The COC has signed a nine-year extension to its deal with Own The Podium ©OTP

The Canadian OIympic Committee (COC) has extended its Memorandum of Understanding with not-for-profit organisation Own The Podium.

According to the Toronto Sun, the two bodies have agreed to prolong their agreement by nine years to include upcoming Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

The deal will cover Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028, as well as Beijing 2022 and Milan-Cortina 2026.

COC chief executive David Shoemaker welcomed the extended partnership with Own The Podium, created 15 years ago and which provides evidence-based funding recommendations for Canadian sport.

The deal with Own The Podium will cover Olympic Games through to Los Angeles 2028 ©Getty Images
The deal with Own The Podium will cover Olympic Games through to Los Angeles 2028 ©Getty Images

"Own The Podium have been wonderful partners in the entire 15-year history of the organisation and this announcement is frankly testament to how well it has worked," Shoemaker said.

Own the Podium chief executive Anne Merklinger said the nine-year deal was "historic" for her organisation, created to help improve Canada's performance at the Games, and the COC.

"It has given such consistency and confidence to the national sport organisations that we work with and COC works with in a time where nothing can be taken for granted," Merklinger added. 

"It really is a defining moment for high performance sport in our country."