Press

Release: 200 Sochi Athletes And Coaches To Be Celebrated

May 12, 2014

MORE THAN 200 OLYMPIANS, PARALYMPIANS AND COACHES TO PARTAKE IN 2014 CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE
Athletes and coaches to participate in three-day series of events for the 2014 Celebration of Excellence

CALGARY – Today, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee announced the Olympians,  Olympic coaches, Paralympians and  Paralympic coaches who will take part in the 2014 Celebration of Excellence presented by RBC, which includes a House of Commons visit, Heroes Tour to hospitals and schools and the Sochi 2014 Parade of Champions.

The festivities will finish with the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony in Calgary.

“The Celebration of Excellence is an amazing opportunity for Olympians and Paralympians to thank Canadians for their unwavering and heartwarming support during the Games in Sochi,” said Tessa Virtue, two-time Olympian, three-time Olympic medallist.  “I can’t wait to celebrate with all of our fans and teammates!”

“Canada’s success at the Games belongs to everyone,” said para-alpine skier Josh Dueck, who won gold and silver medals at the Sochi Paralympic Games and was Canada’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony. “We, the athletes, are only a small part of what the whole experience is really about and I’m looking forward to celebrating the Sochi experience with as many Canadians as possible.”

“The Celebration of Excellence is a great opportunity for Olympic fans and our Olympians to connect and celebrate together the successes of the Games,” said Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee. “It’s fantastic to see so many of our athletes involved.”

“We are looking forward to showcasing and connecting our Paralympic athletes and coaches to Canadians through the Celebration of Excellence,” said Gaétan Tardif, President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “The Canadian Paralympic Team achieved great success in Sochi, placing third in the gold medal count and I know Canadians will love meeting our team at these many exciting events.”

Throughout the events, fans can expect to see appearances from Olympic athletes including but not limited to: Jesse Lumsden, Jennifer Jones, Brad Jacobs, Kaetlyn Osmond, Patrick Chan, Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, Maxime and Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Alex Bilodeau and Denny Morrison. Paralympic athletes taking part include triple gold medallist para-Nordic skier Brian McKeever, opening ceremony flag bearer and wheelchair curling gold medallist Sonja Gaudet, closing ceremony flag bearer and para-alpine gold and silver medallist Josh Dueck, and many more.

A number of Olympic and Paralympic coaches will also be participating.

The Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams will be making public appearances starting on June 4 at Ottawa-area schools and hospitals as well as the House of Commons. The Heroes Tour, consisting of school and hospital visits, will be making its way through Calgary, Banff, Red Deer and Edmonton on June 5 and the Sochi 2014 Parade of Champions will be hosted by the City of Calgary on June 6.

Festivities will conclude with the post-Sochi Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony in Calgary on June 6. Proceeds from the Hall of Fame Gala in Calgary will go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation as well as a legacy coaching program in Calgary to support the next generation of Olympians. The 2012 Hall of Fame Gala in Toronto raised more than $3 million for high performance sport and athletes in Canada.

For more information on the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, please visit: http://wp.me/P3DwEw-Xn

Biographies available at Olympic.ca/athletes, Paralympic.ca/athletes  

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Canadian Olympic Committee Media Office:
Jane Almeida, Senior Manager, Media Relations
Tel: 416-324-4120 / Cell: 416-540-1788
Email: jalmeida@olympic.ca

Luc Beaudin, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
Cell: 514-206-6720
Email: lbeaudin@olympic.ca

Canadian Paralympic Committee Media Office:
Alison Korn, Manager, Media Relations
Phone: 613-569-4333, ext # 243 / Cell: 613-298-4927
Email: akorn@paralympic.ca

Martin Richard, Executive Director, Communications & Marketing
Phone: 613-569-4333, ext # 2224 / Cell: 613-725-4339
Email : mrichard@paralympic.ca

Backgrounder

OLYMPIANS, PARALYMPIANS AND COACHES PARTICIPATING IN THE 2014 CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE

*Denotes Sochi 2014 medallist

Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic Team:

