Rossland siblings Remi and Jasmine Drolet were named to Canada’s national cross-country ski teams last week.
Nordiq Canada officially kicked off the critical 2022 season by naming a determined line up of 26 athletes who will lead the Canadian charge to qualify for Beijing while donning the maple leaf at international competitions next winter.
“We have assembled a unique group of athletes led by a talented group of medal performers on the Para-Nordic stage, along with an inspired group of senior and next generation athletes in our Olympic pathway who are all continuing to climb up the international standings and are determined to see the Canadian flag raised about the international podium,” said Kate Boyd, high-performance director, Nordiq Canada.
Nordiq Canada named 12 young cross-country ski athletes from across the country to its National Ski Team program. The senior squad will be composed of four women and five men, while one woman and two men will make up the junior program.
Remi was the anchor of Canada’s historic silver-medal winning relay team at the 2020 Junior World Ski Championships and also captured fourth place in the 30-km race.
A veteran of the national development program, the 20-year-old Black Jack skier finished 18th in the 15-kilometre race at the 2021 U-23 World Championship in January, and competed in the senior World Championship in Germany.
Jasmine, 18, is part of the trio of young Canucks that will make up the junior program.
The Black Jack skier enjoyed an 18th-place finish at the 2021 Junior World Ski Championships and will join Tom Stephen of Calgary who made his mark on the international stage with three top-12 finishes at Junior Worlds including a fifth-place result in the 30-kilometre mass start; and Canmore’s Xavier McKeever, who has been steadily developing through Canada’s national ranks.
“This is a young group of athletes, with eight of them under the age of 25, who we are focused on developing through to the 2026 Olympics and beyond,” said Boyd. “They are making steady progress in their continued development throughout our national program, regularly producing personal best results. It is our goal to work with our sport and funding partners to ensure this group of athletes have the tools they require to succeed and, ultimately, contribute to Canada’s Olympic medal count.”
Read: Black Jack x-country skiers selected for National ski team
sports@trailtimes.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter