September 15, 2017 (Thunder Bay, ON) – The National Team Development Centre Thunder Bay (NTDC Thunder Bay) officially launched its  2017-18 Team last weekend in a reception held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5.

Top Row (l-r): Julian Smith, Lisle Compton, Bob Thompson, Sadie White
2nd Row:  Alannah Maclean, Angus Foster, Katherine Stewart-Jones, Levi Nadlersmith
3rd Row:  Conor McGovern, Mia Serratore, Graham Ritchie, Evan Palmer- Charrette
Bottom Row:  Annika Richardson, Pierre Grall-Johnson.

The team is highlighted by returning athletes Bob Thompson (Woodstock) and Katherine Stewart Jones (Chelsea), as well as local athlete Evan Palmer Charette. Both Charrette and Thompson excelled on the domestic and international circuits last season, with Thompson representing Canada at the test World Cup events at the Olympic venues in Pyeonchang, while Charette finished the domestic season as the 2nd ranked man in Canada. In her second year on the Canadian National Team, Stewart Jones solidified her spot as one of the country‚s top women, earning some of Canada‚s top results at the 2017 World Championships in Lahti, Finland.  All three will be legitimate contenders in the hunt to represent Canada at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeonchang in February.

The rest of the team is not short on experience- NTDC also has great depth across the Junior and U23 categories.  Lisle Compton (Kenora) and Annika Richardson (Vancouver) both were named to the Canadian Junior National Team following breakout results last season.  In addition,  8 of the 14 athletes have experience racing at the World Junior and U23 Championships over the past 3 season, and two have represented Canada at the Youth Olympic Games. The team also has added some new blood this season, with 3 rookies joining the ranks, highlighted by Junior Boy‚s National Sprint Champion Pierre Grall-Johnson of Ottawa.

After a full summer of dryland training, the team is heading into the season fit and well prepared, with very strong results in recent fitness testing at the Canadian Sport Institute in Toronto. The team travels to Austria for on- snow altitude training on the Dachstein glacier next week.  The racing season will kick off in early November, with Angus Foster (Thunder Bay) and Julian Smith (Wiarton) and Bob Thompson competing for World Cup starts at the season opener in Canmore.

The rest of the team will start racing on the national circuit in early December, with their main goals being the Olympic and World Championship Trials in January.  The season will wrap with the Canadian National Championship, which will be hosted right here in Thunder Bay in March.

NTDC Thunder Bay is a community-based organization designed to develop elite cross country skiers who will represent Canada at international competitions (ex. World Cups, World Championships, Olympics). It is one of three NDC‚s (the others are in Quebec and Canmore) working with Cross Country Canada to provide athletes with intensive training and competition programs.  The Centre is led by Head Coach Timo Puiras of Thunder Bay and Camille Cheskey (Waterloo) joins the team this year as Assistant Coach after several seasons providing wax support to the group.

NTDC Thunder Bay 2017/18 Team

1.         Alannah Maclean, Sudbury ON
2.         Bob Thompson, Woodstock ON
3.         Evan Palmer Charette, Thunder Bay ON
4.         Julian Smith, Wiarton ON
5.         Sadie White, Thunder Bay ON
6.         Katherine Stewart Jones, Chelsea PQ
7.         Mia Serratore, Thunder Bay ON
8.         Angus Foster, Thunder Bay ON
9.         Annika Richardson, Vancouver BC
10.      Lisle Compton, Kenora ON
11.      Levi Nadlersmith, Boissevain MB
12.      Conor McGovern, Winnipeg MB
13.      Graham Ritchie, Parry Sound ON
14.      Pierre Grall-Johnson, Ottawa ON

Head Coach:            Timo Puiras
Assistant Coach:      Camille Cheskey