First Last Hometown Sport
Phil Brown Toronto, ON Alpine Skiing
Mike Janyk Whistler, BC Alpine Skiing
Erin Mielzynski Guelph, ON Alpine Skiing
Manuel Osborne-Paradis Invermere, BC Alpine Skiing
Brittany Phelan Mont-Tremblant, QC Alpine Skiing
Brad Spence Calgary, AB Alpine Skiing
Elli Terwiel Sun Peaks, BC Alpine Skiing
Rosanna Crawford Canmore, AB Biathlon
Brendan Green Hay River, NT Biathlon
Megan Imrie Falcon Lake, MB Biathlon
Zina Kocher Red Deer, AB Biathlon
Jean-Philippe Le Guellec Shannon, QC Biathlon
Scott Perras Regina, SK Biathlon
Nathan Smith Calgary, AB Biathlon
Lascelles Brown Calgary, AB Bobsleigh
Jenny Ciochetti Edmonton, AB Bobsleigh
Ben Coakwell Regina, SK Bobsleigh
Justin Kripps Summerland, BC Bobsleigh
Jesse Lumsden Burlington, ON Bobsleigh
*Heather Moyse Summerside, PEI Bobsleigh
Tim Randall Burlington, ON Bobsleigh
Lyndon Rush Humboldt, SK Bobsleigh
Cody Sorensen Ottawa, ON Bobsleigh
Chris Spring Calgary, AB Bobsleigh
Neville Wright Edmonton, AB Bobsleigh
Ivan Babikov Canmore, AB Cross-Country Skiing
Jesse Cockney Canmore, AB Cross-Country Skiing
Chandra Crawford Canmore, AB Cross-Country Skiing
Daria Gaiazova Banff, AB Cross-Country Skiing
Perianne Jones Almonte, ON Cross-Country Skiing
Emily Nishikawa Whitehorse, YT Cross-Country Skiing
Lenny Valjas Toronto, ON Cross-Country Skiing
Amanda Ammar Onoway, AB Cross-Country Skiing
Heidi Widmer Banff, AB Cross-Country Skiing
*Dawn McEwen Winnipeg, MB Curling
*Caleb Flaxey Caledon, ON Curling
*Ryan Fry Sault Ste. Marie, ON Curling
*E.J. Harnden Sault Ste. Marie, ON Curling
*Ryan Harnden Sault Ste. Marie, ON Curling
*Brad Jacobs Sault Ste. Marie, ON Curling
*Jennifer Jones Winnipeg, MB Curling
*Kaitlyn Lawes Winnipeg, MB Curling
*Jill Officer Winnipeg, MB Curling
*Kirsten Wall Milton, ON Curling
*Patrick Chan Toronto, ON Figure Skating
Gabrielle Daleman Newmarket, ON Figure Skating
*Meagan Duhamel Lively, ON Figure Skating
Mitchell Islam Barrie, ON Figure Skating
Paige Lawrence Kennedy, SK Figure Skating
*Scott Moir Ilderton, ON Figure Skating
*Kirsten Moore-Towers St. Catharines, ON Figure Skating
*Dylan Moscovitch Toronto, ON Figure Skating
*Kaetlyn Osmond Marystown, NL/Sherwood Park, AB Figure Skating
Alexandra Paul Midhurst, ON Figure Skating
Andrew Poje Waterloo, ON Figure Skating
*Eric Radford Balmertown, ON Figure Skating
*Kevin Reynolds Coquitlam, BC Figure Skating
Rudi Swiegers Kipling, SK Figure Skating
*Tessa Virtue London, ON Figure Skating
Kaitlyn Weaver Waterloo, ON Figure Skating
*Alex Bilodeau Rosemère, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
Noah Bowman Calgary, AB Freestyle Skiing – Halfpipe
Justin Dorey Vernon, BC Freestyle Skiing – Halfpipe
Maxime Dufour-Lapointe Montreal, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
*Justine Dufour-Lapointe Montreal, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
*Chloé Dufour-Lapointe Montreal, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
Marc-Antoine Gagnon Terrebonne, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
Travis Gerrits Milton, ON Freestyle Skiing – Aerials
Roz Groenewoud Calgary, AB Freestyle Skiing – Halfpipe
Keltie Hansen Edmonton, AB Freestyle Skiing – Halfpipe
*Dara Howell Huntsville, ON Freestyle Skiing – Slopestyle
*Mikaël Kingsbury Deux-Montagnes, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
*Kim Lamarre Quebec City, QC Freestyle Skiing – Slopestyle
