荔枝视频

The Canadian Olympic Committee has finalized its roster of competitors for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this month.

And, as usual, there is a true 荔枝视频 flavour to the list. 

One of 207 athletes named to Team Canada, which competes in Italy, Feb. 6 to 22, is long-track speedskater Isabelle Weidemann, BSc鈥�23. At the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, she raced to three medals 鈥� bronze, silver and gold 鈥� and earned the honour of being Canada鈥檚 flag bearer at the closing ceremonies.

鈥淚鈥檝e changed a lot as an athlete and as a person these past four years,鈥� Weidemann said in a statement released by Speed Skating Canada. "I鈥檓 approaching these Games with a veteran鈥檚 mindset. We鈥檝e got a lot of new faces with a lot of energy, and I鈥檓 really proud to be part of this group.鈥�

Another fascinating story is Gabriella Durante鈥檚. A former star of the Dinos women鈥檚 hockey team and the holder of dual citizenship, Durante, BSc鈥�23, MSc鈥�25, gets to suit up for the hosts, serving as one of Team Italy鈥檚 goaltenders.

The Canadian Paralympic Committee will announce its competitors for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in the coming days. Traditionally scheduled to follow the Olympic Games, the Paralympics are slated for March 6 to 15.

Here is a list of U荔枝视频 students and alumni competing in Italy:

Taylor Austin, BKin鈥�16, bobsleigh

About: Recruited as a brakeman following his 荔枝视频 Colts junior football career, Austin is bound for his second Olympics. At the 2022 Games in Beijing, the Lethbridge native raced as a pilot, finishing 20th in the two-man sled and 23rd in the four-man.

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Ted-Jan Bloemen, Canadian athlete based at the Olympic Oval, long-track speedskating

About: Heading into his third Olympics, Bloemen, 39, earned silver (men鈥檚 5,000 metres) and gold (men鈥檚 10,000 metres) in 2018 at the PyeongChang Games. He was awarded the 2018 Jeremy Wotherspoon Award as Speed Skating Canada鈥檚 long track male athlete of the year.

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Ivanie Blondin, Canadian athlete based at the Olympic Oval, long-track speedskating

About: The 35-year-old will appear in her fourth Winter Games. To Blondin鈥檚 credit are two Olympic medals from Beijing 2022 鈥� silver (women鈥檚 mass start) and gold (women鈥檚 team pursuit). She is a 17-time medallist at the World Championships.

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Chen Ying-Chu, international athlete (Chinese Taipei) based at the Olympic Oval, long-track speedskating

About: For Ying-chu, who turns 31 next month, this marks her first appearance at the Olympics. At the November 2025 World Cup stop in 荔枝视频, she picked up silver in the women鈥檚 500 metres. She was an inline speedskater before switching in 2023.

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Hallie Clarke, open studies student, skeleton

About: Only 21 and headed to her first Olympics, Clarke is highly regarded. The Brighton, Ont., native is the first slider to hold junior and senior world titles at the same time. Clarke, who grew up figure skating, is an ambassador for KidSport 荔枝视频.

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Gabriella Durante, BSc鈥�23, MSc鈥�25, women鈥檚 hockey (for Team Italy)

About: Durante was a standout goalie 鈥� and three-time Academic All-Canadian 鈥� for the Dinos women鈥檚 hockey team. Holding dual citizenship, she relocated to Italy last winter, playing club hockey for Real Torino and the Eagles Bolzano. Now the 25-year-old will suit up for the host nation.

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Natalie Eilers, BComm student, ski jumping

About: Eilers, 27, makes her Olympic debut in Italy after recovering from a terrible injury. Crashing in January 2024, she ruptured the ACL in her right knee, suffered two meniscus tears, fractured her femur and dislocated her shoulder. But, after multiple surgeries and lengthy rehabilitation, she managed to return.

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Amy Fraser, BSc鈥�16, freestyle skiing

About: Fraser finished eighth in the women鈥檚 halfpipe competition in 2022, her Olympic debut. At the 2025 World Championships, she placed fifth. In the superpipe at the 2024 and 2025 Winter X Games, the 荔枝视频 resident earned bronze medals.

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Laura Hall, engineering student, long-track speedskating

About: Hall, 22, is racing in her first Winter Games. At the 2025 World Single Distance Championships, she placed 11th in the women鈥檚 5,000 metres. Hall鈥檚 younger brother, Daniel, is also making his Olympic debut. Olympic dreams run in Hall鈥檚 family; her father, Michael, speedskated for Canada at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. 

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Carolina Hiller-Donnelly, BSc鈥�23, long-track speedskating

About: Hiller-Donnelly nearly quit the sport after failing to make the 2021-22 national team, but she persevered and captured her first national title. Now the 28-year-old will race at the Olympics. Her husband, Ben Donnelly, speedskated for Canada at 2018 PyeongChang.

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Brianne Jenner, MPP鈥�17, women鈥檚 hockey

About: Already a triple medallist 鈥� two golds, one silver 鈥� Jenner, 34, is making her fourth appearance at the Winter Games. With an Olympic-record-tying nine goals, she was named MVP in Beijing. Before completing her master鈥檚 degree at U荔枝视频, she majored in government at Cornell University.

