Calgary, AB (March 21, 2022) -- Alpine Canada is proud to announce the eight skiers nominated to Team Canada for the upcoming FIS Freestyle  Junior World Championships (the “World Juniors”) in Veysonnaz, SUI March 29th,2022.

This world class event brings together the best junior ski cross racers, providing experience and international exposure to athletes identified as high-performance development level athletes.  

The women’s roster includes:

• Sage Stefani, Evolve Ski Club (Rossland, B.C.)
• Emeline Bennett, Evolve Ski Club (Whistler, B.C.)
• Samantha Carter, Evolve Ski Club (Calgary, AB)
• Elizabeth Filiatrault, Evolve Ski Club (Toronto, ON)

“I’m super excited to be selected for the World Juniors team this year,” says Bennett. “It’s a huge honour to represent my country and I think it really shows the next step in my progression as a ski cross athlete. I’m excited to race against this field of athletes my age and showing me what that next level of racing looks like.”

The men’s roster includes:

• Nicholas Katrusiak, Evolve Ski Club (Whistler, B.C.)
• Charlie Lang, Evolve Ski Club (Calgary, AB)
• Jack Morrow, Evolve Ski Club (Whistler, B.C.)
• Konnor Kimball, Evolve Ski Club (Edmonton, AB)

“It means a lot to be selected for the World Juniors event this year,” Katrusiak agrees. “It shows me that all my hard work over the years has paid off, that I’ve been having a really good season this year and that I can perform on the world stage. I’m excited for the racing, it’s my first opportunity to race internationally and my first chance to see what the athletes my age from around the world have to offer.”

While athletes in World Junior events are typically coming together as a team for the very first time, this Canadian group has one connection from the recent past to build on: Stefani, Lang and Morrow all competed for Canada at the 2020 Lausanne Youth Olympic Games.

“It’s a great honour to watch these young athletes come through the development pipeline and know that we’re looking at the next generation of great Canadian ski cross racers,” says Dave Ellis, High Performance Director for the Canadian Ski Cross Team. “Our Canadian team has a strong program and is consistently a podium threat at large events on World Cup and Olympic levels. We have a history of excellence, and events like the World Juniors offer a unique opportunity for athletes to  get a taste for the next level of competition, and to push themselves and their skills on the world stage. It’s going to be an exciting event, and we have a strong team of athletes and coaches to represent Canada.”

This talented team will be led by coaches Adam Bourn, Bevin Schmidt, Matt Leduc, and Ben Wilkinson.

For more information or media inquiries please contact: 
Kylie Robertson
krobertson@alpinecanada.org I 403-777-3204

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.