A Prince George ski cross racer is heading back to Europe this month with likely only one goal in mind… getting over the finish line first.
In 2019, Gavin Rowell took home the silver medal from the FIS Junior Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships in Austria after a close race with Sweden's David Mobaerg.
Alpine Canada announced its ski cross team heading to southern France for this year for the 2020 edition of the international event with Rowell on the roster.
“Canada is a very dominating country for ski cross,” he told PrinceGeorgeMatters in an earlier interview about the state of the sport.
“We do really well and you can always tell. You don’t have a lot of time to explore and travel as much as you would like to, but you’re in these places for a purpose.”
There were a total of 65 competitors last year, including three other Canadians, but this time, the 20-year-old will be one of 10 athletes that will wear the maple leaf March 19 to 21.
“We’re excited to see these young athletes compete, many of them for the first time at this level,” said Dave Ellis, High Performance Director for the Canadian Ski Cross team, in a release about Rowell and his teammates.
“It is our hope that over the next two or three years they are clear medal contenders at this event. It is vital to the development of our athletes that they get opportunities like this.”
Rowell, a former member of the Prince George Alpine Ski Club and graduate of Kelly Road Secondary, finished first in his opening heat of the 2019 world junior race, and second in the next three races, including the Big Final that led to his silver medal.
He also claimed four medals at North American competitions, including two gold and two silver.
2020 FIS JUNIOR FREESTYLE SKI AND SNOWBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
— Alpine Canada Alpin (@Alpine_Canada) February 26, 2020
➡️ https://t.co/wiVl2l4e5Z pic.twitter.com/nvhI7c0Wkw