Philippe Marquis Quebec City, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
*Mike Riddle Sherwood Park, AB Freestyle Skiing – Halfpipe
Audrey Robichaud Quebec City, QC Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
Yuki Tsubota Whistler, BC Freestyle Skiing – Slopestyle
Brady Leman Calgary, AB Freestyle Skiing – Ski Cross
*Kelsey Serwa Kelowna, BC Freestyle Skiing – Ski Cross
Georgia Simmerling West Vancouver, BC Freestyle Skiing – Ski Cross
*Marielle Thompson Whistler, BC Freestyle Skiing – Ski Cross
*Meghan Agosta-Marciano Ruthven, ON Ice Hockey
*Mélodie Daoust Valleyfield, QC Ice Hockey
*Laura Fortino Hamilton, ON Ice Hockey
*Haley Irwin Thunder Bay, ON Ice Hockey
*Rebecca Johnston Sudbury, ON Ice Hockey
*Charline Labonté Boisbriand, QC Ice Hockey
*Geneviève Lacasse Kingston, ON Ice Hockey
*Jocelyne Larocque Ste. Anne, MB Ice Hockey
*Meaghan Mikkelson St. Albert, AB Ice Hockey
*Caroline Ouellette Montreal, QC Ice Hockey
*Marie-Philip Poulin Beauceville, QC Ice Hockey
*Lauriane Rougeau Beaconsfield, QC Ice Hockey
*Natalie Spooner Scarborough, ON Ice Hockey
*Jennifer Wakefield Pickering, ON Ice Hockey
*Catherine Ward Montreal, QC Ice Hockey
Sam Edney Calgary, AB Luge
John Fennell Calgary, AB Luge
Alex Gough Calgary, AB Luge
Arianne Jones Calgary, AB Luge
Mitchel Malyk Calgary, AB Luge
Kimberley McRae Calgary, AB Luge
Justin Snith Calgary, AB Luge
Tristan Walker Cochrane, AB Luge
John Fairbairn Calgary, AB Skeleton
Eric Neilson Kelowna, BC Skeleton
Sarah Reid Calgary, AB Skeleton
Taylor Henrich Calgary, AB Ski Jumping
Trevor Morrice Calgary, AB Ski Jumping
Matthew Rowley Red Deer, AB Ski Jumping
Atsuko Tanaka Calgary, AB Ski Jumping
Caroline Calvé Aylmer, QC Snowboard
Alexandra Duckworth Kingsburg, NS Snowboard
Rob Fagan Cranbrook, BC Snowboard
Kevin Hill Vernon, BC Snowboard
Jake Holden Caledon, ON Snowboard
Ariane Lavigne Lac-Supérieur, QC Snowboard
Marianne Leeson Burlington, ON Snowboard
Derek Livingston Aurora, ON Snowboard
*Dominique Maltais Petite-Rivière St-François, QC Snowboard
Mercedes Nicoll Whistler, BC Snowboard
Maëlle Ricker West Vancouver, BC Snowboard
Chris Robanske Calgary, AB Snowboard
Katie Tsuyuki Toronto, ON Snowboard
Ivanie Blondin Ottawa, ON Long Track Speed Skating
Anastasia Bucsis Calgary, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Kali Christ Regina, SK Long Track Speed Skating
Vincent De Haître Cumberland, ON Long Track Speed Skating
William Dutton Humboldt, SK Long Track Speed Skating
Jamie Gregg Edmonton, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Marsha Hudey White City, SK Long Track Speed Skating
Gilmore Junio Calgary, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Lucas Makowsky Regina, SK Long Track Speed Skating
*Denny Morrison Fort St. John, BC Long Track Speed Skating
Brittany Schussler Winnipeg, MB Long Track Speed Skating
Brianne Tutt Airdrie, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Danielle Wotherspoon-Gregg Red Deer, AB Long Track Speed Skating
*Charle Cournoyer Boucherville, QC Short Track Speed Skating
Michael Gilday Yellowknife, NT Short Track Speed Skating
*Charles Hamelin Sainte-Julie, QC Short Track Speed Skating
François Hamelin Sainte-Julie, QC Short Track Speed Skating
Olivier Jean Lachenaie, QC Short Track Speed Skating
*Valérie Maltais La Baie, QC Short Track Speed Skating
*Marianne St-Gelais St-Felicien, QC Short Track Speed Skating

