Canada’s skeleton team for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics is composed of two rookies and one seasoned competitor. Among the rookies is 21-year-old Hallie Clarke from Brighton, Ontario, who has achieved international success by winning the world women’s championship in 2024 and the women’s world junior title in 2025. Clarke’s Olympic dream began at a young age when she watched Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir skate in the 2010 Winter Games and was inspired to pursue the sport.
Jane Channell, a 37-year-old from North Vancouver, British Columbia, will be participating in her third Olympic Games. Channell was introduced to skeleton while watching the 2002 Olympic Games with her grandfather, who expressed disbelief at the athletes’ daring nature. This moment ignited Channell’s passion for the sport, leading her to pursue skeleton and eventually compete in the Olympics.
Josip Brusic, aged 23, is another newcomer to the sport who has quickly risen to become an Olympian. Brusic expressed his excitement at the opportunity, emphasizing his joy and celebration upon receiving the news of his selection for the Olympics.
The skeleton competition in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, will take place from February 12 to 15. Canada’s last Olympic skeleton medal was secured by Jon Montgomery’s gold win in Whistler in 2010. Leading up to the Olympics, there was controversy surrounding the Canadian women’s skeleton team, specifically regarding accusations of sabotaging another athlete’s qualification chances.
Despite the scrutiny, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s Integrity Unit conducted an investigation and concluded that Canada did not violate any rules or ethical standards. Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton clarified that the decision to withdraw athletes from a race was made in the best interest of the young athletes’ well-being.
Channell expressed her confidence in the National Sport Organization (NSO) and stated that she, along with her teammates and coaches, are focused on the upcoming Games with a commitment to fair play. The athletes are eager to put the controversy behind them and compete with integrity.
The announcement of the Olympic skeleton team was made without the presence of head coach Joe Cecchini, who was on duty as a Calgary police officer. Despite the criticisms, the team defended their actions as being within the rules of the sport. Clarke, Channell, and Brusic are set to represent Canada in the skeleton competition, with Clarke ranked 13th in the world, Channell ranked 25th among women, and Brusic ranked 23rd among men.