated Olympian also established herself as a classy and genuine athlete, the kind of girl-next-door type that the world has grown to love.
She won't be returning to Manitoba anytime soon, as she is off to the Netherlands for a World Cup event and will return to Calgary for more competition after that, but that didn't stop MTS from aggressively pursuing a deal.
"The pride not only Manitobans but Canadians feel for Cindy Klassen right now is enormous," said MTS spokesperson Michelle Bailey. "We want to see Cindy continue to have the ability to train and compete. It's a natural fit. She's a Manitoban, and we are a Manitoba company."
As part of the deal, Klassen will represent MTS at various events and participate in marketing campaigns, and will receive financial support for training and competition expenses.
Other details of the deal were not released, although Kerr said it will take her through the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
Kerr, who also represents Olympic gold medallist Clara Hughes of Winnipeg, said both athletes are in line for plenty more sponsorship and endorsement deals.
"There's no doubt, it's the tip of the iceberg," he said.