Jacques Boissinot
Veteran Erik Guay, with 13 podium appearances and a World Cup Crystal Globe now on his resume, with lead Canada's 25-skier alpine crew onto the World Cup slopes this season.
But the injury-ravaged team will have to wait until at least December to see comebacks by former world champion John Kucera, who is recuperating from a broken leg and knee-injured veterans Kelly VanderBeek and Lisa Yurkiw on the women's side.
"This was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream," Guay said as the team was unveiled in Toronto yesterday. "I held it and I thought of all those who'd won before, like Hermann Maier and Kjetil Aamodt and Canadians like Steve Podborski and Nancy Greene. The plan is to try and do it again," said Guay, who won the last two super-G races of the season to seal his Crystal Globe win last year.
There are 19 Canadian Olympians on the World Cup circuit this season, five World Cup medalists and two winners of world championships. Guay and Manuel Osborne-Paradis combined last season to win four5 World Cup races, the best performance by a Canadian team since 1984. Kucera, the 2009 world downhill champ is on the team, as is technical specialist Michael Janyk.. His sister Britt, a 2007 World Cup event winner, is the veteran presence on the women's side, which is rebuilding after the retirements of Emily Brydon and Genevieve Simard.
The men's team: François Bourque - New Richmond, Que., Dustin Cook - Lac Sainte Marie, Que., Julien Cousineau - Lachute, Que., Robbie Dixon - Whistler, B.C., Erik Guay, Mont-Tremblant, Que., Kelby Halbert - Bradford, Ont., Louis-Pierre Hélie - Berthierville, Que., Jan Hudec - Calgary, Alta., Michael Janyk - Whistler, B.C., John Kucera - Calgary, Alta., Tyler Nella - Toronto, Ont., Manuel Osborne-Paradis - Vancouver, B.C., Jean-Philippe Roy - Ste-Flavie, Qce., Brad Spence - Calgary, Alta., Trevor White - Calgary, Alta.
The women's team: Marie-Michele Gagnon - Lac-Etchemin, Que., Anna Goodman - Pointe Claire, Que., Britt Janyk - Whistler, B.C., Kelly McBroom - Canmore, Alta., Erin Mielzynski - Guelph, Ont., Brittany Phelan - Mont-Tremblant, Que., Marie-Pier Préfontaine - Saint-Sauveur, Que., Eve Routhier - Sherbrooke, Que., Kelly VanderBeek - Kitchener, Ont., Larisa Yurkiw - Owen Sound, Ont.