Four cross-country skiers named to Canada’s Gangwon 2024 Team

CANMORE (December 12, 2023) – Nordiq Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s cross-country ski team selected to compete at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

The Team Canada cross-country ski team for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games is:

Athletes
Aramintha Bradford (Whitehorse, Yuk.)
Leanne Gartner (Canmore, Alta.)
Cedric Martel (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
Eamon Wilson (Burnaby, B.C)

The four athletes were selected for Team Canada based on their performances during the Alberta Cup 1 & 2 which took place in Canmore on December 9 – 10, which were used as the National Youth Olympic Games Selection trials. Eamon Wilson was the top overall male qualifier, finishing fourth in the Sprint and second in the Distance event.

“Qualifying for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea has always been a dream of mine.” said Wilson. “It’s a huge honour to represent Canada, and wearing the same race suit as the athletes who competed in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games is really cool. There has been a lot of hard work by myself, and the people supporting me, so being named to the team feels like recognition of that.” 

A member of the Development National Ski Team, Wilson has gained experience over the past year training with the best up and coming cross-country skiers from across Canada. No stranger to the podium, he came away with a gold and silver at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, and three podium finishes at the 2023 Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals. Wilson is the only member of Canada’s Gangwon 2024 cross-country ski team who has raced internationally outside of Canada.

Canada has sent a team of cross-country skiers to all previous Winter Youth Olympic Games to date. Athletes such as Liliane Gagnon and Sasha Masson built on their experiences at the Youth Olympic Games to represent Canada at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and U23 World Ski Championships this past season.

“We are excited by the selection of these four talented young athletes who will proudly represent Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games,” said Julie Beaulieu, Nordiq Canada’s Sport Development Director. “The Games expose them to an international multi-sport competition environment while allowing them to compete against the best in the world which will undoubtedly contribute to their long-term development. We look forward to watching them race at the Games and in the future as they apply their experience to future successes in our sport.”

Cross-country skiing will take place January 29 to February 1 (Day 10 to 13) at the Alpensia Biathlon Centre.

“I am thrilled to welcome our four cross-country skiers to Team Canada,” said Lisa Weagle, Team Canada’s Gangwon 2024 Chef de Mission. “Adding an extra layer of excitement to this journey, most of these athletes will be competing outside of Canadian borders for the first time. Congratulations on being named to the team, and know that Canada will be behind you as you compete with pride in Gangwon.”

Team Canada’s cross-country skiing alternate athletes, coaches and support staff for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games are:

Alternate Athletes (Non-Travelling)
Ben Field (Canmore, Alta.)
Emmanuelle Moreau (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que.)
Ruby Serrouya (Revelstoke, B.C.)
Raleigh Tarte (Kimberly, B.C.)
Jöel Thibault (Sainte-Jérôme, Que.)
Annika Wallin (Williams Lake, B.C.)

Coaches
Eric Bailey (Thunder Bay, Ont.) – Coach
Katherine Denise (Ottawa, Ont.) – Coach

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are the world’s largest multi-sport event for high-performance young athletes aged 15 – 18. Gangwon 2024 will begin on January 19 and will end on February 1, 2024 and will feature 1900 athletes. Gangwon 2024 will be the fourth edition of the Winter YOG and the first in Asia. It will have a fully gender-balanced sporting program, and will feature seven sports, 15 disciplines, and a total of 81 events. 

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.

The latest Team Canada Gangwon 2024 roster can be found here, and additional press resources can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Nathaniel Mah , Marketing and Engagement Coordinator   
Nordiq Canada 
C: 403-700-4927   
E: nmah@nordiqcanada.ca

Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Gangwon 2024 Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca