Canada’s Cross-Country Ski Athletes Set to Race for Final Spots on 2022 Canadian Olympic Team
CANMORE, Alta.—The nation’s top cross-country ski athletes are set to compete for coveted spots on Canada’s Olympic and Junior and U23 World Ski Championships teams during Nordiq Canada’s Team Trials which are being held in conjunction with the Alberta Cup in Canmore, Alta., January 6-11, 2022.
Nordiq Canada, Nordiq Alberta and Foothills Nordic Ski Club, have decided to proceed with a modified version of the Olympic and World Junior/U23 Championship Trials set for Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park while continuing to monitor the status of the COVID-19 pandemic, provincial health guidance and restrictions. COVID-19 protocols and adjustments to the race schedule have been implemented in a continued effort to mitigate risks associated with the ongoing pandemic, and to provide a safe and fair qualification opportunity for all participants.
Taking every effort to ensure the health and safety for athletes, coaches, volunteers and officials, the Local Organizing Committee is creating race cohorts for each of the athlete groups. Open Women and Open Men will race separately each day followed by a break before Alberta Cup age group competition sessions begin.
Athletes must Arrive, Train/Compete, Depart, limiting time spent at the venue. To further reduce contact, media and spectators are discouraged from attending the event. Nordiq Canada will honour all media requests virtually, or by phone, following each day’s competition. Spectators can follow the excitement from home.
Nordiq Canada has an Olympic quota of four female and three male athletes for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. To date, one female and three male athletes have met the Olympic criteria. The four races at the Olympic Trials will be used to select the remaining three female spots, as well as alternates for both genders. Five athletes from each gender will also be named to the World Junior Team and the Under 23 Team.
The following is a complete schedule for the Olympic and World Junior/U23 Championship Trials:
Canadian Olympic, World Junior/U23 Trials Schedule:
January 6
9 a.m. Open/U20 Women’s Skate-Sprint Qualifier
10:45 a.m. Women’s Sprint Heats
1 p.m. Open/U20 Men’s Skate-Sprint Qualifier
2:45 p.m. Men’s Sprint Heats
January 8
9 a.m. Open/U23/U20 Men 15km Classic Interval Start
10:30 a.m. Open/U23/U20 Women’s 10km Classic Interval Start
1 p.m. Alberta Cup Races
January 9
8:15 a.m. Para Races
9 a.m. Alberta Cup Races
2 p.m. Open/U23/U20 Women’s 15km Skate Distance Race
3 p.m. Open/U23/U20 Men 30km Skate Distance Race
January 11
9 a.m. Open/U20 Women’s Classic-Sprint Qualifier
11 a.m. Open Women’s Sprint Heats
12:30 p.m. U20 Women’s Heats
1 p.m. Open/U20 Men’s Classic-Sprint Qualifier
2:30 p.m. Open Men’s Classic-Sprint Heats
4 p.m. U20 Men’s Sprint Heats
The Olympic Trials selection criteria and process, including the prioritization of Trials races, has been updated in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games Selection Criteria in the Document Centre on the Nordiq Canada web site.
Nordiq Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee, plan to announce cross-country ski athletes officially nominated to Team Canada around January 13. Announcements around the Junior and U23 World Ski Championships Teams will be made the following week.
Nordiq Canada has resources to help the entire cross-country skiing community stay healthy at https://covid.nordiqcanada.ca.
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 – Haywood Securities Inc., AltaGas, Swix and Lanctôt Sports– along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium and B2Ten, Nordiq Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and World champions. For more information on Nordiq Canada, please visit us at www.nordiqcanada.ca.