CALGARY, AB (November 10, 2009) – Focused on progressing toward peak performances from potential medallists at Olympic Winter Games in February, Alpine Canada Alpin today named 38 ski racers to the 2009-2010 Canadian Alpine Ski Team.
The national ski team, introduced at a press conference in Calgary, AB, is made up of 18 senior men and 11 senior women, including an unprecedented seven World Cup winners and three World Championship medallists. Thirteen ski racers also have Olympic Winter Games experience.
Nine high-potential development ski racers were also named to the team.
“The Canadian team is focused on World Cup performances that build momentum toward the Olympic Games in February, pushing each other in the pursuit of spots on Canada’s Olympic alpine ski team,” said Chief Athletics Officer Max Gartner.
“There is a veteran core that has achieved World Cup and World Championship success. They will be pushed by a group of younger skiers who will be looking to 2010 for experience, with their ultimate goals being success in 2014 and even 2018,” Gartner added.
The core group of veteran leaders includes Erik Guay (Mont-Tremblant, QC), Jan Hudec (Calgary, AB), John Kucera (Calgary, AB), Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Vancouver, BC), Emily Brydon (Fernie, BC), Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC) and Geneviève Simard (Val-Morin, QC), all of whom have won a World Cup race.
Guay’s 10 career World Cup podiums lead the men, third all-time on the men’s side behind only Crazy Canucks Steve Podborski (20) and Ken Read (14). Brydon’s seven career World Cup podiums is tops among female members of the 2009-2010 World Cup team, tied for fifth on the ladies all-time list.
ACA also announced details at today’s press conference about the Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart, as World Cup ski racing returns to Lake Louise for men’s downhill and super-G races November 28 and 29 followed by two ladies downhill races on December 4 and 5 as well as a super-G on Dec. 6.
This annual event would not happen without the support of corporations such as Bombardier, who are in their fourth season as presenting sponsor of the ski races, as well as commercial partners including the Government of Canada and the province of Alberta, including Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, and Travel Alberta.
ACA also acknowledged the more than 350 men and women who come from across Canada and around the world to volunteer at the races.
There have been a total of six podium results by Canadians at the Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart in the last three years, including victories by Kucera in super-G in 2006 and Hudec in 2007 in the downhill.
The Canadian Alpine Ski Team is coming off a season in which a number of important firsts were achieved. Kucera became the first Canadian male to win downhill gold at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships while Michael Janyk (Whistler, BC) became the first Canadian male to medal in a technical event at the World Championships a few days later. Osborne-Paradis capped the season of with the first World Cup win of his career, one of five World Cup podium results a season ago.
Canada’s Olympic alpine ski team will be announced in February 2010, just prior to the start of the Games.
The 2009-2010 Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team, which will begin competition on IPC World Cup circuit in January, will be announced later this week.
SENIOR MEN – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Patrick Biggs – Orleans, ON (Ottawa Ski Club) *OWG
François Bourque - New Richmond, QC (Pin Rouge) *OWG
Dustin Cook – Lac Sainte Marie, QC (Mont Ste-Marie)
Julien Cousineau - Lachute, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Robbie Dixon - Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
Jeffrey Frisch - Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont Tremblant)
Erik Guay - Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Stefan Guay - Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Louis-Pierre Hélie – Berthierville, QC (Mont-Ste-Anne)
Jan Hudec - Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Michael Janyk - Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) *OWG
John Kucera - Calgary, AB (Calgary Alpine Racing Club) *OWG
Tyler Nella – Toronto, ON (Georgian Peaks)
Manuel Osborne-Paradis - Vancouver, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) *OWG
Jean-Philippe Roy - Ste-Flavie, QC / Gatineau, QC (Mont-Comi) *OWG
Ryan Semple – Montreal, QC / Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Brad Spence - Calgary, AB (NATC - Team Panorama)
Trevor White - Calgary, AB (NATC – Fortress Alpine Ski Team)
MEN’S DEVELOPMENT TEAM – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Travis Dawson – Calgary, AB (NATC – Fernie)
Erik Read – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
SENIOR LADIES - RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Brigitte Acton - Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Emily Brydon - Fernie, BC (Fernie Snow Valley Racers) *OWG
Marie-Michèle Gagnon - Lac-Etchemin, QC (Mont Orignal)
Anna Goodman - Pointe Claire, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Britt Janyk - Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
Kelly McBroom – Canmore, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Eve Routhier – Sherbrooke, QC (Mont Orford)
Shona Rubens - Canmore, AB (Lake Louise / Sunshine Ski Club) *OWG
Geneviève Simard - Val-Morin, QC (Montcalm/Val-St-Côme) *OWG
Kelly VanderBeek - Kitchener, ON (Chicopee Ski Club) *OWG
Larisa Yurkiw - Owen Sound, ON (Georgian Peaks Ski Club)
LADIES DEVELOPMENT TEAM - RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Stephanie Irwin – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Erin Mielzynski – Guelph, ON (Georgian Peaks Ski Club)
Brittany Phelan – Mont Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club)
Marie-Pierre Préfontaine – Saint-Sauveur, QC (Club Chanteclerc)
Georgia Simmerling – West Vancouver, BC (Grouse Tyee Ski Club)
Elli Terwiel – Sun Peaks, BC (Sun Peaks Alpine Club)
Victoria Whitney – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
* OWG indicates Olympic Winter Games experience
ABOUT ALPINE CANADA ALPIN
Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) is the governing body for alpine ski racing in Canada with more than 50,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteer members and over 200,000 supporting members. ACA manages the high performance programs for the athletes of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team who represent Canada throughout the world. For more information on Alpine Canada Alpin, visit www.canski.org.
Follow Canada’s Alpine Ski Teams on Facebook and Twitter.
"Relentlessly Pursuing Excellence"
INFORMATION:
Kyle Marr
Director of PR & Media /
Directeur, RP et médias
Alpine Canada Alpin
Tel: (403) 777-3204
TELUS: (403) 860-0665
kmarr@canski.org