Canada names team for alpine world juniors in Quebec

Canada names team for alpine world juniors in Quebec{mosimage}Alpine Canada Alpin has announced the 16 young ski racers who have been named to represent Canada at the 2006 FIS World Junior Alpine Championships in the Quebec City resorts of Mont-Sainte-Anne, Le Massif and Le Relais Feb. 28 to March 8.

The Canadian team, led by 2006 Olympian Shona Rubens, 2005 World Junior Championships bronze medalist Stephan Guay and 2006 NorAm gold medalist Larisa Yurkiw, consists of seven national team athletes and nine fast-rising members of the provincial ski teams.

‘This combination of national team veterans and new racers who qualified from their provincial teams shows the progress of our sport’s development systems across the country’ said chief athletics officer Max Gartner.

President Ken Read said enhancing development programs for all ages and encouraging more Canadian youth to enter the sport are integral components of Alpine Canada’s current efforts to restore Canada as a world-leading alpine racing nation by 2010.

‘This team will gain and share experience while competing against the world’s best young alpine racers on home turf’ said Read, noting athletes from many of the nations likely will grow into leading contenders when Canada hosts the Winter Olympics in 2010. ‘We have had increasing success in the past at the World Junior Championships and the events this year will again allow Canada to measure our athletes’ progress against our goal of again becoming a world-leading alpine racing country.’

Athletes born between 1986 and 1990 were selected based on several criteria, including head-to-head race results from the 2005-06 season and national FIS ranking. For complete information on selection criteria, click here

Canadians named to this years’ 2006 FIS Alpine Junior World Championships team are:

MEN

CRETE BELZILE, Philippe (Cap Rouge, QC)
DAWSON, Travis (Calgary, AB)
GUAY, Stephan (Mont-Tremblant, QC)
HANEY, Brett (Calgary, AB)
HELIE, Louis Pierre (Berthierville, QC)
LEMAN, Brady (Calgary, AB)
ROBERT, Jonathan (Cumberland, ON)
WRIGHT, Patrick (Oakville, ON)

WOMEN

ARCHAMBAULT-LEGER, Veronique (Montréal, QC)
GAGNON, Marie Michele (Lac Etchemin, QC)
GOODMAN, Anna (Pointe Claire, QC)
MCBROOM, Kelly(Canmore, AB)
POLESCHUK, Danielle (Calgary, AB)
PREFONTAINE, Marie Pier (St-Sauveur, QC)
RUBENS, Shona (Canmore, AB)
YURKIW, Larisa (Owen Sound, ON)

The disciplines in which each athlete will compete have yet to be determined.

Approximately 250 athletes between the ages of 15 and 20 from 28 nations have registered to compete at the 2006 FIS Alpine Junior World Championships, which will include a competition schedule of downhill, super G, slalom and giant slalom.

It’s the second time in 10 years that the event will be held in the Quebec City region.

2006 FIS Alpine Junior World Championships Schedule

Feb. 28, 2006
Quebec City, Quebec
Opening Ceremony

March 3, 2006
Le Massif, QC
Men’s downhill

March 3, 2006
Le Massif, QC
Women’s downhill

March 4, 2006
Le Massif, QC
Men’s super G

March 4, 2006
Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC
Women’s slalom

March 5, 2006
Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC
Men’s slalom

March 5, 2006
Le Massif, QC
Women’s super G

March 6, 2006
Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC
Men’s giant slalom

March 7, 2006
Mont-Saine-Anne, QC
Women’s giant slalom

March 8, 2006
Le Relais, QC
Closing Ceremony

For more information, click the home page.