It was a heck of a year for sports in Prince George.
The city saw its first home-grown Olympic medalist, hosted a major international sporting event, watched the debut season of its first Canadian Junior Football League team, hosted the best young athletes in the province, and cheered on its university men’s soccer team while it made Canada West
Presented in chronological order, here are the Top 5 Prince George sports moments of 2022. Vote in a Citizen online poll to tell us what you think was the top sports moment of the year.
O’DINE WINS OLYMPIC BRONZE
Prince George snowboard cross racer Meryeta O’Dine wasn’t content just being the first Prince George athlete to win an Olympic medal – she did it twice.
During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February, O’Dine made history by winning a bronze in the individual women’s snowboard cross competition, finishing third in the big final behind American veteran Lyndsey Jacobellis and Chloe Trespeuch of France.
For the 24-year-old racer, winning the medal was triumph over injuries and loss. Her first Olympic experience during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018 before it began, after she fell and suffered a concussion during a training run. Then a compression fracture in her spine ended her 2019 season. In 2020, her older brother Brandon died of cancer.
O’Dine’s grit was on display again, during the debut of mixed-team snowboard cross competition at the Olympics.
O’Dine’s partner, Eliot Grondin of Sainte-Marie, Que., set up her up for success, by finishing third in his heat – a second behind the leader, and 0.23 sec. behind the second-place racer. But as she landed a jump, Italian racer Caterina Carpano came crashing down on her back, sending them both sprawling into the snow.
O’Dine bear-crawled to the top of the berm and managed to get back on her feet to finish five seconds ahead of Carpano, winning her and Grondin a second Olympic medal each at the games.
2022 WORLD WOMEN'S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
It took six years to happen, but in March Prince George hosted the 2022 BTK Tires & OK Tire World Women’s Curling Championship.
The city was expected to host the event March 14-22, 2020. But on March 12 the event was cancelled on the recommendation of B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11.
The return of the event also signalled the beginning of a return to normal, following years of pandemic restrictions.
“It was postponed two years ago and I tell you it was worth the wait, they’ve really done a superb job, it’s been really outstanding,” World Curling Federation president Kate Caithness said, following the nine-day tournament. “This is the first time we’ve had proper fans since the pandemic began and they’ve been great.
Teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States competed in the event, which was televised in 30 countries, and webcast live around the world. Switzerland won gold, Korea silver and Canada defeated Sweden for bronze.
2022 B.C. SUMMER GAMES
Approximately 2,800 young athletes from across the province, along with hundreds of coaches, officials, family members and fans, gathering in Prince George for 2022 B.C. Summer Games in July.
The four-day tournament featured competitions in 18 events at venues throughout and outside the city. Events included 3-on-3 basketball, artistic swimming, athletics, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, box lacrosse, canoe and kayak events, equestrian and para-equestrian, field lacrosse, golf, rowing, rugby, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, para swimming and special Olympics swimming, towed water sports, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling.
In preparation for the games, the City of Prince George built new beach volleyball courts and made improvements to other facilities around the city.
Athletes from the Cariboo-Northeast region, including Prince George, won a total of 33 medals during the games: 10 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze.
The event brought an estimated 5,000 visitors to Prince George and pumped an estimated $2 million into the city’s economy, after two years of pandemic restrictions had hurt the city’s hospitality sector.
KODIAKS TAKE THE FIELD
In August, the Prince George Kodiaks took the field at Masich Place Stadium for their debut home game against the Kamloops Broncos.
The Kodiaks compete in the B.C. Junior Football Conference of the Canadian Junior Football League – the highest-level of football ever played in the city.
Although the Kodiaks finished their debut season sixth in the seven-team conference with a 1-9 record, and later cut ties with head coach and director of football operations Keon Raymond, it still marked a football first for the city.
TIMBERWOLVES’ HISTORIC SEASON
In September, UNBC Timberwolves striker Michael Henman made Canada West history by scoring hat tricks in two consecutive games.
Henman scored 19 goals total for the season, tying the conference’s single-season individual record and helping the Timberwolves to a team-best 8-5-3 season record.
Henman was named the Canada West Conference male soccer player of the year, for his contributions on the field.
Team coach Steve Simonson was named the Canada West and 2022 USports Fox40 Coach of the Year for his leadership of the team.
Henman was a finalist for the national player of the year but was edged in the voting by Christopher Campoli of Ontario Tech University in Oshawa.
