Canadians announce World Championship roster
Canadians announce World Championship roster{mosimage}CALGARY (Alberta), January 26, 2005 – World Cup medallists Geneviève Simard, Allison Forsyth, Emily Brydon, Thomas Grandi, and Erik Guay are set to lead a team of the 18 best Canadian Alpine Ski Team racers to Bormio (ITA), for the 2005 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Alpine Canada Alpin Chief Athletic Officer Max Gartner announced Wednesday.
Seven women and eleven men were named to compete in the World Championships that begin with opening ceremonies on Friday and run until Feb. 13.
“For our athletes, it is a great honour to be named to the World Championship team,” Gartner said. “The World Championships is the largest ski racing event and one of the most important outside of the Olympic Winter Games and we are here to build experience and go for the podium.” “Gaining experience and achieving podium results at the World Championships is critical to Canada becoming world-leading racing country by 2010.”
“We’ve got a great blend of experience, consistency and enthusiasm in this young team,” said Ken Read, president of Alpine Canada Alpin. “Our veteran racers have had a consistent season claiming podiums and top 10 finishes on the World Cup circuit. Many of our younger athletes have also stepped up to pull off top-20 and even top-15 results this season, helping increase the depth of the Canadian team. World Championships is an important event in alpine ski racing, and this is a strong group of racers heading off to represent Canada. Everything is possible in that kind of environment.”
“Alpine Canada Alpin has set stretch goals for every year leading up to 2010 and our athletes are showing they are can win against the world’s toughest competition.”
Alpine Canada Alpin 2010 Strategic Plan of Excellence has set a stretch goal of attaining two podium results and finishing ranked in the top five nations in the world at the upcoming World Championships.
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are held every two years and bring together the best athletes from every snow-sport nation. Mr. Read noted that Canada is gaining momentum across all disciplines and will have strong athletes competing in all disciplines including the new Team event which combines super-G and slalom and will be held for the first time ever at these World Championships.
The Canadian Alpne Ski Team names the following individuals to the 2005 Alpine Ski World Championship :
WOMEN
Brigitte Acton, Mont-Tremblant (QC) Club: Mont’Tremblant – 1st World Championships Emily Brydon, Fernie (BC) Club : Fernie Snow Valley Ski Club – 3rd World Championships Allison Forsyth, Canmore (AB) Club : Mt. Washington – 4th World Championships Anna Goodman, Pointe-Claire (QC) Club : Mont-Tremblant – 1st World Championships Gail Kelly, St-Anges-de-Beauce (QC) Club : Le Relais – 2nd World Championships Geneviève Simard, Val Morin (QC) Club : Montcalm/Val-St-Come – 3rd World Championships Kelly Vanderbeek, Kitchener (ON) Club: Chicopee – 2nd World Championships
MEN
Thomas Grandi, Canmore (AB) Club : Banff Mountain Academy – 6th World Championships Erik Guay, Mont-Tremblant (QC) Club : Club de Ski Mont-Tremblant- 2nd World Championships Patrick Biggs, Orleans (ON) Club : Ottawa Ski Club – 1st World Championships Francois Bourque, New Richmond (QC) Club : Pin Rouge – 1st World Championships Jean-Philippe Roy, Ste-Flavie (QC) Club : Mont-Comi – 4th World Championships Jeff Hume, Whistler (BC) Club : Whistler Mountain Ski Club – 2nd World Championships John Kucera, Calgary (AB) Club : Calgary Alpine Racing Club – 1st World Championships Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Invermere (BC) Club : Whistler Mountain Ski Club – 1st World Championships Michael Janyk, Whistler (BC) Club : Whistler Mountain Ski Club – 1st World Championships Ryan Semple, St-Faustin-Lac-Carré (QC) Club: Mont-Tremblant – 2nd World Championships Brad Spence, Calgary (AB) Club : National Alpine Training Centre – 1st World Championships
The disciplines in which each athlete will compete have yet to be determined.
The schedule of events for the World Championships is as follows:
Jan. 29, 2005 – Men’s Super G in Bormio
Jan. 30, 2005 – Women’s Super G in Santa Caterina Feb. 3, 2005 – Men’s combined in Bormio Feb. 4, 2005 – Women’s combined in Santa Caterina Feb. 5, 2005 – Men’s downhill in Bormio Feb. 6, 2005 – Women’s downhill in Santa Caterina Feb. 8, 2005 – Ladie’s giant slalom in Santa Caterina Feb. 9, 2005 – Men’s giant slalom in Bormio Feb. 11, 2005 – Ladie’s slalom in Santa Caterina Feb. 12, 2005 – Men’s slalom in Bormio Feb, 13, 2005 – Team competition