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Canada Unveils Team for Alpine Junior World Ski Championships

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Calgary (AB), Canada – Twelve skiers have been named to Canada’s team for the Alpine Junior World Ski Championships in Crans Montana, Switzerland.nBrittany Phelan, from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, will lead the women’s team as Canada takes on the best skiers in the world under 18 years old. Phelan, who has been on the national team since 2008, already has eight World Cup slalom events under her belt and is hoping for a podium in slalom at this year’s world junior championships.

“This will be my fourth year at the world juniors and it’s a great opportunity for me because I get to race against the best juniors and see how I rank up against them,” said Phelan, whose career-best result at the worlds was a 27th place finish in the slalom event in 2008. “There is a great pool of amazing girls. It would certainly be an honor to be crowned world junior champion. My objectives for these races are to be on the top of the podium for the slalom race and I want a top-10 in the giant slalom event. It’s my last year at the world juniors so hopefully everything comes together.”

The Canadian team has enjoyed a lot of success at the world juniors in recent years. Kelby Halbert, from Toronto, Ontario, finished third in last year’s super combined event. Another highlight was Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, skier Stefan Guay’s performance at the 2006 worlds in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, where he won the giant slalom race.

“Our team has been in Europe since the first week of January where they have been training and participating in various FIS and Europa Cup races to get ready for the Alpine Junior World Ski Championships,” said Canadian National Program director, Jean-François Rapatel. “Our two head coaches, Kip Harrington and Jean-Sébastien Labrie, are both leading a very experienced squad of staff coming from the National Prospect Group, the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and our Provincial Ski Teams. Together, they are doing everything they can to prepare and support the athletes in their final preparation for the Junior World Championships.”

Seven athletes from the Canadian prospect group made it onto the team.

The head coach for the womens’ team will be Quebec-based Jean-Sébastien Labrie, also head coach of the ladies Prospect Group. The men’s head coach is Kip Harrington from Collingwood, Ontario, who is also the men’s Prospect Group head coach.

The World Junior Championships kick off this Sunday and end Feb 6.

CANADIAN TEAM WORLD JUNIORS ALPINE SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men’s team

  • Philip Brown – Toronto, Ont. (Alberta Ski Academy)
  • Dominique Garand – Mont-Tremblant, Que (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club)
  • Cody Pedersen – Calgary, Alta (Banff Alpine Racers)
  • Trevor Philp – Calgary, Alta (Banff Alpine Racers)
  • Erik Read – Calgary, Alta (Banff Alpine Racers)
  • Andy Trow – Canmore, Alta (Sunshine Ski Club)
  • Tyler Werry – Fernie, B.C. (Fernie Alpine Ski Team)

Women’s team

  • Sarah Freeman – Fernie, B.C. (Fernie Alpine Ski Team)
  • Madison Irwin – Toronto, ON (Craigleith Ski Club)
  • Madison McLeish Canmore, Alta (Alberta Ski Academy)
  • Brittany Phelan – Mont-Tremblant, Que, Club de ski Mont-Tremblant
  • Julia Roth – Waterloo, Ont, (Devil’s Glen Ski Club)

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