Canadian Ski Team announces summer training roster

The Canadian Ski Team announced today that 39 alpine ski racers have been named to participate in the team’s summer training programs. Among the athletes are 13 former Olympians. As the host country, many hopes of podium finishes are being pinned to Canada’s best.

The group will be made up of 18 senior men and 11 senior women, including seven World Cup winners and three World championship medalists acting as leaders for 10 high-potential development skiers. Dryland training will be begin this week. The program will also act as a tryout for the 2010 Canadian World Cup team, which will be selected in November. 

The men’s team will be led by 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships downhill gold medalist John Kucera. World Cup downhill winners Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Erik Guay and Jan Hudec will also be onboard. Michael Janyk, a bronze medalist in slalom at last season’s FIS Alpine World Ski Championships will lead the men’s technical team.
 
The women’s team includes World Cup winners Britt Janyk, Geneviève Simard and Emily Brydon as well as Kelly VanderBeek, who has three career podium results on the World Cup.
 
“With finite resources and aggressive Winter Olympic goals, we are sharpening focus to maximize resources for Canada’s best medal hopes,” said President Gary Allan.
 
The group is smaller than in past years when ACA invited record numbers of athletes to gain experience and develop skills in advance of the upcoming Olympics.
 
“The training group announced today reflects a heightened focus on athletes with medal potential in 2010 as well as athletes with the potential for success at future Olympics,” said Mr. Gartner, adding ACA intends to build on the steadily improved international result in recent years, including a number of important firsts achieved last season.

The alpine team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be announced just before the Games in February.
 
“Alpine Canada Alpin is stepping up its marketing efforts to ensure we have the resources required to win,” Allan said, as ACA seeks at least $1 million more in funding this season to counter the increased value of the Euro. “Canadian athletes must enter the starting gate knowing we have provided everything they need to medal.”
 

 
CANADIAN ALPINE SKI TEAM – SUMMER TRAINING GROUP
SENIOR MEN – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Patrick Biggs – Orleans, ON (Ottawa Ski Club) *OWG
François Bourque – New Richmond, QC (Pin Rouge) *OWG
Dustin Cook – Lac Sainte Marie, QC (Mont Ste-Marie)
Julien Cousineau – Lachute, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Robbie Dixon – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
Jeffrey Frisch – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont Tremblant)
Erik Guay – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Stefan Guay – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Louis-Pierre Hélie – Berthierville, QC (Mont-Ste-Anne)
Jan Hudec – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Michael Janyk – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) *OWG
John Kucera – Calgary, AB (Calgary Alpine Racing Club) *OWG
Tyler Nella – Toronto, ON (Georgian Peaks)
Manuel Osborne-Paradis – Vancouver, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) *OWG
Jean-Philippe Roy – Ste-Flavie, QC / Gatineau, QC (Mont-Comi) *OWG
Ryan Semple – Montreal, QC / Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Brad Spence – Calgary, AB (NATC – Team Panorama)
Trevor White – Calgary, AB (NATC – Fortress Alpine Ski Team)

MEN’S DEVELOPMENT TEAM – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Travis Dawson – Calgary, AB (NATC – Fernie)
Mathieu Routhier – Sherbrooke, QC (Mont Orford Ski Club)
Erik Read – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
 
SENIOR LADIES – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Brigitte Acton – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Emily Brydon – Fernie, BC (Fernie Snow Valley Racers) *OWG
Marie-Michèle Gagnon – Lac-Etchemin, QC (Mont Orignal)
Anna Goodman – Pointe Claire, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Britt Janyk – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
Kelly McBroom – Canmore, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Eve Routhier – Sherbrooke, QC (Mont Orford)
Shona Rubens – Canmore, AB (Lake Louise / Sunshine Ski Club) *OWG
Geneviève Simard – Val-Morin, QC (Montcalm (Val-St-Côme) *OWG
Kelly VanderBeek – Kitchener, ON (Chicopee Ski Club) *OWG
Larisa Yurkiw – Owen Sound, ON (Georgian Peaks Ski Club)
 
LADIES DEVELOPMENT TEAM – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Stephanie Irwin – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Erin Mielzynski – Guelph, ON (Georgian Peaks Ski Club)
Brittany Phelan – Mont Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club)
Marie-Pierre Préfontaine – Saint-Sauveur, QC (Club Chanteclerc)
Georgia Simmerling – West Vancouver, BC (Grouse Tyee Ski Club)
Elli Terwiel – Heffley Creek, BC (SunPeaks Alpine Club)
Victoria Whitney – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)

The Canadian Ski Team announced today that 39 alpine ski racers have been named to participate in the team’s summer training programs. Among the athletes are 13 former Olympians. As the host country, many hopes of podium finishes are being pinned to Canada’s best.

