Ottawa and area Olympians to watch at the Winter Games

CTVNewsOttawa.ca brings you Canadian Olympians from Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.

ALPINE SKIING

Valerie Grenier – St-Isidore, Ont.

The Beijing 2022 Games will be the second Olympic experience for the 24-year-old from St-Isidore, Ontario. Grenier competed in the giant slalom, super-G, downhill and alpine combined at the 2018 Games.

She has been a member of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team since 2015.

Grenier started skiing at the age of two.

BOBS LED

Jay Dearborn – Yarker, Ont.

Jay Dearborn makes his Winter Games debut in Beijing.

The 27-year-old attended an introductory bobsled weekend in 2020, where he had the opportunity to ride from the top of the track and learn a bit more about driving a sled.

Dearborn made his World Cup debut in January as a brakeman for Chris Spring in a two-man race.

Dearborn played in the CFL with Saskatchewan.

Mike Evelyn – Ottawa, Ont.

The 28-year-old from Ottawa is making his Olympic debut at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games as a member of Canada’s four-man bobsleigh team.

Evelyn played hockey until 2018 when he attended the RBC Training Ground and was recruited by Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. He made his World Cup debut in January 2021.

Cody Sorensen – Ottawa, Ont.

This is Cody Sorensen’s second Olympic Games, after his first appearance at the Sochi Games in 2014.

The 32-year-old was drafted into bobsledding in track and field after competing at the University of Guelph.

Sorensen and Evelyn are crewed with pilot Chris Spring.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Antoine Cyr – Gatineau, Que.

The 23-year-old is making his Olympic debut in Beijing.

Cyr made his FIS Senior World Championships debut in 2021, where he was the top Canadian man in the skiathlon, sprint and 50km mass start.

Cyr took part in his first competition at the age of 10.

Laura Leclair – Chelsea, Que.

These are the first Olympic Games for the 25-year-old player.

Leclair competed in his first senior world championships in 2021 after competing at the U23 world championships in 2018 and 2020.

Katherine Stewart-Jones – Chelsea, Que.

The 26-year-old will make her Olympic debut in Beijing after representing Canada at three senior world championships.

Stewart-Jones had her first World Cup experience in 2016 when she competed on the Ski Tour Canada. She earned her first World Cup points in February 2020 in the 15km class pursuit race in Norway.

Stewart-Jones and Leclair were part of the 4x5km relay team that finished ninth at the 2021 World Championships.

CURLING

Rachel Homan – Ottawa, Ont.

This is Rachel Homan’s second Winter Games appearance. This time, Homan teams up with John Morris in mixed curling.

The 32-year-old Ottawa native led her Ottawa-based team to the PyeongChang Winter Games. Homan’s rink placed sixth.

Homan started curling when he was 5 years old. Homan and his rink won the world curling title in 2017.

John Morris – Ottawa, Ont.

The 43-year-old is competing in his third Olympics, this time in mixed doubles curling with Rachel Homan.

Morris has won two Winter Games gold medals – in men’s curling at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and in mixed doubles at PyeongChang in 2018.

The Ottawa native started curling at the age of 5. He won world junior curling titles in 1998 and 1999.

Lisa Weagle – Ottawa, Ont.

Lisa Weagle is making her second Winter Games appearance, this time with the Jennifer Jones Rink in women’s curling.

Weagle, 36, was part of Rachel Homan’s rink in PyeongChang, where she finished sixth.

The Ottawa native started curling at age 8.

FIGURE SKATING

Paul Poirier – Ottawa, Ont./Unionville, Ont.

Paul Poirier was born in Ottawa and now resides in Toronto. Poirier and Piper Gilles will compete in ice dancing at the 2022 Winter Games.

These are the third Winter Games for Poirier, who finished eighth with Gilles at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang.

Poirier and Gilles won bronze at the 2021 World Championships.

SKI FREESTYLE SKI CROSS

Brittany Phelan, Mont-Tremblant, Que.

This is Brittany Phelan’s third Olympic Games. The 30-year-old won a silver medal at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang.

Phelan made her World Cup debut in 2009. In December, she won a bronze medal for her 10and career podium in the World Cup.

Hannah Schmidt – Ottawa, Ont.

Hannah Schmidt, 27, is making her Olympic debut in Beijing.

Schmidt joined the national ski cross team in 2018 and recorded her first top ten in December by winning the small final.

She graduated from Carleton University.

Jared Schmidt – Ottawa, Ont.

Jarden Schmidt makes his Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 in freestyle skiing ski cross.

The 24-year-old started competing internationally in ski cross in 2017, which included an appearance at the FIS Junior World Championships.

In the 2020-21 season, Schmidt won his first World Cup medal, winning bronze in Georgia.

Jared is Hannah Schmidt’s brother.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Mason McTavish – Carp, Ont.

The 18-year-old from Carp will make his Olympic Games debut in Beijing.

It’s been a busy 12 months for McTavish, who was drafted third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. McTavish scored two goals and added an assist in nine NHL games before returning to the Ontario Hockey League for the remainder of the season.

Eric O’Dell – Ottawa, Ont.

Eric O’Dell is competing at his second Winter Games, having helped Canada win bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

The 31-year-old from Ottawa plays with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL.

FEMALE HOCKEY

Jamie Lee Rattray – Ottawa, Ont.

Jamie Lee Rattray is making his Olympic Games debut with Canada at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

Rattray’s first international appearance with the Women’s National Team was the 2014 Four Nations Cup. Rattray scored four goals at the 2021 World Championships to help Canada win its first world title since 2012.

Rattray started playing hockey when he was 4 years old.

LONG TRACK SPEED SKATING

Ivanie Blondin – Ottawa, Ont.

This is the 31-year-old’s third Winter Games, having competed in Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018. In PyeongChang, Blondin placed in the top six in the team pursuit, 3,000m and 5000m.

Blondin is an eight-time medalist at the World Single Distance Championships.

Blondin started skating in his backyard at age 2, took up short track speed skating at age 14 before switching to long track skating at age 20.

Blondin will compete in the women’s 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, mass start and team pursuit

Isabelle Weidemann – Ottawa, Ont.

Isabelle Weidemann is competing at her second Winter Games, having first competed in PyeongChang in 2018. Weidemann finished fourth in the team pursuit in 2018 and was sixth and seventh in the 5,000m and 3,000m, respectively .

The 26-year-old started skating at age 6 and started speed skating at age 12. Weidemann represented Canada for the first time at the 2014 World Junior Championships.

Weidemann will compete in the women’s 3000m, 5000m and team pursuit

SKELETON

Mirela Rahneva – Ottawa, Ont.

The Beijing Games will be the second Olympic Games for Mirela Rahneva.

The 33-year-old first found sporting success on the University of Guelph rugby field. After a short stint with the national rugby team, she was inspired by Heather Moyse to switch from rugby to bobsleigh.

Rahneva finished 12and in women’s skeleton at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang.

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