Twenty-six Canadian Athletes ready to Defend Home Snow at the 2024 COOP FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Canmore Alberta
Canmore, Alta. Twenty-six athletes from across Canada have been nominated to suit up in the maple leaf February 9-13 at the 2024 COOP FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Canmore Alberta.
The Canadian team is a mix of seasoned World Cup veterans and promising young talents making their international debut.
“It’s going to be an exciting week for our National Ski Team program and for our Canadian athletes. It’s an opportunity to showcase Canada to the nordic world and the unrivaled beauty of Canmore” said Chris Jeffries, High Performance Director of the Olympic cross-country ski program.
“For some members of our team, this is a chance to fight for the podium. For others, this will be their first World Cup start and a significant step in their development pathway. The focus continues to be on refining individual processes, finding new opportunities to learn and grow, and most importantly, representing our community through our core values and behaviours as a team.”
Katherine Stewart-Jones races in Canmore, AB. Photo: Nordiq Canada/Nathaniel Mah
Veterans Katherine Stewart-Jones from Chelsea, Quebec, and Antoine Cyr from Gatineau, Quebec, will spearhead the team. With top-10 and top-20 World Cup finishes this season, they are strong contenders at this event.
“I am really excited to be racing on my home courses. My family is making the trip so it will be cool to have them cheering and supporting me,” said Stewart-Jones. “I am also looking forward to racing this venue at the World Cup level, it’s been a long time since my last World Cup here, and I am a very different athlete than I was eight years ago!”
Stewart-Jones is based in Canmore, and trains with the Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy. After three months on the road, waking up in her own bed to compete in a World Cup will be a rare and welcomed experience.
“My goal is to take advantage of the extra preparation I have here, embrace the energy of the hometown crowd, and have fun skiing as hard as I can.”
“After two top tens this season things are looking really good,” said Antoine Cyr, a member of Canada’s National Ski Team. “I would like to land another top ten in Canmore, and hope to be fighting for the podium.”
With a career-best fourth-place finish last season, Cyr has been knocking at the door of the World Cup podium. He will head to Canmore looking for a boost from the home crowd to capture Canada’s first World Cup podium since 2019.
06.01.2023, Val di Fiemme, Italy (ITA):
Antoine Cyr (CAN) – FIS world cup cross-country, tour de ski, individual sprint, Val di Fiemme (ITA). www.nordicfocus.com. © Modica/NordicFocus.
“I’ve been going to Canmore since I first started competing on the Canadian circuit, I know the courses well, and when you combine that with the altitude it gives us a huge advantage. Im really looking forward to racing in front of friends and Canadian ski fans.”
Rounding out the team is:
Women
Katherine Stewart-Jones – Chelsea, Que.
Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt – Morin-Heights, Que.
Katherine Weaver – North Vancouver, B.C.
Anna Parent – Canmore, Alta.
Marlie Molinaro – Whistler, B.C.
Élie-Anne Tremblay – Lévis, Que.
Marielle Ackermann – Kimberley, B.C.
Anna Stewart – Thunder Bay, Ont.
Maeve MacLeod – Revelstoke, B.C.
Katya Semeniuk – Ottawa, Ont.
Men
Antoine Cyr – Gatineau, Que.
Julien Locke – Nelson, B.C.
Olivier Léveillé – Sherbrooke, Que.
Xavier Mckeever – Canmore, Alta.
Léo Grandbois – Sherbrooke, Que.
Pierre Grall-Johnson – Ottawa, Ont.
Julian Smith – Georgian Bluffs, Ont.
Erikson Moore – Mont-Tremblant, Que.
Ry Prior – Chelsea, Que.
Félix-Olivier Moreau – Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.
Xavier Lefebvre – Longueuil, Que.
Samuel Hendry – Canmore, Alta.
Scott Hill – Parry Sound, Ont.
Rémi Drolet – Rossland, B.C.
Micah Steinberg – Calgary, Alta.
Eamon Wilson – Burnaby, B.C.
The Canadians will face strong competition at the world-renowned Canmore Nordic Centre. More than 190 athletes from 19 different countries will race over four thrilling days at the Canmore Nordic Centre. This is a rare opportunity for ski fans to see the stars of the sport in Canada, and show their support for the local ski community. Transit and tickets are free for the event, and VIP event tickets are still available for purchase on the Alberta World Cup Society website.
Canmore will greet the world with a festival of events. Spectators can experience a series of activities, including art walks, a nordic market, spectator zones, and the COOP mini World Cup. Ski fans can plan the perfect weekend at www.albertaworldcup.com.
“We are thrilled to once again welcome the world’s best cross-country skiers to Canmore,” said Alberta World Cup Society’s Vice-President and Events Chair Norbert Meier. “Together, we have created an exciting event at the Canmore Nordic Centre, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.”
(Subject to change)
Tickets:
General admission is free, however for those interested in the best seat in the house, VIP tickets are still available for purchase at www.albertaworldcup.com
Broadcast:
Canadians unable to attend in person can watch live on CBC Gem, with behind-the-scenes content on Nordiq Canada, and the Alberta World Cup social platforms.
Media Contacts:
Nathaniel Mah , Marketing and Engagement Coordinator
Nordiq Canada
C: 403-700-4927
Justin Brisbane, Media Manager
COOP FIS Cross-Country World Cup Canmore – Canmore