21 alpine skiing and ski cross athletes nominated to compete at Beijing 2022

CALGARY (January 21, 2022) – Alpine Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee, have nominated 13 alpine skiers and eight ski cross athletes to compete at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The athletes and coaches nominated for alpine skiing are:

James (Jack) Crawford (Toronto, Ont.)
Marie-Michèle Gagnon (Lac Etchemin, Que.)
Cassidy Gray (Invermere, B.C.)
Valérie Grenier (St-Isidore, Ont.)
Ali Nullmeyer (Toronto, Ont.)
Erin Mielzynski (Collingwood, Ont.)
Trevor Philp (Calgary, Alta.)
Erik Read (Canmore, Alta.)
Roni Remme (Collingwood, Ont.)
Brodie Seger (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Amelia Smart (Invermere, B.C..)
Laurence St-Germain (St. Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.)
Broderick Thompson (Whistler, B.C.)

Alternate:
Jeff Read (Canmore, Alta.)

Manuel Gamper (Merano, Italy) – Women’s Lead Coach
Mark Tilston (Pemberton, B.C.) – Men’s Lead Coach
Luca Agazzi (Legnano, Italy) – Coach
Nick Cooper (Kimberley, B.C.) – Coach
Serge Dugas (Magog, Que.) – Coach
Elias Jonsson (Fernie, B.C.) – Coach
John Kucera (Cochrane, Alta.) – Coach
Hansjoerg Plankensteiner (Niederdorf, Italy) – Coach
Chris Powers (Ottawa, Ont.) – Coach
Laurent Praz (La Thuile, Italy) – Coach
Conrad Pridy (Whistler, B.C.) – Coach

The athletes and coaches nominated for ski cross are:

Kevin Drury (Toronto, Ont.)
Courtney Hoffos (Windermere, B.C.)
Reece Howden (Cultus Lake, B.C.)
Brady Leman (Calgary, Alta.)
Brittany Phelan (Mont-Tremblant, Que.)
Hannah Schmidt (Ottawa, Ont.)
Jared Schmidt (Ottawa, Ont.)
Marielle Thompson (Whistler, B.C.)

Alternates:
Zoe Chore (Cranbrook, B.C.)
Chris Del Bosco (Montreal, Que.)
Tiana Gairns (Prince George, B.C.)
Kris Mahler (Canmore, Alta.)

Stanley Hayer (Kimberley, B.C,) – Lead Coach
Sead Causevic (Vancouver. B.C.) – Coach
Victor Dockal (Airdrie, Alta) – Coach
Ben Wilkinson (Cochrane, Alta.) – Coach

Athletes had to meet Alpine Canada’s robust Olympic team selection criteria and were nominated subject to International Ski Federation (FIS) quotas earned based on Canadian athlete World Cup performance and world rankings. 

Between the two disciplines, eight athletes will be making their Olympic debuts.

Team Canada has won 11 Olympic alpine skiing medals, the most recent being a bronze in the men’s super G at Sochi 2014. The alpine ski team will look to add to this, building on this season’s momentum. On the World Cup circuit, Marie-Michèle Gagnon, Ali Nullmeyer and Jack Crawford have all captured their career-best top-five finishes, while Broderick Thompson won bronze in the first super-G World Cup of the season.

“It is always an amazing opportunity to race on the world’s biggest stage and proudly represent your country,” said Crawford, who will make his second straight Olympic appearance. “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.”

Team Canada won the men’s and women’s ski cross gold medals at PyeongChang 2018, and hopes to defend the titles in Beijing. Canadians have been particularly dominant in women’s ski cross, capturing each Olympic gold medal since the event’s debut at Vancouver 2010.

“It’s amazing to be heading back to the Olympics for the third time,” said Brittany Phelan, 2018 Olympic silver medallist who has had to overcome a season-ending injury in 2020. “It was a long recovery to get back here. The Olympics are special, they only come around every four years and the whole year leading up has to go well. To qualify and represent the maple leaf again is a huge honour and there’s always such an amazing energy at the Games. The ski cross team is super strong. We have a full roster, four women and four men, and certainly everyone on the team is skiing well enough to get on the podium.”

The ski cross team is entering the Olympic Winter Games off of an impressive performance on home soil in Nakiska, Alta., where they claimed three medals (two silvers and a gold). 

“It is a tremendous honour and accomplishment to be selected to represent your country at the Olympics,” said Therese Brisson, President & Chief Executive Officer of Alpine Canada.  “We congratulate all 21 athletes on their nomination to the Canadian Olympic Team and will join with Alpine Ski and Ski Cross fans from far and wide to cheer on the team with pride as we watch Canada compete in Beijing.”

Alpine skiing events will take place February 6 to February 19 (Days 2 to 15) at the Yanqing Alpine Skiing Centre.

Ski cross events will take place February 17 and 18 (Days 13 and 14) at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou.

“Congratulations to the athletes that will represent Canada in alpine skiing and ski cross,” said Catriona Le May Doan, Team Canada’s Beijing 2022 Chef de Mission. “I know that it has been a busy season and all of you have had your eye on Beijing 2022. With the alpine team on the verge of the podium in international events, we know that you are ready to wear the maple leaf on the Olympic stage. Since the introduction of ski cross at the Vancouver 2010 Games, Canada has been a force at every starting gate. This will be no different in Beijing where both the women and men will battle for the podium. We look forward to cheering on all of these athletes as they represent our great nation in February.”

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Beijing 2022 roster can be found here and the qualification tracker can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kylie Robertson
Manager, Communications, Alpine Canada
Team Canada’s Beijing 2022 Alpine and Ski Cross Media Attaché
T: 403 777 3204 / C: 780 807 3145
E: krobertson@alpinecanada.org 

Josh Su
Team Canada’s Beijing 2022 Press Operations Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-464-4060
E: jsu@olympic.ca