The FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships are taking place at Panorama Mountain Resort from March 1-9 and a local skier is leader among the 12 athletes nominated to compete for Canada against the best young skiers in the world.

Cassidy Gray, 21, of Team Panorama Ski Club, is the most senior member of the women’s six-athlete squad and is considered a medal favourite.

Gray, from Invermere, leads the team after launching herself into Canadian ski racing’s elite in 2020-21 when she made her World Cup debut in Kranjska Gora (SLO) as a 19-year-old.

In just her second World Cup race season, Gray is a strong contender for the podium at the World Juniors, Alpine Canada Alpin stated.

“Having a major event like World Juniors in Panorama is a dream for every local kid, so I am especially excited because regardless of the racing, it’s going to be my favourite World Juniors so far,” said, Gray, who will be competing on home snow after competing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

“We have a strong group of athletes, and the coaching staff is amazing,” added Gray. “We’ve set ourselves up to have a great race series and I am excited to see what everyone can do,” adds the promising skier who claimed her first World Cup points with an impressive 26th place finish in her second-ever World Cup giant slalom last season.

“To have my family there and know so many people involved in the event will be the cherry on the icing,” she concludes.

The 2022 Canadian FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships women’s roster includes: 

Cassidy Gray (21) – Team Panorama Ski Club, B.C.;

Arianne Forget (18) – Belle Neige S1 Racing, QC;

Britt Richardson (18) – Calgary Alpine Racing Club, AB / Burke Mountain Academy;

Justine Lamontagne (19) – Mont-Ste-Anne, QC;

Kiara “Kiki” Alexander (20) – Sunshine Village, AB;

Sarah Bennett (20) – Club de Ski Stoneham, QC.

The 2022 Canadian FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships men’s roster includes: 

Etienne Mazellier (20) – Club de Ski Stoneham, QC;

Gerrit Van Soest (20) – Okanagan Ski Team/Vernon Ski Club, B.C.;

Logan Dunn (21) – Nakiska Alpine Ski Association, AB;

Nathan Romanin (20) – Whistler Mountain Ski Club, B.C.;

Raphael Lessard (20) – Bromont Ski Club, QC;

Tait Jordan (19) – Whistler Mountain Ski Club, B.C.

Jeff Thompson, Vice-President, Domestic Sport Programs and Events for Alpine Canada is eager to get this team racing at Panorama, comfortable and confident with the environment and positioned to achieve their best results of the season, Alpine Canada stated.

“We are very excited about this group of young, up and coming athletes,” said Thompson. “They represent a very talented group of U21 athletes that the country, provinces and clubs have cultivated, and we believe will be very competitive against this world-class international field,” he added.

The first time Canada hosted World Juniors was in 2000 at Mont-Ste-Anne, QC.  Since then, Mont-Ste-Anne and Le Massif, QC have held the event again in 2006 and 2013.

This year marks the first time Canada hosts the world’s best U21 racers in the West.

Click here for the full event schedule and more information.

Lead image: A look at part of the race course at Panorama.  Panorama Mountain Resort photo

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