Canadian Olympic snowboard cross, halfpipe and parallel giant slalom teams announced for Milano Cortina 2026
TORONTO (January 22, 2026) – Canada Snowboard and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) have announced the roster of Team Canada snowboard cross, half pipe and parallel giant slalom athletes selected to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their performances and accumulated FIS points/ranking across the Olympic qualification window.
Snowboard Cross:
Evan Bichon (Mackenzie, B.C.)
Tess Critchlow (Kelowna, B.C.)
Eliot Grondin (Sainte-Marie, Que.)
Audrey McManiman (Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, Que.)
Liam Moffatt (Truro, N.S.)
Meryeta O’Dine (Prince George, B.C.)
*James Savard-Ferguson (Alternate) (Baie-St-Paul, Que.)
Halfpipe:
Brooke D’Hondt (Calgary, Alta.)
Felicity Geremia (Calgary, Alta.)
Elizabeth Hosking (Longueuil, Que.)
Parallel Giant Slalom:
Kaylie Buck (Oakville, Ont.)
Arnaud Gaudet (Montcalm, Que.)
Ben Heldman (Toronto, Ont.)
Aurélie Moisan (Baie-D’Urfé, Que.)
Eliot Grondin, who won a silver and bronze at Beijing 2022 will make his third Olympic appearance. The reigning world champion in snowboard cross won back-to-back Crystal Globes from the World Cup circuit. The Sainte-Marie, Quebec native reached the World Cup podium 16 times throughout 2024 – 2025, and is confident heading into Milano Cortina. Joining Grondin in men’s snowboard cross are Liam Moffat, who will be competing at his second Games, and Evan Bichon, who will be making his Olympic debut after previously being part of Team Canada at the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
“I am honoured to be named to the Canadian team for the third time in my career,” said Grondin. “It is always a privilege to wear Canada’s colors at the Olympic Games when all eyes are on us. I am confident in my ability to perform well at these Games, but my primary goal is to enjoy the moment and have fun on each of my runs. I know that if I do that, I have a good chance of winning a medal.”
Meryeta O’Dine, who won bronze in women’s snowboard cross and teamed up with Grondin to win bronze in the mixed team event at Beijing 2022, is also named to her third Olympic team. Joining O’Dine is Tess Critchlow, who is headed to her third Olympic Games. She was a small finalist at Beijing 2022, placing sixth overall. Audrey McManiman is back for a second straight Games.
Canada will have three women in snowboard halfpipe. Leading the way is Elizabeth Hosking, who at just 24 years old will be competing at her third Olympic Games. After finishing sixth at Beijing 2022, she became Canada’s first ever world championship medallist in women’s snowboard halfpipe, taking the silver medal in 2023. In early January, she earned her first career FIS World Cup victory on home snow at the ‘Snow Rodeo’ World Cup stop in Calgary, becoming the first Canadian woman in 24 years to win a World Cup in snowboard halfpipe.
Four years ago, Brooke D’Hondt was Team Canada’s youngest Olympic team member. Now 20, she produced back-to-back top 10 finishes at the world championships in 2023 and 2025. The newcomer on the team is 18-year-old Felicity Geremia, who was part of Team Canada at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
“Making the Canadian Olympic team still doesn’t feel real, one of those moments that takes a while to fully register,” said Geremia. “This is something I’ve worked toward for many years, and to finally be wearing the maple leaf at the Olympics is an honour I don’t take lightly. I’m going into these Games with a lot of gratitude — for the people who believed in me, pushed me, and supported me through every step of the journey. I’m excited to compete, to learn, and to fully embrace the experience of my first Olympics.”
In parallel giant slalom Kaylie Buck and Arnaud Gaudet will make their second Olympic appearances, after career breakthroughs on the World Cup circuit this season. In December 2025, Buck finished second in Cortina d’Ampezzo for her first career FIS PGS World Cup podium. Gaudet followed in January with a second place finish in Bansko for his first career FIS PGS World Cup podium.
Buck will be joined in the women’s event by Aurélie Moisan. She is a three-time junior world champion, earning back-to-back titles in parallel giant slalom in 2024 and 2025. She also won gold in parallel slalom in 2024. At just 20 years old, Moisan posted a career-best fourth-place finish on the World Cup circuit last February in Val St-Côme, Quebec.
Also competing at his first Games will be Ben Heldman, who was a double gold medallist at the 2022 FIS Junior World Championships in parallel giant slalom and parallel slalom. He also posted a career-best World Cup result at Val St-Côme, finishing seventh.
“Today’s announcement of the athletes selected in our speed disciplines and halfpipe to Canada’s 2026 Olympic team reflects the strength, depth, and momentum of snowboard sport in this country,” said Dustin Heise, CEO of Canada Snowboard. “Canada has a storied history of success in these disciplines, built by generations of athletes, coaches, and staff who have pushed the sport forward. These riders have earned their place through years of commitment, resilience, and world-class performances. I also want to recognize and thank the incredible coaches, technicians, medical staff, and support teams whose dedication makes performances at this level possible. We’re proud to support this group as they prepare to represent Canada on the world’s biggest stage and inspire the next generation of snowboarders.”
Canadian snowboarders have won 17 Olympic medals since the sport made its debut at Nagano 1998. At Beijing 2022, Team Canada’s snowboarders won 5 medals – the biggest Olympic medal haul for Canadian snowboarders.
Team Canada’s snowboard slopestyle / big air team was announced on January 16.
The parallel giant slalom event will take place February 8 (Day 2), while snowboard halfpipe will begin on February 11 (Day 5) with qualification, and the women’s final on February 12 (Day 6). The individual snowboard cross events will happen on February 12 and 13 (Days 6 and 7), with the mixed team event on February 15 (Day 9). Snowboard events will take place at the Livigno Snow Park in Livigno.
“I am thrilled to welcome these snowboard athletes to the Canadian Olympic Team,” said Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 Chef de Mission. “The snowboard events are always a highlight at the Games, and Canadians continue to bring the thrill and excitement each time you compete. Congratulations on all your hard work to qualify for these Olympics, and we can’t wait to cheer you on!”
Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 snowboard cross, half pipe and parallel giant slalom teams also includes the following staff:
Coaches
Maëlle Ricker – Co-Head Coach Snowboard cross
Simone Malusa – Co-Head Coach Snowboard cross
Hannes Mutschlechner – Head Coach, Snowboard Alpine
Ingemar Walder – Coach, Snowboard Alpine
Normand Moisan – Coach, Snowboard Alpine
Chris Witwicki – Lead Coach, Park & Pipe
Robert (Bud) Keene – Coach, Halfpipe
Support Staff
Andreas Wartbichler – Snowboard cross Lead Technician
Alessandro Colombo – Snowboard cross Technician
Yuri Laurent – Snowboard cross Technician
Nicolo Rossi – Snowboard Alpine Technician
Ryan McDermott – Park and Pipe Technician
Mateo Szul – Snowboard cross Physiotherapist
Maximillan Tolpeit – Snowboard Alpine Physiotherapist
Shandia Cordingley – Halfpipe Physiotherapist
Michaela Kopka – Chief Medical Officer (all snowboard disciplines)
Caroline Sharp – Media Attaché
Brendan Matthews – Media, Partnerships, Friends & Family Support
Kim Krahulec – Team Leader (Speed Teams)
Tyler Ashbee – Team Leader (Style Teams)
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.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Brendan Matthews, VP, Business Development & Partnerships
Canada Snowboard
C: 778-874-2729
E: brendan@canadasnowboard.ca
Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Milano Cortina 2026 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca