13 alpine skiers and eight ski cross racers nominated to Team Canada for Beijing 2022
Team Canada at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games will include eight women and five men competing in alpine skiing as well as four women and four men who will compete in ski cross.
There has been a lot of momentum building among members of the alpine team over the last year.
Marie-Michèle Gagnon, now fully focused on the speed events, recently finished a career-best fifth in a World Cup downhill. That follows a super-G bronze she won on the circuit last season, bringing her career World Cup medal total to five. She is headed to her third Olympic Games, but her first in eight years after missing PyeongChang 2018 with an injury.
In the women’s technical events, Ali Nullmeyer achieved a career-best fifth place in a World Cup slalom race at the start of January. She will make her Olympic debut after winning slalom silver at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Amelia Smart was also on that Youth Olympic Games team and just earned a career-best ninth in a World Cup slalom this year.
Canada’s Ali Nullmeyer speeds down the course during the first run of an alpine ski women’s World Cup slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato) 
Laurence St-Germain, of Canada, skis during the first run of the women’s slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) 
Erin Mielzynski competes during the Alpine Skiing – Alpine Team Event at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Yongpyong Alpine Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Another slalom specialist, Laurence St-Germain has posted two top-nine finishes in World Cup races this season as she heads towards her second Games. The veteran leader of the slalom squad is Erin Mielzynski, who is headed to her fourth straight Olympic Games and has two World Cup podiums to her credit.
Valérie Grenier is returning to fine form ahead of her second Games after missing the 2019-20 season with an injury. In her two World Cup giant slalom races this season, she finished fourth and seventh.
Full of potential, Cassidy Gray will be the youngest member of the alpine team at just 21 years old. She just reached the podium in the giant slalom at the Italian national championships. Roni Remme is the all-arounder on the team, comfortable competing in speed and technical events. Beijing will be her second Olympic appearance.
Valerie Grenier of Canada competes in the Ladies Super-G at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 17, 2018. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/COC) 
Canada’s Cassidy Gray speeds down the course during a women’s giant slalom, at the alpine ski World Championships, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Marco Tacca) 
Roni Remme of Canada competes in the Ladies Super-G at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 17, 2018. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/COC)
A young men’s speed team has been making people take notice with their performances. In the first men’s World Cup super-G of the season, Broderick Thompson came out of the 35th start position to win the bronze medal for his first career World Cup podium.
James (Jack) Crawford recorded a career-best fifth-place finish in the super-G at the famed Wengen World Cup in mid-January. That follows up his stunning fourth-place finish in the alpine combined at the 2021 World Championships.
Broderick Thompson of Canada competes in the Men’s Super-G at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 16, 2018. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/COC) 
Canada’s James Crawford takes part in the Men’s Alpine Skiing Downhill 1st training session during the Pyeonchang Winter Olympics at Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Wednesday, February 8, 2018. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-COC/Vaughn Ridley
“It is always an amazing opportunity to race on the world’s biggest stage and proudly represent your country,” said Crawford. “The Olympics have always been on my radar and going into Beijing will be crazy because I’ve proven I actually have a real shot at the podium.”
Brodie Seger, the only Olympic rookie on the men’s alpine team, had his own fourth-place finish at last year’s world championships where he missed the podium in the super-G by just 0.04 of a second.
Trevor Philp is the veteran on the technical team, now headed to his third Olympic Games. He is joined by Erik Read, set for his second Games. Both men have found a new consistency in their skiing and a highlight this season came when they posted the two fastest times in the second run of giant slalom at the World Cup in Alta Badia, Italy in December.
Canada’s Brodie Seger speeds down the slope during an alpine ski, men’s World Cup downhill training, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Dec. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati) 
Canada’s Trevor Philp competes in the second run of the men’s giant slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) 
Canada’s Erik Read competes in the men’s giant slalom at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Korea, Sunday, February 18, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO – COC – Jason Ransom
Canada has won 11 Olympic medals in alpine skiing. Competition will begin on February 6 at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre and continue almost daily until February 19.
Beijing 2022 Competition Schedule
On any given day, any member of the ski cross team could contend for the Olympic podium, something they’ve all proven on the World Cup stage.
