Hailing from all corners of the country, the ten-member biathlon team forms Canada’s most geographically diverse team entry at the 24th Winter Universiade beginning February 18 in Harbin, China.
Finishing with a host of mid-pack performances, Canada’s biathletes enjoyed limited success at the 2007 Universiade in Torino, Italy, but expectations at the Maoershan Ski resort are much higher this time around, particularly on the men’s side. With a number of athletes competing on the international biathlon circuit, the men are poised to post some of Canada’s best results ever at a Winter Universiade.
“There’s no question it’s the strongest Universiade entry that Canada has ever sent,” said team leader Jacqueline Akerman. “The only downside is that there’s no men’s relay at these games, as I’d say they would have had an outside shot at a medal.”
Patrick CôtéLeading the men’s team, Patrick Côté (Grand-Sault, N.B. / University of Alberta) boasts an impressive international résumé. In his third season on Canada’s senior development team, Côté has spent the better part of the winter competing on the World Cup biathlon circuit.
Côté prepped for the upcoming Universiade by posting an 11th-place finish in a men’s 10-kilometre sprint competition at the IBU Cup – a feeder series to the World Cup – in Martell-Val Martello, Italy, just before Christmas, and followed it up with an 89th-place finish at a World Cup sprint event in Pokljuka, Slovenia, in January.
“Patrick was just competing overseas and has the ability to post very good results at the games,” said Akerman. “He’s been skiing and shooting very well lately, and could be a real bright spot for Canada at the games.”
François LebeoeufCanada also draws considerable strength from a pair of brothers who have both been on the national team radar for some time. Maxime Leboeuf (Val Bélair, Que. / Télé-Université Québec) and Frank Leboeuf (Val Bélair / Alberta) will both be exciting skiers to watch individually. Maxime was a double medalist at the 2008 Canadian championships, picking up a silver medal in the Junior Men’s 15km event and a bronze at the 10km distance.
Alexandre Dumond (Ottawa / Queen’s), Stuart Lodge (Fort McMurray, Alta. / Thompson Rivers) and David Johns (Saskatoon, Sask. / Calgary) round out the men’s roster.
Maxime LeboeufMaking her second Winter Universiade appearance, Jytte Apel (Castlegar, B.C. / Alberta – Augustana) leads a largely inexperienced women’s team into action in Maoershan. Not only is she the only member of the team with Universiade experience, Apel enters the games as the only female athlete who has had the opportunity to ski internationally.
Apel competed for Canada at the 2005 Winter Universiade in Innsbruck, Austria, and will be looking for vast improvement on her 32nd-place finish in the Individual 15km event, and her 39th-place showing in the Individual 10km discipline.
While neither Alicia Hurley (St. Albert, Ont. / Alberta – Augustana) nor Tatiana Vukadinovic (Canmore, Alta. / Athabasca) have competed internationally, both have competed at a high level domestically. Both athletes were members of their respective provincial teams at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse in 2007, with Vukadinovic finishing in 12th place in the sprint event – one spot ahead of Hurley.
Vukadinovic is in the middle of a very successful Nor-Am season, winning an Individual 11.25km event on the opening weekend, and currently sits second in the overall points table.
Kathryn Stone (Grande Prairie, Alta. / Alberta – Augustana) completes the women’s Universiade roster.
The lack of international experience on the women’s side leaves Akerman with more modest expectations for success than those carried by the men in China.
“The women all have the capability of putting in good performances and I would be thrilled if they manage to break in the top half of the field.”
Akerman admits it’s a challenge to handicap the rest of the field prior to the Universiade, due in large part to the uncertainty of the makeup of the other nation’s entries.
“It’s difficult to say where the top results will come from, as many of the other countries may not be sending their World Cup-caliber athletes to these games,” explained Akerman. “If there’s a scheduling conflict with the preparations for the European championships, the quality of the field will be reduced considerably.”
The men’s biathlon team will participate in individual events ranging in distance from 10km to 20km, while the women’s distances range from 7.5km to 15km. Canada will also field an entry in the mixed relay event.
TEAM CANADA WOMEN’S ROSTER
Jytte Apel (Alberta – Augustana/Castlegar, B.C.)
Alicia Hurley (Alberta – Augustana/St. Albert, Ont.)
Kathryn Stone (Alberta – Augustana/Grande Prairie, Alta.)
Tatiana Vukadinovic (Athabasca/Canmore, Alta.)
TEAM CANADA MEN’S ROSTER
Patrick Côté (Alberta/Grand-Sault, N.B.)
Alexandre Dumond (Queen’s/Ottawa, Ont.)
David Johns (Calgary/Saskatoon, Sask.)
François Leboeuf (Alberta/Val-Bélair, Que.)
Maxime Leboeuf (Télé-Université Québec/Val-Bélair, Que.)
Stuart Lodge (Thompson Rivers/Fort McMurray, Alta.)
STAFF
Team Leader: Jacqueline Akerman
Coach: Annik Lévesque
Coach: Maurice Samm