SASKATCHEWAN — Saskatchewan will have athletes coaches, officials and support staff at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
Among the athletes, goaltender Darcy Kuemper and forward Brandon Hagel, both listed as being from Saskatoon, will be on Canada’s men’s Olympic hockey team. Forward Emily Clark of Saskatoon is on the women’s hockey team. Ben Hebert of Regina is on Brad Jacobs’ rink in men’s curling. Logan Pletz of Regina is competing in the biathlon and Maia Schwinghammer of Saskatoon is in freestyle skiing.
Mark McMorris of Regina will compete in the snowboard slopestyle. He was also scheduled to compete in big air, but he withdrew from the event due to injury.
Coaches include two from Humboldt: William Dutton in long-track speed skating and Lyndon Rush in bobsleigh. Adam Burwell of Regina is part of the coaching staff for snowboard.
Support staff members include Chris Dornan, a bobsleigh media attaché from Saskatoon; Lisa Hoffart, a Team Canada mental health lead from Regina; Jodi Perras, a cross-country skiing massage therapist from North Battleford; and Ryan Getzlaf, a hockey player relations advisor originally from Regina.
Four of the five officials from Saskatchewan are for hockey: Michelle McKenna from Moose Jaw, Cianna Murray of Cudworth, Tarrington Wyonzek from Yorkton and Alex Clarke, who is originally from Drake but now lives in the Weyburn area. Karen Howard of Regina was picked for figure skating.
The opening ceremonies are slated for Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. Saskatchewan time, but some of the events started Feb. 5. The Games are slated to wrap up on Feb. 22.
