Canada’s skeleton team for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics includes a mix of experienced and rookie athletes.
One of the newcomers is 21-year-old Hallie Clarke from Brighton, Ontario, who has already achieved international success by winning the world women’s championship in 2024 and the women’s world junior title in 2025.
Clarke’s Olympic dream began at a young age when she watched Canadian ice dance stars Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
Meanwhile, Jane Channell from North Vancouver, British Columbia, will be participating in her third Olympic Games at the age of 37. Channell, who had her first Olympic appearance in 2018, was inspired to try skeleton after watching the sport in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games with her grandfather.
Another addition to the team is 23-year-old Josip Brusic, who only started skeleton less than four years ago but has now qualified for the Olympics.
The skeleton events in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, are scheduled to take place from Feb. 12-15.
Notably, Canada last secured an Olympic skeleton medal through Jon Montgomery’s gold win in Whistler in 2010.
Prior to the Games, there was controversy surrounding the Canadian women’s skeleton team after U.S. slider Katie Uhlaender accused Canada’s head coach Joe Cecchini of interfering with her chances of competing in her sixth Olympics. This led to an investigation by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s Integrity Unit, which concluded that Canada did not violate any rules or ethical standards.
Channell expressed her confidence in the National Sport Organization (NSO) and emphasized the team’s commitment to fair play and abiding by the rules of the sport during the upcoming Games.
As the athletes prepare for the Olympics, they have chosen to focus on their training and performance, leaving the controversies behind until after the conclusion of the Games.
Despite the challenges, Clarke, Channell, and Brusic are geared up for the competition, with Clarke ranking 13th in the world, Channell at 25th among women, and Brusic at 23rd among men.