Calgary (AB), Canada – Team Canada has unveiled its squad for the 2012 Whistler Cup, which will be held from April 6 to 8 in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

The annual event for 11- to 14-year-old alpine skiers, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year, features boys and girls kombi, super-G, slalom and giant slalom races. Canada is hoping to claim its fifth Nations’ Cup title in six years as the Canadian team competes against the best young racers from 17 other countries.

Eighteen young racers have been selected to represent Canada based on results from the recent K2 Can-Am East event in Mont-Tremblant, Que., and the K2 Can-Am West races in Panorama, B.C. The Canadian team will gather in Whistler for a preparation camp from April 1 to 4.

“After being exposed to some of the best racers from the U.S. at the Can-Am, it will be interesting to see whether this year’s Team Canada will be able to find an extra gear to go against some of the best in the world,” said Canada’s national development coach, Jean-François Bélisle, who will lead the young Canadian squad at the Whistler Cup. “The Team Canada prep camp will be a great opportunity to develop a good team atmosphere between the athletes and staff but also a chance to prepare and relax for the challenge ahead of us.”

Following the camp, the Canadian team will be divided into boys’ and girls’ Team Canada 1, 2 and 3. Selection for those teams will be based on a combination of K2 Can-Am results and their performances at the Whistler Cup Preparation Camp, which will include time trials in super-G, giant slalom and slalom.

“Some of the best ski nations in the world have confirmed their presence for this year’s Whistler Cup,” Bélisle said. “This is certainly a very exciting opportunity for our team and, for sure, a great challenge. When you ski against the best, it usually brings the best out of you.”

The countries that will be represented in 2012 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

“It is my honor to welcome all athletes, coaches, families, friends, volunteers and sponsors to this thrilling event, the only FIS (International Ski Federation)-sanctioned event of its kind in North America,” said Whistler Cup organizing committee chairman Wayne Holm. “Once again we greet young athletes from many nations, as we watch their passionate involvement in their chosen sport and their eagerness to forge lasting friendships that span the globe. This year, to celebrate the 20th anniversary, we have added the Whistler Cup Music Festival, which will takeplace in Village Square during the weekend.”

A total of 176 Whistler Cup alumni have gone on to compete on the World Cup circuit, and this year the Whistler Cup welcomes back Slovenia’s Tina Maze to help celebrate its anniversary. Maze, who has has 38 World Cup podiums and is the reigning world champion in giant slalom, raced at the Whistler Cup in 1996 and 1998.

The Whistler Cup, presented by Rio Tinto Alcan, has an incredible track record of showcasing future stars. Former participants include the USA’s Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso, Sweden’s Anja Paerson and Austria’s Benjamin Raich. Some of Canada’s biggest stars have also graced the event over the years, including world downhill champion Erik Guay, of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Whistler’s Robbie Dixon, Britt and Michael Janyk, Manuel Osborne-Paradis, of Vancouver, British Columbia, and this season’s breakout stars, Ben Thomsen, of Invermere, British Columbia, and Erin Mielzynski, of Guelph, Ontario.

“Whistler Cup definitely prepared me for international racing,” said Mielzynski, who won her first World Cup slalom in Ofterschwang, Germany, on March 4. “It was my first time racing against people from different countries and I was inspired by how fast some of those skiers skied. I was definitely not the fastest going into those races and I saw how hard I was going to have to work, but I love skiing and I was prepared to do whatever it took to be a contender. I was able to see how competitive ski racing is outside of Canada, but I also realized that Canada is strong at the international level as well.”

TEAM CANADA

EVENT SCHEDULE
Whistler Cup, Presented by Rio Tinto Alcan