Canada has announced its snowboard cross team for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Games, featuring Olympic medallists Éliot Grondin and Meryeta O’Dine. The team consists of 13 athletes in snowboard cross, half pipe, and parallel giant slalom. Grondin, the current men’s snowboard cross world champion and a two-time World Cup Crystal Globe winner, will be joined by O’Dine, who won bronze in the women’s event at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Grondin expressed gratitude for being selected to represent Canada for the third time and emphasized the honor of competing at the Olympic Games. Other members of the team include Liam Moffat, Evan Bichon, Tess Critchlow, and Audrey McManiman in snowboard cross. Elizabeth Hosking leads the women in snowboard halfpipe, accompanied by Brooke D’Hondt and Felicity Geremia. The parallel giant slalom event is scheduled for February 8, while snowboard halfpipe will kick off on February 11, with the women’s final set for February 12.
In the biathlon team, seven out of eight athletes will make their Olympic debut in Milano-Cortina, with Adam Runnalls being the only member with prior Olympic experience. The team is set to compete at the Ansterselva Biathlon Arena. Runnalls, Ottawa’s Zachary Connelly, Regina’s Logan Pletz, Calgary’s Pascale Paradis, and others complete the Canadian biathlon squad.
Canada has a history of success in biathlon, particularly with three Olympic medals won by Myriam Bedard. Runnalls expressed his excitement for the upcoming Games, noting his confidence and dedication to giving his best performance. The biathlon team is geared up for the challenges ahead, with veteran Adam Runnalls leading the way under the coaching of Andrew Chisolm and Helene Jorgensen.
