December 24, 2004 РCanadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), as the Canadian representative of the F̩d̩ration Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU), and Cross Country Canada are pleased to announce the athletes and staff that will represent Canada in cross country skiing at the 2005 Winter Universiade in Innsbruck/Seefeld, Austria from January 12-22. http://www.universiade-innsbruck.org/en/

The Canadian team is coached by Michael Neary of Calgary, Alta. and Joan Skinstad of Camrose, Alta. Neary, who is making his third consecutive trip to the Winter Universiade, was a member of the coaching staff at the 2003 Games in Tarvisio, Italy as well as the 2001 Games in Zakopane, Poland.

Team Canada consists of twelve athletes (six men and six women). Four of the twelve have international experience as members of Canada’s National Junior squad – Sarah Daitch of Fort Smith, N.W.T., Claire Rennie of Ottawa, Ont.,Shayla Swanson of Calgary, Alta. and Cyrus Kangarloo of Calgary, Alta.

Christine Bisson, a physical education student at the Université Laval and Michael Argue, a sociology major

at the University of Calgary will be competing at the Winter Universiade for the second time. Both athletes represented Canada at the 2001 Games.

“This group will be very competitive and will be tremendous representatives for Canada,” said Team Leader Gary Gibson. “The women’s team is a close group and may be one of the strongest Canadian teams in recent history to compete at the Universiade.”

Canada’s only medal at the Winter Universiade in cross country skiing came in 1985 in the men’s 4 x 10 km relay when Alain Masson, Wayne Dustin, Owen Spence and Benoit Létourneau captured bronze.

For more information on the 2005 Winter Universiade, visit: www.cisport.ca/innsbruck2005