A trio of Prince George athletes received an early Christmas gift this week... a trip to Europe to start the year on a competitive note.
In January, the maple leaf will don the sweaters of Meryeta O’Dine, Evan Bichon and Colby Graham as they've been selected to race in the 2021 Snowboardcross Block ‘B’ World Cups.
Canada’s national snowboard team will battle for international glory in Austria and Italy over back-to-back weekends next month.
O’Dine will take the European slopes competitively for the first time since December 2019; she’s been training in Switzerland on and off again this past winter in preparation for any sort of season during COVID-19.
The 2018 Winter Olympian was named to the national snowboardcross team in June this year and has appeared in 25 FIS World Cup events since coming onto the scene in 2013.
She’s currently ranked 16th in the world rankings.
Bichon, a member of Canada’s NextGen national development squad, is heading to Europe for the first time since December 2019 as well, but has found success on North American mountains in 2020.
He won a gold medal in February in Colorado, a bronze in March at Beaver Valley (Ontario) and a silver the same month at Mont Orignal (Quebec).
“Making the NextGen/Canadian National Development Team means a lot," said Bichon to PrinceGeorgeMatters following his selection to Canada’s team in June.
"I am very proud to represent Canada on the world stage again this year and am very thankful for the support I have received along the way! Repping Canada heading into the Olympic Qualification year for 2022 feels pretty awesome and no matter how uncertain next season is with everything going on in the world, I will give it my all to make my Olympic dream a reality!”
Bichon, a graduate of D.P. Todd Secondary, currently ranks 28th in the world for his category.
Colby Graham is the newcomer to the Canada snowboardcross team, but it won’t be his first trip across the Atlantic for competition.
The 19-year-old also made Prince George proud at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta., claiming silver in the men’s snowboardcross final representing Team B.C.
O’Dine, Bichon and Graham are three of 10 total Canadian racers to head to the World Cup next month.
The first event will take place at Montafon in Austria Jan. 14 to 16, located 150 km southwest of Innsbruck.
Canada will then tour to Italy for Jan. 22 to 24 at Valmalenco, roughly 160 km northeast of Milan.