The squad includes three athletes who are already Olympic medallists: Brady Leman, Marielle Thompson, and Brittany Phelan.
After winning gold at PyeongChang 2018, Leman has continued to be one of the top racers in the world. He won silver at the 2019 World Championships and has 29 career World Cup podiums, including one this season which happened to come at the Olympic venue in Zhangjiakou.
Brady Leman of Canada wins gold in the Men’s Ski Cross Final at Phoenix Snow Park during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 21, 2018. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-COC/Vaughn Ridley 
Canada’s Brittany Phelan makes her way down the ski cross course during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Korea, Friday, February 23, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO – COC – Jason Ransom 
Canada’s gold medallist Marielle Thompson celebrates her win following the women’s ski cross final at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, Friday, Feb. 21, 2014. Thompson capped her dream season in style Sunday by winning her second career Crystal Globe.Thompson, who won Olympic gold last month at the Sochi Games, edged Fanny Smith of Switzerland to win the final World Cup of the season Sunday and the overall title. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Thompson won her gold at Sochi 2014 and then got the chance to be in PyeongChang alongside her brother, the aforementioned Broderick. She competed at her second Games after missing the entire season while recovering from injury. This season has marked another comeback for Thompson following a knee injury in March, but she’s been on form with four podium finishes so far.
Phelan, a silver medallist from PyeongChang 2018, missed the entire 2020-21 season while recovering from major knee surgery. But she has shown little rust in her return, picking up a pair of World Cup podiums in December.
Canada’s Reece Howden, celebrates his victory during the men’s final at the World Cup ski cross event at Nakiska Ski Resort in Kananaskis, Alta., Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh 
Kevin Drury of Canada competes in the Men’s Ski Cross Seeding run at Phoenix Snow Park during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 21, 2018. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/COC)
The men’s ski cross team includes the last two overall World Cup champions in the discipline, Reece Howden and Kevin Drury. Howden claimed the Crystal Globe in 2020-21 after recording four race victories and two other podiums. Drury was the Crystal Globe winner in 2019-20 when he also won four races and three other medals. He broke his leg in December 2020 but returned this season and climbed onto the podium on home snow in Nakiska, just before the close of the qualification window.
Rounding out the men’s team is Jared Schmidt, who earned his first World Cup podium last February and added one more this past December. His older sister Hannah will join him in Beijing as a member of the women’s ski cross team. She has three career top-five finishes on the World Cup. Also making her Olympic debut on the women’s team will be Courtney Hoffos, who brings with her four career World Cup.
Canada’s Jared Schmidt looks down at the track before a race. 
Canada’s Hannah Schmidt skis over a jump during the women’s semi-final at the World Cup ski cross event at Nakiska Ski Resort in Kananaskis, Alta., Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh 
Canada’s Courtney Hoffos skis over a jump during the women’s semi-final at the World Cup ski cross event at Nakiska Ski Resort in Kananaskis, Alta., Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Canada has won all three Olympic gold medals in women’s ski cross since the discipline debuted at Vancouver 2010. At Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, Canada also claimed the silver medal in the event.
Ski cross at Beijing 2022 will take place February 17 and 18 at the Genting Snow Park.
Team Canada Alpine Skiers at Beijing 2022:
James (Jack) Crawford (Toronto, ON)
Marie-Michèle Gagnon (Lac Etchemin, QC)
Cassidy Gray (Invermere, BC)
Valérie Grenier (Mont-Tremblant, QC)
Erin Mielzynski (Collingwood, ON)
Ali Nullmeyer (Toronto, ON)
Trevor Philp (Calgary, AB)
Erik Read (Canmore, AB)
Roni Remme (Collingwood, ON)
Brodie Seger (North Vancouver, BC)
Amelia Smart (Invermere, BC)
Laurence St-Germain (St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC)
Broderick Thompson (Whistler, BC)
Team Canada Ski Cross Athletes at Beijing 2022:
Kevin Drury (Toronto, ON)
Courtney Hoffos (Windermere, BC)
Reece Howden (Cultus Lake, BC)
Brady Leman (Calgary, AB)
Brittany Phelan (Mont-Tremblant, QC)
Hannah Schmidt (Ottawa, ON)
Jared Schmidt (Ottawa, ON)
Marielle Thompson (Whistler, BC)
