Calgary, Alta. (April 23, 2018) – Success and the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team continue to go hand-in-hand and the 2017-18 season was no different. The team secured 24 World Cup podiums and 10 Paralympic medals. The Canadians continued to dominate in all disciplines, picking up four Crystal Globes, Paralympic gold medals and achieving personal-best results. Here are the highlights from the season.

MEN’S PARA-ALPINE TEAM

Mac Marcoux (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) and his guide, Jack Leitch (Calgary, Alta.), continued to headline the men’s team, collecting eight podiums on the World Cup circuit, including winning both downhill races and both super-G races at the World Cup Finals. Marcoux and Leitch closed out the World Cup season winning the IPC Crystal Globe in super-G, downhill and the overall title. The duo maintained their momentum heading into the 2018 Paralympic Games picking up a gold medal in the downhill and a bronze medal in the giant slalom. Marcoux and Leitch capped off the season as the Male Para-Alpine Athletes of the Year at the Audi 2018 Canadian Ski Racing Awards.

In the standing category, Alexis Guimond (Mont-Tremblant, Que.) made his World Cup debut last season and has been a rising star on the team. On the World Cup circuit, Guimond hit the podium four times, including winning the super-G World Cup Finals race. At the Paralympic Games, Guimond ended a 20-year medal drought in the men’s standing category picking up bronze in the giant slalom. At only 18-years-old, Guimond has promising future on the para circuit and will undoubtedly continue to win medals for Canada.

Kurt Oatway (Calgary, Alta.), who competes in the sitting category, was also golden at the 2018 Paralympic Games, winning the super-G. This was Oatway’s second Paralympic Games and first-time standing on the Paralympic podium after narrowly missing out in 2014. On the World Cup circuit, he also showed dominance in downhill, winning the World Cup Finals race.

Braydon Luscombe (Duncan, B.C.) and Kirk Schornstein (Spruce Grove, Alta.) are also veterans of the para-alpine National Team. Luscombe, who competes in the standing category, joined the team in 2011. He made his Paralympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Games where he was a forerunner, following that up with racing at the 2014 Sochi Games and making his third appearance at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. His best performance at the 2018 Games was an eighth-place finish in the super-G. On the World Cup circuit, Luscombe hit the podium in the World Cup Finals downhill. Schornstein is also a member of the National Team and competes in the standing category. He achieved a sixth-place finish in the downhill at the Paralympic Games.

Alex Cairns (Squamish B.C.) rounds out the 2018 Paralympic Games men’s team. Cairns competes in the sitting category and achieved a 10th-place result in the Paralympic slalom.

LADIES’ PARA-ALPINE TEAM

18-year-old Mollie Jepsen (West Vancouver, B.C.) who competes in the standing category, had a phenomenal breakout season and was the Canadian star at the 2018 Paralympic Games, picking up four medals in her first Games. Jepsen won gold in the super combined, silver in slalom, bronze in downhill and giant slalom. On the World Cup circuit, her super-G performances also earned her the IPC Crystal Globe. Her incredible season was capped off with a great performance at the National Championships where she finished on the podium in giant slalom and super-G. She was named the Female Para-Alpine Athlete of the Year at the Audi 2018 Canadian Ski Racing Awards

Both Alana Ramsay (Calgary, Alta.) and Erin Latimer (Toronto, Ont.) went to their second Paralympic Games this year and both compete in the standing category. Ramsay added to the double-digit Paralympic medal haul, picking up a bronze in super-G and in the super combined. These results came in addition to a great season on the World Cup season where she picked up two first-place finishes and six podium finishes. She closed out the season with three-first place finishes at the National Championships, winning the slalom, giant slalom and super-G.

This season was Latimer’s fifth and final year with the Canadian Para-Alpine Team, shifting her focus to social studies at the University of Toronto. Latimer’s final season with the team included 10 top-10 finishes on the World Cup circuit. She had a sixth-place finish in the downhill at the Paralympic Games and multiple other top-ten finishes.

Mel Pemble (Victoria, B.C.) and Frederique Turgeon (Candiac, Que.) are the team’s young guns and showed great promise for future success this season.

Pemble is the youngest member of the team at 17-years-old. Competing in the standing category, she picked up four top-10s at the World Cup Finals. At the Paralympic Games she achieved two top-10 results.

Rounding out the women’s team is Turgeon. The 18-year-old competes in the standing category. At her first Paralympics, Turgeon captured a ninth-place finish in the giant slalom.

ABOUT ALPINE CANADA

Alpine Canada is the national governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada. With the support of valued corporate partners along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, world championship and World Cup medallists to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community.