Team Canada ski jumpers nominated for PyeongChang 2018
Two athletes will head to the Olympic Winter Games in hopes of setting new records for Canada in ski jumping.
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Veteran Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes will represent Canada in the men’s ski jumping events, making his third Olympic appearance. He debuted as an 18-year-old at Vancouver 2010 and reached the finals in both individual events at Sochi 2014.
Team Canada’s Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes competes in the large hill at the Ski Jumping World Cup in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, Friday March 11, 2016. (Patrick Seeger/dpa via AP)
Boyd-Clowes has improved his consistency since then, finishing in the top-30 at six World Cup events last season, including a 12th place finish on the individual large hill in Klingenthal, Germany for the second-best individual result of his career. Boyd-Clowes continues to be a top leader for Canada, placing 26th on the individual normal hill at the Olympic test event for PyeongChang 2018, and 34th at a 2017-18 World Cup event in Oberstdorf, Germany.
See all of the athletes nominated to Team Canada for PyeongChang 2018
“It is always an honour to qualify to represent Canada at the Olympics. It is an amazing feeling to compete knowing that all of Canada is cheering you on.” Boyd-Clowes said.
Canadian Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes lands his jump during qualifying at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Whistler, B.C. on Friday February 12, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Boris Minkevich
Taylor Henrich will compete at her second Olympic Winter Games. The ski jumper made her mark in the history books in 2012 when she attended the Winter Youth Olympic Games and became the first woman to take part in ski jumping at an IOC-sanctioned event.
Henrich finished 13th in the Olympic debut of women’s ski jumping at Sochi 2014, and continued her history-making path in 2015 when she became the first Canadian woman to win a World Cup ski jumping medal.
RELATED: Henrich on the podium again in historic season
Team Canada’s Taylor Henrich (right) celebrates her third place finish at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Oslo, Norway, Friday March 13, 2015. (AP Photo/Berit Roald, NTB scanpix)
Two months later, Henrich earned fifth-place at the world championships. She carried this success into the 2017-18 season, placing 15th at a summer Grand Prix in Chaikovsky, Russia and 25th at a World Cup in Sapporo, Japan.
“I am so proud to once again have the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympic Games.” Henrich said. “This is the culmination of all the hard work done in training, but every jump is worth it for the opportunity to wear the maple leaf in Korea.”
Canada’s Taylor Henrich competes in the women’s individual normal ski jumping event during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Canada’s best ever results in ski jumping were recorded at Calgary 1988 where Horst Bulau placed seventh in the men’s individual large hill, and at Sochi 2014 where Atsuko Tanaka placed 12th in the first-ever women’s individual normal hill.
Boyd-Clowes and Henrich will be competing in two World Cup events before PyeongChang. Boyd-Clowes will head to Poland and Germany while Henrich is off to Slovenia and Austria.
Ski jumping will start on the first two days of PyeongChang 2018, February 8-9, with the men’s individual normal hill. The women’s individual normal hill will take place February 12, followed by the men’s large hill individual February 17.
