Tiana Gairns can start packing her suitcase.
She’s on the list for the Olympics in Beijing.
The 23-year-old ski cross racer from Prince George has been named an alternate on the four-female, four-male Canadian Olympic ski cross team.
Alpine Canada announced Friday the women’s ski cross team includes Marielle Thompson of Whistler, Brittany Phelan of Mont-Tremblant, Que., Hannah Schmidt of Ottawa and Courtney Hoffos of Windermere.
On the men’s team are Kevin Drury of Toronto, Reece Howden of Cultus Lake, Jared Schmidt of Ottawa and Brady Leman of Calgary.
Joining Gairns on the list of alternates are Zoe Chore of Cranbrook, Chris Del Bosco of Montreal and Kris Mahler of Canmore.
As alternates, they will keep training in Europe during the Olmpics and won't go to Beijing unless somebody on the team is unable to compete.
This is the second season for Gairns racing full-time on the World Cup circuit. On Sunday at Nakiska, Alta., she finished seventh in a World Cup event and continued that success this week in a Nor-Am event. After qualifying fourth she placed second in the race Wednesday at Nakiska.
The former Prince George Alpine Ski Team member now ranks seventh in the World Cup standings with 215 points.
Thompson, the 2014 Olympic champion and Phelan, who Olympic gold in 2018, have both posted outstanding results consistently this season on the tour, coming back from injuries. Thompson is third in the chase for the Crystal Globe with 389 points, while Phelan is fourth with 348. Hannah Schmidt ranks fifth (272) and Hoffos is seventh (241).
On the men’s side, Drury is the top Canadian in the season standings, ranked eighth in the world with 208 points, just ahead of Leman, the 2018 men’s Olympic champion, who has 204. Mahler, who won Sunday at Nakiska, is 16th (179). Howden, the defending points champion, is 16th (147), Jared Schmidt is 29th (78) and Del Bosco is 33rd (56).
The Canadian ski cross team also includes Dave Ellis of Fernie (high performance director, Stanley Hayer of Kimberley (lead coach), and coaches Sead Causevic of Vancouver, Victor Dockal of Airdrie, Alta., and Ben Wilkinson of Cochrane, Alta.
Olympic competitions run from Feb. 4-20 in Beijing and ski cross happens on the final weekend of the Games. The women race on Friday, Feb. 17 and the men follow on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Three other north-central Interior athletes have already been named to the Canadian Olympic team, including snowboard crosser Meryeta O’Dine of Prince George and biathletes Sarah Beaudry of Prince George and Emile Dickson of Burns Lake.
Alpine Canada also announced 13 athletes nominated for its alpine team in Beijing, including James (Jack) Crawford (Toronto), Marie-Michèle Gagnon (Lac Etchemin, Que.), Cassidy Gray (Invermere), Valérie Grenier (St-Isidore, Ont.), Ali Nullmeyer (Toronto), Erin Mielzynski (Collingwood, Ont.), Trevor Philp (Calgary), Erik Read (Canmore, Alta.), Roni Remme (Collingwood, Ont.),Brodie Seger (North Vancouver), Amelia Smart (Invermere), Laurence St-Germain (St. Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.) and Broderick Thompson (Whistler).
The alternate is Jeff Read (Canmore). The team also includes Phil McNichol (Calgary, high performance director), Manuel Gamper (Merano, Italy, women’s lead coach), Mark Tilston (Pemberton, men’s lead coach), and coaches Luca Agazzi (Legnano, Italy), Nick Cooper (Kimberley), Serge Dugas (Magog, Que.), Elias Jonsson (Fernie), John Kucera (Cochrane), Hansjoerg Plankensteiner (Niederdorf, Italy), Chris Powers (Ottawa, Ont.), Laurent Praz (La Thuile, Italy), and Conrad Pridy (Whistler).
