Calgary AB, (February 2, 2021) – Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) has made the difficult decision to not send Canadian athletes to the 2021 World Junior Championships in both alpine and ski cross scheduled for Bulgaria and Russia in March 2021.  

The decision to withdraw as a nation was not made lightly but in light of increased travel restrictions implemented both domestically and internationally related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic it became clear this was the only path forward. The health and safety of athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers and community members remains our number one priority. 

“With the renewal of our strategic plan, the World Junior Championships program will be an important priority for Canadian ski racing now and in the future. We were fully prepared to send teams ready to compete for the podium. Unfortunately, new travel restrictions and quarantine measures, logistics for the events, and limited training options prior to the events made it too unpredictable to have athletes participate and compete at their best. We are consolidating our efforts around a domestic spring training, head-to-head racing and selection camps in April to kick off our preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and the next World Junior Alpine Championships in March 2022 at Panorama, BC”  - Therese Brisson, President and CEO, Alpine Canada.

Many Canadian athletes have had limited access to training and competition this season, Alpine Canada encourages athletes to focus on gaining quality training with their teams and participation in national competitions as they may present themselves in the coming months. 

Both Phil McNichol, High-Performance Director, Alpine and Dave Ellis, High-Performance Director, Ski Cross are working to plan spring training opportunities to support athletes moving through the pathway to National Team selections. This decision will not affect athlete opportunity for spring training invitations.  Distribution of these materials will occur in a timely manner. 

Alpine Canada would like to thank our athletes, partners and the Canadian ski community for their continued support during these unprecedented times. 

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For more information or media inquiries please contact
Whitney Hunter I Manager of Communications 
whunter@alpinecanada.org I 403-471-6032

About Alpine Canada
Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine, and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance, and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration, and growth in the ski community. In 2020/21, Alpine Canada celebrates 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.