Team Canada Wins Seven Medals at the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games
LILLEHAMMER, NORWAY — The Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games are coming to a close and Team Canada has a total of seven medals to celebrate. Fifty-four athletes represented Canada at the Games from February 12 to 21. Here are the Canadian medallists:
- Brooke Apshkrum of Calgary, AB won gold in Luge, Women’s Singles
- Reece Howden of Cultus Lake, BC won gold in Ski Cross, Men’s
- Team Canada won gold in Mixed Curling
- Team Canada won silver in Men’s Ice Hockey
- Ali Nullmeyer of Toronto, ON won silver in Alpine Skiing, Women’s Slalom
- Ice dancers Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, QC and Zachary Lagha of Saint-Hubert, QC won bronze as part of the Mixed National Olympic Committee (NOC) Team Figure Skating
- Reid Watts of Whistler, BC won bronze in Luge, Men’s Singles
Gold medallist Reece Howden of Cultus Lake, BC has been selected to lead Team Canada into the closing ceremony as the flag bearer. Reece won gold in men’s ski cross and finished fourth in the ski snowboard cross mixed relay.
The Youth Olympic Games brought together 1100 of the world’s best young winter athletes from 71 nations. The athletes aged 15 to 18 competed in 70 medal events using some of the venues from the 1994 Olympic Winter Games.
The Youth Olympic Games are a multi-sport event with a strong cultural and educational component that features a wide range of activities to promote friendship and sharing among competitors from various sports and nationalities, while at the same time, develop the skills they will need to be successful in their careers as adults.
QUOTES
“Leading the team into the closing ceremony makes my experience here even more memorable. I felt the excitement of major international competition, the pride of standing on the podium and the joy of sharing this amazing experience with other athletes from so many different countries. I feel like this will help me grow as an athlete and a person.”
Reece Howden, Gold Medallist, Ski Cross, Canadian flag bearer for Lillehammer 2016 Closing Ceremony
“Congratulations to Reece on being named flag bearer. He is a tough competitor who made our country shine on the slopes and a fine young man determined to make the most of this experience. He cheered his teammates from the stands and was a constant presence in most cultural and educational activities. He exemplified the spirit of YOG. I’m so proud of all of our Canadian athletes for their brilliant performances in competition and for having fully lived up to the ideal of these Games. They have taken advantage of the unique opportunity and shared with other athletes from different countries. They have represented Canada extremely well and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to lead a team of bright, driven and determined young individuals.
Isabelle Charest, Lillehammer 2016 Chef de Mission, Three-Time Olympian, Three-Time Olympic Medallist, Short Track Speed Skating
“The Youth Olympic Games are a great opportunity for young athletes to wear their country’s colors, most likely for the first time, and experience the Olympic spirit firsthand. YOG gives them a taste of the future international opportunities that are open to them if they continue to work hard toward their goals. After the dust settles, it will be the friendships, the cultural learnings and special moments that they will most remember, not necessarily their performance. Most will have in one week experienced the ups and downs, the highs and lows that make up the essence of a sport career and prepares them for life in general.
Lisa Patterson, Coach, Cross-Country Canada Performance Development Coordinator
“Congratulations to all the Canadian athletes who represented our country in Lillehammer. I had the good fortune to cheer them on from the stands alongside their incredible families and friends, coaches and support team. It was inspiring to see the amazing performances and hear the stories of how they found their sports and what they do each day to reach such a high level at such a young age. And they competed with grit, determination and such maturity. YOG is all about giving them the tools to become even better athletes and leaders in their communities. I look forward to continuing to watch them grow in the future, a future that looks very bright.”
Tricia Smith, Canadian Olympic Committee President, Four-Time Olympian and Olympic Silver Medallist