Sochi 2014 Olympic Coaches:

First Last Hometown Sport
Ben Black Aspen, CO Alpine Skiing
Serge Dugas Magog, QC Alpine Skiing
Matthias Ahrens Canmore, AB Biathlon
Stephan Bosch Penzberg, GER Bobsleigh
Chris Le Bihan Kelowna, BC Bobsleigh
Nathan Cicoria Calgary, AB Bobsleigh / Skeleton
Eric de Nys Canmore, AB Cross-Country Skiing
Tom Coulterman Sault Ste. Marie, ON Curling
Paul Webster Calgary, AB Curling
Patricia Hole Virden, MB Figure Skating
Kathy Johnson Kansas City, MO Figure Skating
Ravi Walia Edmonton, AB Figure Skating
Marc McDonell Squamish, BC Freestyle Skiing
Trennon Paynter Squamish, BC Freestyle Skiing
Toben Sutherland Orillia, ON Freestyle Skiing
Marc-André Moreau Chambly, QC Freestyle Skiing
Danielle Goyette St-Nazaire, QC Ice Hockey
Lisa Haley Westville, NS Ice Hockey
Todd McClements Calgary, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Bart Schouten Calgary, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Xiuli Wang Calgary, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Mark Wild Calgary, AB Long Track Speed Skating
Jonathon Cavar Calgary, AB Short Track Speed Skating

Sochi 2014 Canadian Paralympic Team:

First Last Hometown Sport
*Caleb Brousseau Terrace, BC Para-Alpine
*Nick Brush Panorama, BC Para-Alpine – Guide
*Josh Dueck Kimberley, BC Para-Alpine
*Robin Fémy Mont-Tremblant, QC Para-Alpine – Guide
*Kimberly Joines Rossland, BC Para-Alpine
Erin Latimer Toronto, ON Para-Alpine
Braydon Luscombe Duncan, BC Para-Alpine
*Mac Marcoux Sault Ste. Marie, ON Para-Alpine
Kurt Oatway Calgary, AB Para-Alpine
Kirk Schornstein Spruce Grove, AB Para-Alpine
Alexandra Starker Calgary, AB Para-Alpine
*Chris Williamson Toronto, ON Para-Alpine
*Mark Arendz Hartsville, PEI Para-Nordic
Caroline Bisson Ottawa, ON Para-Nordic
Colette Bourgonje Porcupine Plain, SK Para-Nordic
*Erik Carleton Canmore, AB Para-Nordic – Guide
Sébastien Fortier Quebec City, QB Para-Nordic
Louis Fortin Shippagan, NB Para-Nordic
Margarita Gorbounova Ottawa, ON Para-Nordic
Brittany Hudak Prince Albert, SK Para-Nordic
*Chris Klebl Canmore, AB Para-Nordic
*Brian McKeever Canmore, AB Para-Nordic
Robbi Weldon Thunder Bay, ON Para-Nordic
John Leslie Arnprior, ON Para-Snowboard
Tyler Mosher Whistler, BC Para-Snowboard
Michelle Salt Calgary, AB Para-Snowboard
*Brad Bowden Orton, ON Sledge Hockey
*Adam Dixon Barrie, ON Sledge Hockey
*James Gemmell Quesnel, BC Sledge Hockey
*Dominic Larocque Quebec City, QC Sledge Hockey
*Karl Ludwig Brampton, ON Sledge Hockey
*Tyler McGregor Forest, ON Sledge Hockey
*Graeme Murray Gravenhurst, ON Sledge Hockey
*Ina Forrest Fort St. John, BC Wheelchair Curling
*Sonja Gaudet North Vancouver, BC Wheelchair Curling
*Mark Ideson Parry Sound, ON Wheelchair Curling
*Dennis Thiessen Crystal City, MB Wheelchair Curling

Sochi 2014 Paralympic Coaches:

First Last Hometown Sport
Lasse Ericsson Kimberley, BC Para-Alpine – Coach
Jean-Sébastien Labrie Plessisville, QC Para-Alpine – Head Coach
Sven Pouliot Quebec City, QC Para-Alpine – Coach
Robin McKeever Canmore, AB Para-Nordic – Head Coach
Bjorn Taylor Lamont, AB Para-Nordic – Coach
Kaspar Wirz Saskatoon, SK Para-Nordic – Coach
Joe Rea Prince George, BC Wheelchair Curling – Coach

 

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