Nordiq Canada announced on Wednesday the Canadian athletes who will be competing in Prince George at the para nordic biathlon and cross-country skiing international events in March.
Five biathletes have been chosen to wear the maple leaf during the Para Biathlon World Championships, March 6-10, at Otway Nordic Centre.
The team include multi-Paralympic medalists Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, Mark Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask., Derek Zapolotinsky of Smokey Lake, Alta., and Collin Cameron of Brace bridge, Ont. – all of whom raced on the Otway trails at the 2019 World Para Nordic Championships.
They have won a combined 27 Paralympic medals and are continuing that success this season, collectively having won 14 medals at the first two World Cup events.
Arendz, who competes in the standing class for athletes with arm impairments, has won World Cup gold three times this season, all coming on the slopes of Martell, Italy Feb. 1-4.
“Going into the World Championships after a very successful start to the World Cup season means I can draw a lot of confidence from those earlier races,” said Arendz. “I know my baseline and can climb from there. I understand I’m the target, but I can use that to challenge myself to set the performance bar even higher.”
Arendz was also a multi-medal winner in 2019 in Prince George.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to represent Canada on home soil at a World Championships,” said Arendz. “I’m fortunate this will be my second time. There are many lessons from 2019 and my first Worlds at home that I now take into these World Championships, better preparing me for a successful Worlds. This is the first time we will have a Biathlon-only World Championship; doing that in Canada is special.”
From March 13-17, Otway will be the site of four days of competition in the Para Nordic World Cup Finals, which will feature one day of biathlon racing and three cross-country skiing events.
The aforementioned five Canadian athletes will be joined by Ethan Hess of Pemberton, Leo Sammarelli of Vancouver, Emma Archibald of Fall River, N.S., Christina Picton of Fonthill, Ont., Lyne-Marie Bilodeau of Sherbrooke, Que., Jesse Bachinsky of Kenora, Ont., and ski guide Levi Nadlersmith of Boissevain, Man.
Bachinsky also competed in Prince George at the 2019 World Para Nordic Championships.
“The team is coming off a great World Cup tour in Italy and is excited to return to Prince George and Caledonia Nordic to cap off the season in the pursuit of World Cup titles, podiums and personal best performances for Canada,” said Kate Boyd, high performance director for the national para nordic team. “We expect exciting and competitive races and look forward to welcoming the world back to Canada.”
There will be no admission charge for spectators.
Click here for the event schedule.
