In this newly created role, Myles will likely be responsible for working closely with national sports federations to ensure Canada continues to produce high performing athletes at future Olympic Games.

"I am very happy to be joining the Canadian Olympic Committee as executive director of sport at such an exciting time," said Myles.

"I look forward to this new challenge in my career, and to the unique opportunity to work with both our national sport federations and national partners to help support Canada's high performance athletes as they compete against the world."

Eric Myles will be travelling with the Canadian team to Sochi where they hope to top the medal table during the 2014 Winter Games ©Getty Images



He is set to begin work next week when he travels to Sochi ahead of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and will be reporting directly to the COC's chief sport officer Caroline Assalian.

"The Canadian Olympic Committee is proud and excited to welcome Eric in this newly created role as we focus on better aligning the Canadian Sport System," said Assalian.

"His extensive experience and rich background in provincial sport and building partnerships will be a great addition to the COC team and the sport system as a whole."

Myles comes into the new role with extensive background in canoe-kayak sprint racing having competed at the 1987 Pan American Games and at a World Championships.

He was also executive director at Québec en Forme, an organisation that mobilises people from all of Québec's society to favour and maintain active living and healthy eating, essential to the full development of Québec's youths, as well as director of the Sport-Études programmes at l'Académie Les Estacades, and founder of the Complexe sportif Alphonse-Desjardins in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec City.

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