CANMORE, Alta.—Canada will suit up an experienced group of 24 athletes this week when the nation hosts the 2023 Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships at Whistler Olympic Park, January 27 – February 5.
Nordiq Canada will send six women and six men to the Junior World Championships, as well as six women and six men for the Under-23 events. Born out of clubs located in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and the Yukon, the high-powered group of developing athletes include nine athletes who are making a return trip to the premier international event on the race calendar. All of them are competing in an international cross-country ski race for the first time at home.
“This is a young group with an exciting mix of athletes with international experience and first timers who are loaded with tremendous potential and drive,” said Chris Jeffries, High-Performance Directors, Nordiq Canada. “This group of athletes represent the future of our sport and share a common goal of achieving their performance goals at this critical event on the race calendar.”
The 10-day nordic festival, that will bring together the world’s best athletes ages 16-23 in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and nordic combined, is sure to restore the excitement and memories that brought Whistler Olympic Park to life during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
More than 700 athletes – ages 16-23 – representing 50 countries are expected to compete for the podium on Whistler’s ski trails and jumping towers. A developing group of Canadian cross-country skiers, including Rémi Drolet (British Columbia) and Xavier McKeever (Alberta), who shocked the world to win the nation’s first-ever silver medal in the relay event at the 2020 World Juniors, are being counted on to lead the Canadian charge.
Drolet, a 2022 Olympian, has competed at three World Juniors, one Under-23 World Championship event, and represented Canada at the senior World Ski Championships in 2021. McKeever will be making his fifth World Junior Championship experience at just 19 years of age.
Liliane Gagnon (Quebec City), who has been competing in her rookie season on the World Cup this year, will make her fourth trip to the event, and first competing in the U23 category. Anna Parent (Canmore, Alta.), Marielle Ackermann (Kimberley, B.C.), and Jasmine Lyons (Ottawa), will make their second appearances.
“Providing our young athletes with home snow advantage at a major international event will provide a critical test along their journey to represent Canada at future Olympics. Just as importantly, our hope is that bringing these talented athletes to the west coast will also help foster Olympic dreams in Canada’s youth, inspiring them to try our sports and get on skis,” added Jeffries.
Each of the athletes earned a coveted spot on Team Canada based on their results at the Nordiq Canada Selection Trials held last weekend in Prince George, B.C.
The following is a complete list of Canada’s 2020 Junior and Under-23 World Championship Teams.
| JUNIOR WOMEN | CLUB | HOMETOWN | COACH | |
| Alexandra | Luxmoore | Revelstoke Nordic | Revelstoke, B.C. | Zach Hill |
| Alison | Mackie | Edmonton Nordic Ski Club | Edmonton, Alta. | Ulf Kleppe |
| Anna | Stewart | Nakkertok Nordic/ Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy | Thunder Bay, Ont. | Nikki Gilman |
| Constance | Lapointe | Whitehorse Ski Club | Whitehorse, YK | Alain Masson |
| Maeve | Macleod | Revelstoke Nordic | Revelstoke, B.C. | Zach Hill |
| Marlie | Molinaro | Revelstoke Nordic | Whistler, B.C. | Nikki Gilman |
| U23 WOMEN | ||||
| Amelia | Wells | Strathcona Nordics/ Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy | Saanich, B.C. | Jouni Pitkänen |
| Anna | Parent | Canmore Nordic Ski Club | Canmore, Alta. | Alain Parent |
| Jasmine | Lyons | Nakkertok Nordic | Ottawa, Ont. | Corey Schwartz |
| Liliane | Gagnon | Skibec/Léviski La Balade/ Centre national d’entraînement Pierre-Harvey | Quebec City, Que. | Louis Bouchard |
| Marielle | Ackermann | Kimberley Nordic Ski Club | Kimberley, B.C. | Chris Manhard / Frank Ackermann |
| Sonjaa | Schmidt | Whitehorse Ski Club/ Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy | Whitehorse, YK | Jouni Pitkänen |
| JUNIOR MEN | ||||
| Garrett | Siever | Telemark Nordic | Kelowna, B.C. | Adam Elliot |
| Luke | Allan | Nakkertok Nordic | Ottawa, Ont. | Brayton Osgood |
| Noah | Weir-Chaba | Canmore Nordic Ski Club | Edmonton, Alta. | Alain Parent |
| Raleigh | Tarte | Kimberley Nordic | Kimberley, B.C. | Frank Ackermann |
| Ry | Prior | Chelsea Nordiq/ Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy | Chelsea, Que. | Jouni Pitkänen |
| Xavier | McKeever | Foothills Nordic Ski Club/ Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy | Canmore, Alta. | Tormod Vatten |
| U23 MEN | ||||
| Erickson | Moore | Fondeurs-Laurentides/ National Team Development Centre Thunder Bay | Montreal, Que | Timo Purias |
| Kendyn | Mashinter | Walden Cross Country/ National Team Development Centre Thunder Bay | Sudbury, Ont. | Timo Puiras |
| Luke | Fricker | Canmore Nordic Ski Club | Canmore, Alta. | Alain Parent |
| Max | Hollmann | Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club/ Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy | Thunder Bay, Ont. | Tormod Vatten |
| Rémi | Drolet | Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club | Rossland, B.C. | Dave Wood |
| Sasha | Masson | Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club/ Centre national d’entraînement Pierre-Harvey | Whitehorse, YK | Louis Bouchard |
| Staff | SUPPORT ROLE | HOMETOWN | ||
| Eric | de Nys | Head Coach – Trip Leader | Vernon, B.C. | |
| Matt | Snider | Assistant Coach | Revelstoke, B.C. | |
| Emily | Young | U20 Coach | Kelowna, B.C. | |
| Tormod | Vatten | U23 Coach | Halsa, Norway | |
| Leslie | Bode | Wax Technician | Thunder Bay, Ont. | |
| Joel | Jaques | Wax Technician – Lead Kick | Penticton, B.C. | |
| Yves | Bilodeau | Wax Technician – Lead Glide | Quebec City, Que. | |
| Frank | Ackermann | Wax Technician – Team Doctor | Kimberley, B.C. | |
| Camille | Cheskey | Wax Technician | Gatineau, Que. | |
| Lahav | Wolach | Wax Technician | Calgary, Alta. | |
| Alex | MacDonald | Wax Technician | Kelowna, B.C. | |
| Jodi | Peras | RMT – Para-Medical Lead | Canmore, Alta. | |
| Jessica | Kryski | Physiology – IST Lead | Nakusp, B.C. | |
This will be the third time Canada hosts the Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships. The Canmore Nordic Centre welcomed the next generation of Olympians in 1997. The World Juniors for ski jumping and Nordic combined were also held in Mont-Sainte Anne, Que. in 1979. It will be the first major international event at Whistler Olympic Park since the 2010 Games.
Race Schedule: The race schedule can be viewed here
Tickets:
Event spectator tickets are $5/person for a 1-day event ticket, or $25 for access on all event days. Kids ages 6 & under get free access! Those who have a regular Whistler Olympic Park day ticket or season pass for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing can spectate for free. Purchase tickets online here, or at the gate at Whistler Olympic Park.
Live Streaming:
The majority of the events are being livestreamed. More livestream information here
Nordiq Canada is the governing body of para nordic and cross-country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. Its 60,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities. With the support of its valued corporate partners – Swix, Lanctôt Sports, Polar and Pembroke – along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium, Nordiq Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and world champions. For more information on Nordiq Canada, please visit us at https://nordiqcanada.ca.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan
Media and Public Relations
Nordiq Canada
T: 403-620-8731