Alpine Canada Names Strong Team Of Athletes For Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games

The future of ski racing and ski cross in Canada is bright! Alpine Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee are proud to announce the eight athletes and four coaches nominated to represent Team Canada in alpine skiing and ski cross at the Youth Olympic Winter Games Lausanne 2020 in Switzerland, January 9 – 22.

The alpine skiers nominated to represent Canada are Sarah Brown (Mont-Tremblant, QC), Alice Marchessault (Ste-Anne-des-Lacs, QC), Mack Wood (Toronto, ON) and Louis Latulippe (Quebec City, QC). The alpine team will be coached by Ève Routhier (Ski Québec Alpin) and Doug Williams (Green Mountain Valley School).

Ski cross athletes nominated to represent Canada are Sage Stefani of (Rossland, BC), Marie-Pier Brunet (Bromont, QC), Charlie Lang (Calgary, AB) and Jack Morrow (Whistler, BC). The team will be coached by Kya Fairley (Nakiska Alpine Ski Association) and Adam Bourns (Evolve Ski Cross Club). 

The athletes are excited to compete at the international level and inspire another generation of skiers, as they were by those who came before them. 
Marchessault, who has been skiing since she was two years old, said her first ski trip to Whistler during the 2010 Winter Olympics was a turning point for her. “I got to ski on my first big mountain and got inspired by the best skiers in the world!”

The team, made up of athletes from across Canada, has been training hard for the races in Lausanne and looking forward to getting to know each other better. “The teammates and friendships are what make skiing even more enjoyable,” explains Lang who learned to ski at an indoor snowpark in England, where he lived until the age of 5. 

Alpine skiers qualified for the team based on their FIS points during the 2018-19 season. 

Ski cross athelets were chosen after a selection camp at Canyon Ski Resort east of Red Deer, AB November 28 – 30, 2019. The camp was attended by 15 athletes from across the country. Camps like this are an important opportunity for athlete development and talent identification as well as a professional development opportunity for ski cross officials and coaches. Similar events in the past have identified many current team members. 

The new Canyon Ski Resort track, which is a legacy of the 2018 Canada Winter Games, allows local clubs and the Canadian Ski Cross Team to train on a full length track.

The Winter Youth Olympic Games are an opportunity for Alpine Canada to develop the next generation of talent says Athleteic Director of Canadian Ski Cross Dave Ellis, “The Youth Olympic Games are a unique event that gives Alpine Canada a great opportunity to Talent ID future potential Olympic medalists and continue to grow the exciting sport of ski cross in Canada through development opportunity for coaches, officials and athletes.”

Past Youth Olympic Winter Games athletes who are now on the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and the Canadian Ski Cross team are Ali Nullmeyer, Amelia Smart, India Sherret, Mikaela Tommy, Roni Remme,  Reece Howden and Zoe Chore. 
 
Alpine Skiing events will take place January 10 – 15 in Diablerets and Ski Cross will take place on January 19 and 21 in Villars.