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Anders Johnson, Canadian athlete based at the Olympic Oval, long-track speedskating

About: Johnson, 28, will make his Olympic debut. At the 2024 World Championship, he was part of Canada鈥檚 gold medal in the team sprint. Last year, he placed 21st in the men鈥檚 500 metres.

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Rachael Karker, BA鈥�24, freestyle skiing

About: At the 2022 Olympics, the Erin, Ont., native earned bronze in the women鈥檚 halfpipe event, sharing the podium with teammate and silver medallist Cassie Sharpe. Karker, who attended Canada鈥檚 National Ballet School, has also picked up multiple medals at the World Championships and the Winter X Games.

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Andrew Longino, BComm student, freestyle skiing

About: Longino, 23, is making his Olympic debut. At the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Switzerland, the 荔枝视频 native not only won gold in the boys鈥� halfpipe competition, he served as Canada鈥檚 flag bearer for the closing ceremonies. He has twice medalled at World Cup events.

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Nil Llop Izquierdo, international athlete (Spain) based at the Olympic Oval, long-track speedskating

About: The 23-year-old native of Barcelona is a former roller speedskater. He won gold at the 2019 World Roller Games and was named the Male Sports Hope of the Year by the Catalonian Sports Federation Union. This is his first Olympics.

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Brendan Mackay, BSc鈥�24, freestyle skiing

About: Mackay finished ninth in the men鈥檚 halfpipe event at the 2022 Olympics. At the 2023 World Championships, the Calgarian won gold in the halfpipe. Currently working on his master鈥檚 degree, he studies experimental physics in the field of quantum technology.

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Brooklyn McDougall, BSc鈥�21, long-track speedskating

About: In her Olympic debut, McDougall placed 22nd in the women鈥檚 500 metres in Beijing. For the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, she was commissioned by the Olympic Museum to paint three original artworks, which now are now displayed at the museum in Switzerland.

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Nicole Maurer, BSc student, ski jumping

About: This marks Maurer鈥檚 first Olympic experience. The 25-year-old has represented Canada at four Junior World Championships and three World Championships. After completing her degree in astrophysics and computer science, the Calgarian is keen to work in the space industry.

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Benita Peiffer, BA student, biathlon

About: Peiffer, 25, is poised to make her Olympic debut. She represented Canada at the 2021 and 2022 Junior World Championships and the 2023 and 2024 World Championships 鈥� all after tearing her meniscus and ACL in the spring of 2020. Her cousin, Arnd Peiffer, won two Olympic gold medals in biathlon for Germany.

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Jocelyn Peterman, BKin鈥�16, curling

About: Peterman returns to the Olympics to compete in mixed doubles. A U荔枝视频 alum, she is also director of the Dinos curling program. Her partner in Italy is Brett Gallant, who serves as the Dinos鈥� skill development coach, while Laine Peters, the men鈥檚 coach at U荔枝视频, will guide the Peterman/Gallant duo at the Winter Games.

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Yin Qi, international athlete (China) based at the Olympic Oval, long-track speedskating

About: Qi, 33, raced at the Beijing Games, finishing 15th in both the women鈥檚 1,000 and 1,500 metres. She鈥檚 won multiple titles at the Chinese national championships. Qi got her start in short-track speedskating before switching to long track in 2018.

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Dawn Richardson Wilson, BA student, bobsleigh

About: A sprint star for the Dinos track team 鈥� three straight Canada West titles in the women鈥檚 60 metres 鈥� Richardson Wilson is making her second bobsleigh appearance at the Olympics. In Beijing, with pilot Cynthia Appiah, she finished eighth.

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Adam Runnalls, BA student, biathlon

About: Runnalls, 27, is making his second Olympic appearance. Racing four events in Beijing, the Calgarian鈥檚 best finish was sixth in the men鈥檚 4 x 7.5 km relay 鈥� which happened to be Canada鈥檚 best-ever result in that event. He has represented Canada at every World Championships since 2020.

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Tom Stephen, engineering student, cross-country skiing

About: After winning the men鈥檚 10 km classic at the Olympic trials, despite being hampered by back issues, the 23-year-old is ready for his Winter Games debut. Stephen raced in four straight Junior World Championships, earning silver in 2020 in the men鈥檚 4 x 5 km relay.

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Embyr-Lee Susko, BComm student, luge

About: Only 20, Susko is one of five luge teammates racing at their first Olympics. In 2025, she finished fourth in the women鈥檚 event at the World Championships, topping that performance with bronze in the mixed relay. She鈥檚 claimed the national title for three straight years.

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Isabelle Weidemann, BSc鈥�23, long-track speedskating

About: Star of the 2022 Olympics, Weidemann earned bronze in the women鈥檚 3,000 metres (Canada鈥檚 first medal in Beijing), silver in the women鈥檚 5,000 metres, gold in the team pursuit. She was named Canada鈥檚 flag bearer for the closing ceremonies. This is the Ottawa native鈥檚 third appearance at the Winter Games.

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Amelia Wells, BHSc鈥�25, cross-country skiing

About: At the Olympic trials, Wells reached the podium in the 10 km classic and the 10 km freestyle. Now she will make her Winter Games debut. The 23-year-old has won three straight national titles in the women鈥檚 10 km freestyle and captured the women鈥檚 30 km mass start classic last year.

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