News

WORLD JR'S: Canadian team of 15 ski racers to compete in France

Friday, 15 January 2010 00:00

CALGARY, AB (January 15, 2010) - Canada's alpine ski team heading to the 2010 FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships will include five current national development team members as well as 10 high potential provincial team racers, Alpine Canada Alpin announced today.

The World Juniors get underway slightly earlier than normal this year, with the first races scheduled for Les Houches and Megeve, FRA on January 31.

The team will include Coupe Nor-Am Cup winners Brittany Phelan (Mont Tremblant, QC) and Victoria Whitney (Whistler, BC) as well as Julia Roth (Waterloo, ON), who picked up her first career GMC Cup win last week in Mont-Ste-Anne, QC.

On the men's side Erik Read (Calgary, AB) is preparing for his third World Juniors while Andy Trow (Canmore, AB) and Kelby Halbert (Bradford, ON), a winner just days ago in a GMC Cup slalom race, are both going for a second time.

ACA National Development Director Benoit Lalande, who returns as Team Captain, said each athlete has earned their spot through Nor-Am and GMC Cup competition and this is a significant opportunity to see where there are against talented international competition.

"We are looking forward to the challenge of competing against a talented field on race hills that will require the best skiing from our athletes," Lalande said.

"We expect this experience will provide important exposure to international competition, knowing that Canadians are capable of podium success in France later this month," he added.

The FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships will involve athletes born in 1990 or later this season. The competition has been held every year since 1982, including twice in Canada (Quebec City in 2000 and 2006). Canadians have a storied history of FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships achievement, including medals from current members of the national team.

"We continue to enhance ski racing development programs at all ages in Canada at an important time as we encourage more youth to enter the sport," added Lalande. "Events such as the World Junior Championships remain an integral component of Alpine Canada Alpin's overall goal of sustaining success in the sport of ski racing beyond 2010," added Lalande.

Of note at this year's races, the event will also include night slalom races for men and ladies, both of which are going to be carried live on European television network Eurosport.

2010 FIS ALPINE WORLD JUNIOR SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Canadian Ladies Team
Madison Irwin - Toronto, ON (Craigleith Ski Club)
Stephanie Irwin - Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Erin Mielzynski - Guelph, ON (Georgian Peaks Ski Club) *
Catherine Morel - Québec, QC (Stoneham Ski Club)
Brittany Phelan - Mont Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club) *
Julia Roth - Waterloo, ON (Devil's Glen Country Club)
Victoria Stevens Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club)
Victoria Whitney - Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) *

Canadian Men's Team
Erik Read - Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers) *
Trevor Philp - Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
Andy Trow - Canmore, AB (Sunshine Ski Club)*
Sasha Zaitsoff - Balfour, BC (Red Mountain Racers)
Tyler Werry - Calgary, AB (Fernie Alpine Ski Team)
Kelby Halbert - Bradford, ON (Toronto Ski Club) *
Philip Brown - Toronto, ON (Alberta Ski Academy)

* previous FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships experience

STAFF:
Benoit Lalande - Team Captain
Tim Gfeller             - Ladies Head Coach
Walter Alber - Ladies coach
Aaron Speden - Ladies technician
Andrew Stastny - Ladies technicians
Peter Rybarik - Men's Head Coach
Pavel Stastny - Men's coach
David White - Men's technician
Sebastien Auer - Men's technician
Eric Olivier - Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) coach
Richard Jagger - Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) coach
Lisa Kudla - Physiotherapist
David Mckee - Doctor

2010 FIS ALPINE WORLD JUNIOR SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Schedule of Events

ABOUT ALPINE CANADA ALPIN

Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) is the governing body for alpine ski racing in Canada with more than 50,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteer members and over 200,000 supporting members. ACA manages the high performance programs for the athletes of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team who represent Canada throughout the world. For more information on Alpine Canada Alpin, visit www.canski.org.

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• Kyle Marr
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