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CANMORE, Alta.—Canada’s top biathletes, one of the youngest biathlon teams in the world, will head to Europe loaded with confidence and international competition experience, when the national team departs for Sweden this week.

Biathlon Canada named 19 athletes to the senior Canadian Biathlon Team that will compete on the World Cup and IBU Cup circuits this winter following a pre-season selection process in Canmore, Alta. in September allowing the selected teams to prepare adequately for the first events of the season.

Zina Kocher, of Red Deer, Alta., and Jean Philippe Le Guellec, of Shannon, Que., will lead eight Canadians on the World Cup this season. The 26-year-old Kocher gave proof of the resurgence of the Canadian biathlon program when she became the first Canadian in more than a decade to win a World Cup medal when she captured a bronze medal in Őstersund, Sweden nearly two years ago. Kocher’s Olympic teammate, Jean-Philippe Le Guellec will continue to knock on the door of the international podium after finally cracking into the elite top-10 on the World Cup over the last two seasons.

Kocher will be joined on the women’s World Cup team by fellow Olympian Sandra Keith, of Calgary, and Meagan Imrie, of Falcon Lake, Man. The 28-year-old Keith continues to make strides on the international scene as the veteran of the national team, while the 22-year-old Imrie, who is one of the first athletes in recent years from Manitoba to make it into the senior national team ranks, returns for her third full season on the World Cup circuit. Megan Tandy, of Prince George, B.C., earned the final spot on the women’s team. The 20-year-old won two gold medals at the Junior Summer Biathlon World Championships in September.

Two-time Olympian, Robin Clegg, will guide four Canadian men through Europe this winter with Le Guellec. The 32-year-old Ottawa native, who races out of Quebec, is entering his 11th season on the team, and is determined to keep fighting the world’s best to accomplish his career goals of standing on the podium. Clegg will be joined by Edmonton’s Jaime Robb who jumped onto the IBU Cup podium last year; Brendan Green, of Hay River, N.W.T., rounds out the men’s team.

“Canada has assembled a team that brings a combination of Olympic and World Cup experience, with success at both the junior and senior international level,” said Joanne Thomson, executive director, Biathlon Canada. “With Zina, Jean-Philippe and Robin leading the way, our young team now knows Canadian biathletes can win, and they will continue gaining experience and push to put Canada on top of the world biathlon podium.”

Canada’s Olympic Biathlon Team will be named in January from the group of athletes competing on the World Cup and IBU Cup circuits. Canada will field a complete relay team in both of the men’s and women’s competitions at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Canada will also have four women and one man compete in the individual events.

Biathlon Canada also named seven men and four women who will compete on the IBU Cup circuit this season. The men’s team will consist of Calgary’s Nathan Smith and Tyson Smith; Regina’s Scott Perras; Patrick Côté, of Grand-Sault, N.B.; Marc-André Bédard, of Valcartier, Que.; Maxime Leboeuf, of Val Bélair, Que.; and Mat Stachura, of Regina.                              

Four Canadian women will also take aim at competing against the world on the development circuit. The women’s team will consist of Rosanna Crawford, of Canmore, Alta.; Claude Godbout, of Quebec; Melanie Schultz, of Camrose, Alta, and Cindy Clark, originally of Winnipeg, Man.

Canada’s biathletes will suit up for the season-opening World Cup event, December 2-6 in Östersund, Sweden, while the first IBU Cup race will take place from December 12-13 in Ridnaun, Italy.

Biathlon Canada, the governing body for biathlon in the country, oversees the Canadian Championships, Eastern and Western Canadian Championships, and the North American Cups held in Canada. The organization’s mandate is to provide national level programs for the continuous development of biathlon athletes from the grassroots to the elite level. For more information on Biathlon Canada, please visit their Web site at www.biathloncanada.ca.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Chris Dornan

Media and Public Relations

Biathlon Canada

T: 281-703-4394