Evan Bichon is half a world away in Lillehammer, Norway at the Youth Winter Olympic Games.
Beginning today with the opening ceremonies and continuing through Sunday, Feb. 21, the 17-year-old snowboardcross racer from Prince George will get to experience what it's like represent his home country under the spotlight of an international multisport event.
Bichon, a native of Mackenzie, is preparing for Monday's snowboardcross event in Lillehammer, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics. He will begin with qualification time trails and only the top 16 advance to the elimination heats. In snowboardcross, four racers leave the start gate at the same time and the first two racers through the course in each heat advance.
Bichon prepared for the Youth Oympics close to home at Tabor Mountain Ski Resort, where he competed last week and the previous weekend in four North American Cup races. He advanced to the small final in one of those races, finishing fifth overall.
Canada's snowboard team will compete against host Norway, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States.
Bichon is the lone Canadian male entered in the competition, with Austin White of Oyama listed as the team alternate. Audrey Sheih of Georgetown, Ont., will represent Canada in the women's snowboardcross competition, with Anne Gagne of Lac-Etchemin, Que., as the alternate.
This is the second Youth Winter Olympics. The inaugural event was held in 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria.