The group will be made up of 18 senior men and 11 senior women, including seven World Cup winners and three World championship medalists acting as leaders for 10 high-potential development skiers. Dryland training will be begin this week. The program will also act as a tryout for the 2010 Canadian World Cup team, which will be selected in November. 

The men’s team will be led by 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships downhill gold medalist John Kucera. World Cup downhill winners Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Erik Guay and Jan Hudec will also be onboard. Michael Janyk, a bronze medalist in slalom at last season’s FIS Alpine World Ski Championships will lead the men’s technical team.
 
The women’s team includes World Cup winners Britt Janyk, Geneviève Simard and Emily Brydon as well as Kelly VanderBeek, who has three career podium results on the World Cup.
 
“With finite resources and aggressive Winter Olympic goals, we are sharpening focus to maximize resources for Canada’s best medal hopes,” said President Gary Allan.
 
The group is smaller than in past years when ACA invited record numbers of athletes to gain experience and develop skills in advance of the upcoming Olympics.
 
“The training group announced today reflects a heightened focus on athletes with medal potential in 2010 as well as athletes with the potential for success at future Olympics,” said Mr. Gartner, adding ACA intends to build on the steadily improved international result in recent years, including a number of important firsts achieved last season.

The alpine team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be announced just before the Games in February.
 
“Alpine Canada Alpin is stepping up its marketing efforts to ensure we have the resources required to win,” Allan said, as ACA seeks at least $1 million more in funding this season to counter the increased value of the Euro. “Canadian athletes must enter the starting gate knowing we have provided everything they need to medal.”
 

 
CANADIAN ALPINE SKI TEAM – SUMMER TRAINING GROUP
SENIOR MEN – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Patrick Biggs – Orleans, ON (Ottawa Ski Club) *OWG
François Bourque – New Richmond, QC (Pin Rouge) *OWG
Dustin Cook – Lac Sainte Marie, QC (Mont Ste-Marie)
Julien Cousineau – Lachute, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Robbie Dixon – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
Jeffrey Frisch – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont Tremblant)
Erik Guay – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Stefan Guay – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Louis-Pierre Hélie – Berthierville, QC (Mont-Ste-Anne)
Jan Hudec – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Michael Janyk – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) *OWG
John Kucera – Calgary, AB (Calgary Alpine Racing Club) *OWG
Tyler Nella – Toronto, ON (Georgian Peaks)
Manuel Osborne-Paradis – Vancouver, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) *OWG
Jean-Philippe Roy – Ste-Flavie, QC / Gatineau, QC (Mont-Comi) *OWG
Ryan Semple – Montreal, QC / Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Brad Spence – Calgary, AB (NATC – Team Panorama)
Trevor White – Calgary, AB (NATC – Fortress Alpine Ski Team)

MEN’S DEVELOPMENT TEAM – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Travis Dawson – Calgary, AB (NATC – Fernie)
Mathieu Routhier – Sherbrooke, QC (Mont Orford Ski Club)
Erik Read – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
 
SENIOR LADIES – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Brigitte Acton – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant) *OWG
Emily Brydon – Fernie, BC (Fernie Snow Valley Racers) *OWG
Marie-Michèle Gagnon – Lac-Etchemin, QC (Mont Orignal)
Anna Goodman – Pointe Claire, QC (Mont-Tremblant)
Britt Janyk – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
Kelly McBroom – Canmore, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Eve Routhier – Sherbrooke, QC (Mont Orford)
Shona Rubens – Canmore, AB (Lake Louise / Sunshine Ski Club) *OWG
Geneviève Simard – Val-Morin, QC (Montcalm (Val-St-Côme) *OWG
Kelly VanderBeek – Kitchener, ON (Chicopee Ski Club) *OWG
Larisa Yurkiw – Owen Sound, ON (Georgian Peaks Ski Club)
 
LADIES DEVELOPMENT TEAM – RESIDENCE (SKI CLUBS)
Stephanie Irwin – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Erin Mielzynski – Guelph, ON (Georgian Peaks Ski Club)
Brittany Phelan – Mont Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club)
Marie-Pierre Préfontaine – Saint-Sauveur, QC (Club Chanteclerc)
Georgia Simmerling – West Vancouver, BC (Grouse Tyee Ski Club)
Elli Terwiel – Heffley Creek, BC (SunPeaks Alpine Club)
Victoria Whitney – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)