Canadian halfpipe, snowboard cross and alpine snowboard teams named for PyeongChang 2018
Note to media: On Sunday, January 28, 2018 the COC was re-allocated a quota place in men’s snowboard cross. Eliot Grondin (Sainte-Marie, QC) will join Team Canada at PyeongChang 2018.
TORONTO (January 25, 2018) — The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canada Snowboard officially announced the 14 athletes and seven coaches nominated to represent Team Canada in snowboard cross, halfpipe and parallel giant slalom at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. They join the seven athletes previously nominated to compete in slopestyle and big air.
DOWNLOAD: High-resolution team photos for editorial use
The athletes were selected based on their performances in FIS World Cup and World Championship events between July 1, 2016 and January 21, 2018.
The snowboarders nominated are:
| Name | Event | Hometown |
| Baptiste Brochu | Snowboard Cross | Saguenay, QC |
| Eliot Grondin | Snowboard Cross | Sainte-Marie, QC |
| Kevin Hill | Snowboard Cross | Vernon, BC |
| Chris Robanske | Snowboard Cross | Calgary, AB |
| Zoe Bergermann | Snowboard Cross | Erin, ON |
| Carle Brenneman | Snowboard Cross | Comox, BC |
| Tess Critchlow | Snowboard Cross | Kelowna, BC |
| Meryeta O’Dine | Snowboard Cross | Prince George, BC |
| Jasey-Jay Anderson | Parallel Giant Slalom | Mont-Tremblant, QC |
| Darren Gardner | Parallel Giant Slalom | Burlington, ON |
| Derek Livingston | Halfpipe | Aurora, ON |
| Mercedes Nicoll | Halfpipe | Whistler, BC |
| Elizabeth Hosking | Halfpipe | Longueuil, QC |
| Calynn Irwin | Halfpipe | Toronto, ON |
The coaches nominated are:
| Name | Position | Hometown |
| Mike Slaughter | Halfpipe – Head Coach | Mountain Home, USA |
| Brian Smith | Halfpipe – Assistant Coach | Saint-Jérôme, QC |
| Marcel Mathieu | Snowboard Cross – Head Coach | Orcières, France |
| Rene Brunner | Snowboard Cross – Assistant Coach | Lienz, Austria |
| Simon Bonenfant | Snowboard Cross – Assistant Coach | Montréal, QC |
| Jan Wengelin | Parallel Giant Slalom – Head Coach | Smithers, BC |
| Emily Dee | Parallel Giant Slalom – Assistant Coach | Orangeville, ON |
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Champion Jasey-Jay Anderson will be the first Canadian to compete at six Olympic Winter Games, having been a member of every team since snowboard was introduced at Nagano 1998. Elizabeth Hosking, 16, will be the youngest athlete on Team Canada at PyeongChang 2018.
Before departing for PyeongChang, the snowboard cross athletes will compete in Bansko, Bulgaria and in Feldberg, Germany. The parallel giant slalom athletes will also compete in Bansko while the halfpipe team will be training in Calgary.
With seven medals in only five Olympic Games, Canada is one of the top snowboarding nations in the world. Canada has won at least one Olympic medal in every snowboard discipline except halfpipe and big air, which will debut in PyeongChang.
Snowboard halfpipe, snowboard cross, and parallel giant slalom will take place at Phoenix Snow Park. Parallel giant slalom will take place February 10-12 (Days 1-3), halfpipe February 12-14 (Days 3-5), and snowboard cross February 15-16 (Days 6-7).
QUOTES:
“Canada excels in snowboarding and the exciting team we are nominating today is in a great position to carry on that tradition. Congratulations to the athletes, I am looking forward to cheering you on as you challenge for the podium in PyeongChang.”
– Isabelle Charest, PyeongChang 2018 Team Canada Chef de Mission
“Having qualified for the Olympics for my second time is pretty amazing. Last time I was a rookie and this year I’ve got more tricks, more experience, and more drive. The halfpipe at the test event was one of the best pipes I’ve ridden and I am really excited to compete for Canada and better my results from my first Games.”
– Derek Livingston, PyeongChang 2018 nominated athlete
“I honestly don’t put much pressure on myself going into the Games but I have one thing on my mind and that’s getting on the podium. For that to happen it has to be my day where everything lines up in place just like X Games 2015: you wake up, you feel good, your starts are perfect and you ride like no one can touch you all day. I know that the entire team is going to shine and make Canada proud.”
– Kevin Hill, PyeongChang 2018 nominated athlete
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Brendan Matthews, Director, Business Operations
Canada Snowboard
Cell: 778-874-2729
Email: brendan@canadasnowboard.ca
Josh Su, Coordinator, Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
Tel: 416-324-4303 / Cell: 647-464-4060
Email: jsu@olympic.ca
Photi Sotiropoulos, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Canadian Olympic Committee
Tel: 416-324-4298 / Cell: 416-476-9174
Email: psotiropoulos@olympic.ca