Canadian Olympic freestyle skiing team announced for Milano Cortina 2026
TORONTO (January 20, 2026) – Freestyle Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada freestyle skiing athletes selected to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their performances across the Olympic Qualification window.
Moguls / Dual Moguls:
Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert (Sainte-Adèle, Que.)
Mikaël Kingsbury (Deux-Montagnes, Que.)
Ashley Koehler (Lac-Beauport, Que.)
Jessica Linton (Vancouver, B.C.)
Maïa Schwinghammer (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Elliot Vaillancourt (Drummondville, Que.)
Julien Viel (Québec, Que.)
Aerials:
Alexandre Duchaine (Lac-Beauport, Que.)
Miha Fontaine (Lac-Beauport, Que.)
Lewis Irving (Québec, Que.)
Émile Nadeau (Prevost, Que.)
Marion Thénault (Sherbrooke, Que.)
Slopestyle / Big Air:
Olivia Asselin (Québec, Que.)
Dylan Deschamps (Québec City, Que.)
Elena Gaskell (Vernon, B.C.)
Evan McEachran (Oakville, Ont.)
Megan Oldham (Parry Sound, Ont.)
Naomi Urness (Mont-Tremblant, Que.)
Halfpipe:
Amy Fraser (Calgary, Alta.)
Dillan Glennie (Comox Valley, B.C.)
Rachael Karker (Erin, Ont.)
Andrew Longino (Calgary, Alta.)
Brendan Mackay (Calgary, Alta.)
Dylan Marineau (Calgary, Alta.)
Cassie Sharpe (Squamish, B.C.)
Mikaël Kingsbury will make his fourth Olympic appearance. The gold medallist from PyeongChang 2018 and silver medallist from both Beijing 2022 and Sochi 2014 earned his 100th FIS World Cup victory earlier this month on home snow in Val Saint-Côme. Kingsbury has won 29 Crystal Globes and is a nine-time world champion. The first male moguls skier to earn three Olympic medals will aim to earn his fourth at Milano Cortina.
“It’s an honour for me to represent Canada at the Olympic Games for the fourth time in my career”, said Kingsbury. “I always felt it was a privilege to wear my country’s colours and this year will be even more memorable for me. First the first time in Olympic Games history, we will have two events. Of course, my desire is to step on the podium at the end of both events. It would be a great way to celebrate what will probably be my last Games. I also trust that Team Canada will do great in our discipline and I am proud to be part of this group of skiers who will perform in Livigno in a few weeks.”
Maïa Schwinghammer, bronze medallist in women’s moguls from the 2025 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships, will make her Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026. The Saskatoon native credits watching Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for Milano Cortina 2026, during Vancouver 2010 as the moment she knew she wanted to become an Olympian. Also making his Olympic debut, Julien Viel recently captured his first World Cup victory, which he accomplished in dual moguls at Val Saint-Côme. Milano Cortina 2026 will be the first Olympic Winter Games in which dual moguls will be featured, marking an exciting addition to the Olympic freestyle skiing program.
The aerials team brings a wealth of experience, with Lewis Irving returning for his third Olympic Winter Games and Marion Thénault, Miha Fontaine, and Émile Nadeau competing in their second. Irving, Thénault, and Fontaine previously stood on the Olympic podium together, winning bronze in the inaugural aerials mixed team event at Beijing 2022, marking Canada’s first Olympic medal in any aerials event in 20 years. Thénault, an RBC Training Ground alumna, only began skiing in 2017 after spending 14 years as a gymnast. She has 13 World Cup podiums, including two runner-up finishes this season.
“I am just so thrilled to have the opportunity to compete at the Olympics again. I feel so lucky to be able to do my sport at the highest level,” said Thénault. “The support I have received in the past few years is just extraordinary. To all of you, thank you! I love what I do and I love sharing it with the world, I am ready to do all of that in Livigno!”
On the slopestyle and big air side, Elena Gaskell will make her Olympic return after suffering an injury in training at Beijing 2022 that prevented her from competing. Following years of resilience and dedication through injury rehabilitation, she marked her comeback with a third-place finish at the Aspen World Cup in early January 2026, securing her place on the Olympic roster. Naomi Urness will make her Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026, after earning multiple big air podiums on the World Cup circuit throughout late 2025, proving she is peaking in time for her first Olympic Winter Games.
“Making the Olympic team is incredibly rewarding and still feels unreal,” said Urness. “I’m beyond excited to represent and compete for Canada!”
The halfpipe team is highlighted by Olympic gold and silver medallist, Cassie Sharpe, and Olympic bronze medallist, Rachael Karker. After Sharpe and Karker secured a historic double podium in Beijing, they are looking to replicate that success on the Olympic stage once again. Andrew Longino will make his Olympic debut after having won gold at the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games where he was named Team Canada’s Closing Ceremony Flag Bearer.
