Team Canada has nominated 225 athletes, and 63 of those athletes, a remarkable 28 per cent, have a connection to B.C.
The number of B.C. athletes representing Canada in PyeongChang is significantly higher than in Sochi four years ago, where only 19 per cent of Team Canada had a connection to B.C. The province’s contingent at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games is even more noteworthy considering that B.C. only accounts for 13 per cent of the country’s population.
Here is a list of Okanagan athletes and coaches to watch for (all game times are according to the schedule on CBC and are in PST)
Penticton:
Andi Naude – Freestyle Skiing, moguls
Moguls qualifications take place on Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 2:30 a.m. with the final that same day at 4 a.m.
Related: One more hill to conquer for Penticton’s Naude at Olympics
Related: Naude close to realizing Olympic dream
Emily Clark (Okanagan Hockey Academy alum) – Women’s ice hockey
Canada’s first preliminary competition takes place on Feb. 11 at 4:10 a.m. against the Olympic Athletes from Russia.They will then face Finland on Feb. 13 at 11:40 a.m. and finish out preliminary play against the U.S. on Feb. 14 at 7:10 p.m. Quarter-finals start on Feb. 16.
Related: Okanagan Hockey Academy helped Clark pursue Olympic dream
Rob Kober – Men’s freestyle, moguls coach
Men’s qualifications are on Feb. 8 at 6:45 p.m. with medals at 4 a.m. on Feb. 12.
Related: Penticton coach prepping Freestyle Canada athletes for Olympics at Apex
freestyle video
Summerland:
Justin Kripps – Bobsleigh
The two-man bobsleigh event starts at 3:05 a.m. on Feb. 18 and 3:15 a.m. on Feb. 19. The medal runs will take place on Feb. 19. The four-man event starts Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m. and Feb. 24 at 4:30 p.m. and ends that day with the medals.
Kelowna:
Julia Ransom – Biathlon
Related: Kelowna’s Ransom to compete at Olympics
Kelsey Serwa – Freestyle skiing, ski cross
Everything for the women’s ski cross takes place on Feb. 22. Seeding is at 6:30 p.m., the 1/8 finals are at 8:15 p.m., quarterfinals at 8:50 p.m., semifinals at 9:14 p.m. and the finals are at 9:30 p.m.
Related: Kelowna’s Serwa named to Olympic team
Tess Critchlow – Snowboard, women’s snowboard cross
Another event that takes place all in one day is the women’s snowboard cross. Qualification takes place on Feb. 15 at 5 p.m., quarterfinals at 7:15 p.m., semifinals at 7:36 p.m. and the finals at 7:52 p.m.
Related: Kelowna’s Tess Critchlow named to Canadian Olympic team
Bob Ursel – Men’s curling, coach of South Korea
Related: Kelowna’s Ursel to coach at Olympics
Critchlow insta
Lake Country:
Ian Deans — alternate for freestyle skiing, ski cross
Related: Lake Country skier named to Olympic team
Vernon:
Andrew Ebbett — Men’s ice hockey
Related: Ebbett stoked for Olympic hockey
Chay Genoway (former Vernon Viper) — Men’s ice hockey
Canada kicks off the men’s hockey tournament on Feb. 15 at 4:10 a.m. against Switzerland. On Feb. 16, the Canadians will face the Czech Republic at 7:10 p.m. and then play South Korea on Feb. 18 at 4:10 a.m. The quarter-finals will begin on Feb. 20.
Emma Lunder — Biathlon
Related: Lunder named to Olympic biathlon squad
Kevin Hill – Snowboard, snowboard cross
Feb. 14 will be a full day of snowboard cross as seeding takes place at 6 p.m., 1/8 finals at 8:30 p.m., quarterfinals at 9:04 p.m., semifinals at 9:25 p.m. and finals at 9:41 p.m.
Related: Hill headed to Olympics
Jim Cotter – Mixed curling, coaching South Korea
South Korea plays their first game in mixed doubles curling on Feb. 7 at 4:05 p.m. against Finland. They are on the ice again on Feb. 8 at 3:05 a.m. against China, play the U.S. on Feb. 8 at 8:35 p.m., Olympic Athletes from Russia at 4:05 p.m. and go head-to-head with Switzerland on Feb. 10 at 3:05 p.m. On Feb. 10 at 4:05 p.m. they face Canada to finish off the round-robin play.
Related: Cotter to coach in Korea
Salmon Arm:
Natalie Wilkie – Paralympic nordic skiing
Related: Wilkie committed to Paralympic dreams
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