Canada’s skeleton team for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics will consist of two newcomers and a seasoned competitor. Hallie Clarke, a 21-year-old rookie from Brighton, Ont., has already achieved international success by winning the world women’s championship in 2024 and the women’s world junior title in 2025. Clarke’s dream of becoming an Olympian was inspired by watching figure skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
Jane Channell, a 37-year-old veteran from North Vancouver, B.C., will be competing in her third Olympic Games. Channell’s interest in skeleton was sparked when she watched the sport during the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City with her grandfather. She considers herself a product of the 2010 Olympics and was able to pursue skeleton on the Olympic sliding track in Whistler, B.C.
Josip Brusic, 23, who only started skeleton less than four years ago, is excited to be participating in the Olympics. The competition in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, will run from Feb. 12-15. Notably, Canada’s last Olympic skeleton medal was Jon Montgomery’s gold in Whistler in 2010.
Leading up to the Winter Olympics, there was controversy surrounding Canada’s skeleton team and accusations of sabotaging by U.S. slider Katie Uhlaender. However, an investigation by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s Integrity Unit cleared Canada of any wrongdoing. Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton defended its decision to withdraw athletes from a North American Cup race in Lake Placid, stating it was done for the welfare of the young athletes participating in developmental races.
Despite the scrutiny, Canadian sliders maintain their faith in the national sport organization and are focused on fair play and respecting the rules of the sport. Channell expressed her confidence in the NSO and emphasized their commitment to competing ethically at the Olympic Games.
The Canadian team, consisting of Hallie Clarke, Josip Brusic, and Jane Channell, is determined to perform well at the Winter Olympics. Clarke is currently ranked 13th in the world, with Channell at 25th among women and Brusic at 23rd among men based on recent World Cup results.