Canada has a long history of excelling in freestyle skiing, with 30 Olympic medals won since the sport’s official debut at Albertville 1992.
“I cannot believe how tight the race was to be nominated to this team, and that speaks to the depth and strength we have across disciplines and genders,” said Todd Allison, Freestyle Canada’s High Performance Director. “While it is hard that injuries interrupted some Olympic dreams for Italy, we are excited for the performances that we’ll see in Livigno, and for the next wave already building towards French Alps 2030.”
The freestyle skiing events will take place throughout the duration of the Games, beginning on February 7 (Day 1) with the slopestyle qualification rounds, and will wrap up on February 21 (Day 15) with the women’s halfpipe final. The freestyle skiing events will take place at the Livigno Snow Park and Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park.
“Congratulations to the freestyle skiing athletes nominated to Team Canada,” said Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 Chef de Mission. “Earning your place on this team is a huge honour and this year is historic, with the chance for the moguls discipline to compete for two Olympic medals as dual moguls joins the program. The world is about to see what you’ve built: the speed, strategy, and head-to-head intensity of duals, and the courage, precision, and execution it takes to land at the highest level.”
Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 freestyle team also includes the following coaches and support staff:
Coaches
Michel Hamelin (Val Morin, Que.) – Moguls
Jim Schiman (Vancouver, B.C.) – Moguls
Dean Bercovitch (Whistler, B.C.) – Moguls
Sandy Boville (Barrie, Ont.) – Slopestyle & Big Air
JF Cusson (Mont-Tremblant, Que.) – Slopestyle & Big Air
Toben Sutherland (Calgary, Alta.) – Slopestyle
Trennon Paynter (Garibaldi Highlands, B.C.) – Halfpipe
Marc Mcdonell (Tofino, B.C.) – Halfpipe
Jeff Bean (Ottawa, Ont.) – Aerials
Remi Belanger (Mascouche, Que.) – Aerials
Support Staff
Peter Judge (Calgary, Alta.) – Chief Executive Officer
Todd Allison (Calgary, Alta.) – Team Leader
Adrian King (Kelowna, B.C.) – IST Lead & Team Manager
Kristen Lacelle (Ottawa, Ont.) – Media Attaché
Dr Rodney French (Surrey, B.C.) – Chief Medical Officer
Dr Hannah Gibson (Vernon, B.C.) – Chief Medical Officer
Susan Cockle (Edmonton, Alta.) – Psychologist & Mental Health Consultant
Mark Borslein (Vernon, B.C.) – Physiotherapist (Moguls)
Vince Turpin (Picton, Ont.) – Physiotherapist (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Margaret-Philips Scarlett (Garibaldi Highlands, B.C.) – Physiotherapist (Halfpipe)
Paule Dontigny (Les Cedres, Que.) – Physiotherapist (Aerials)
Chris Chapman (Washago, Ont.)- Strength & Conditioning Coach (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Drew Lawson (Calgary, Alta.) – Strength & Conditioning Coach (Halfpipe)
Daniel Ruegg (Sparks, USA) – Wax Technician (Slopestyle & Big Air)
Kenny Nault (Huntington Beach, USA) – Wax Technician (Halfpipe)
Media Advisory – On Wednesday, January 21, athletes and coaches from the Aerials team will be available for in-person media interviews, photo and b-roll opportunities. Athletes from the Half Pipe team will be available for a virtual media availability. Athletes and Media are asked to RSVP to Kristen Lacelle kristen@freestylecanada.ski.
When:
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
11:00am – 12:00pm ET – Aerials – opportunity to capture training photos and b-roll
12:00pm – 12:30pm ET – Aerials – in-person media availability
2:00pm – 3:00pm ET – Half Pipe – virtual media availability
Where:
Aerials – Centre de ski le relais – base of the aerials site
1084 Boulevard du Lac
Lac-Beauport, Québec
G3B 2P9
Half Pipe – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76842521082?pwd=DmfqFhipE0yt1daKQAxbd0OiHrhvcR.1
Who:
Team Canada’s Olympic freestyle aerials & half pipe athletes
Jeff Bean – Aerials Head Coach
Remi Belanger – Aerials Coach
*Moguls and Slopestyle/Big Air media availability information will come shortly.
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.
The latest Team Canada roster can be found here and the qualification tracker can be found here.
Team Canada FanFest
Team Canada FanFest is back! Come celebrate and cheer on the athletes who will proudly represent Canada at Milano Cortina 2026. Join us for an immersive and festive experience, share unforgettable Olympic moments, and be part of Team Canada. Follow @TeamCanada on social for the latest news.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kristen Lacelle, Manager, High Performance & National Team Communications
Freestyle Canada
C: 613-852-7816
E: kristen@freestylecanada.ski
Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Milano Cortina 2026 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca