CALGARY — Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and the Canadian Olympic Committee have nominated Team Canada’s bobsleigh roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, selecting a mix of experienced Olympians, emerging pilots and multi-sport recruits as Canada looks to add to its long-standing medal record in the sport.
The nomination includes three sleds in the two-woman event and two sleds each in women’s monobob, two-man and four-man bobsleigh. The roster announcement sets the stage for a high-profile Olympic campaign for a program that has delivered 10 Olympic bobsleigh medals since 1964, including five gold, two silver and three bronze.
The women’s pilot group features Cynthia Appiah of Toronto, Melissa Lotholz of Barrhead, Alta., and Bianca Ribi of Calgary. Appiah and Lotholz are also slated to compete in monobob, with qualification based on international rankings.
Lotholz is set to make her third Olympic appearance and her second as a pilot, after previously competing at PyeongChang 2018 as a brakewoman before transitioning into the driver’s seat. The national federation said she has been Canada’s most consistent pilot during the 2025-26 season, recording six top-six finishes in seven IBSF World Cup monobob races. Lotholz is also a winner of 18 World Cup medals and two World Championship medals.
“At the age of 12, I wrote in my journal asking God to make my ‘silly’ dream of competing at the Olympic Games come true. Even then that dream was tinged with grown-up realism and the belief the prestigious Olympic Games were pretty much impossible for someone like me from a small, humbling farming community,” said Lotholz. “Now 20 years later, I’m gearing up for my third Olympic Games. I’m completely blown away, in awe, and deeply humbled. What a privilege this is to represent our incredible country and so many people who have all contributed to this journey in some way. Like a farmer bringing their seeds to market to help feed the world, I’m celebrating a dream that I’ve seen multiplied. That is reflected in communities across Canada and seeing my teammates realizing their own dreams by putting on their Olympic jackets.”
Appiah enters Milano Cortina following a high-profile season that included a monobob silver medal earlier this month at a World Cup stop in Winterberg, Germany. Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton said her year also began with another milestone, competing on the Jeopardy! game show. Appiah served as an alternate brakewoman at PyeongChang 2018 and placed eighth in both women’s monobob and two-woman at Beijing 2022.
Ribi, a Calgary firefighter, will make her Olympic debut. She burst onto the international circuit in 2022 with a gold medal in her first World Cup race at the Whistler Sliding Centre. The federation said she secured Canada’s third Olympic spot in the two-woman event during the final World Cup race weekend with back-to-back 10th-place results.
The women’s crew includes Kelsey Mitchell of Sherwood Park, Alta., Dawn Richardson-Wilson of Edmonton and Skylar Sieben of Cochrane, Alta. Mitchell, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in track cycling, will make her Winter Games debut. Richardson-Wilson returns for her second Olympic Winter Games, while Sieben, a former heptathlete, will make her Olympic debut. Eden Wilson of Calgary and Niamh Haughey of Toronto were named alternates and will travel with the team.
On the men’s side, Taylor Austin of Lethbridge, Alta., and Jay Dearborn of Yarker, Ont., were nominated as pilots, both expected to compete in two-man and four-man. Austin will make his second Olympic appearance after earning a season-best sixth-place finish in a World Cup four-man race in Altenberg, Germany. Dearborn, a former CFL defensive back, will make his second Olympic appearance and first as a pilot after four years developing his driving skills on the North American Cup and World Cup circuits, including 12 podium finishes in 14 North American Cup races this season.
The men’s crew group includes Keaton Bruggeling of St. Catharines, Ont., Yohan Eskrick-Parkinson of Calgary, Mike Evelyn O’Higgins of Ottawa, Shaq Murray-Lawrence of Scarborough, Luka Stoikos of Stouffville, Ont., and Mark Zanette of Woodbridge, Ont. O’Higgins will be the only Canadian brakeman returning for a second Olympic appearance, while the federation highlighted that several athletes are making Olympic debuts after transitioning from other sports, including football, diving and baseball. Chris Holmstead of Burlington, Ont., will serve as the men’s alternate.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton said Olympic medal-winning pilots Justin Kripps and Lyndon Rush, along with four-time Olympian Chris Spring, will provide coaching leadership. Kripps, Rush and Spring are listed as coaches for Milano Cortina, with Jesse Lumsden named team leader. The team’s support staff also includes therapist Kelsey Marshall, mechanic Martins Mihnevics and team manager Ryan Sommer of White Rock, B.C.
“Canada’s bobsleigh program is powered by our experienced leaders, fueled by the drive our newcomers bring to the sport and driven by the diversity that defines us as being truly Canadian with athletes selected to Team Canada from all corners of the country,” said Jesse Lumsden, high-performance director, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. “This group of athletes are fiercely determined to achieve their performance goals, and deliver results on the ultimate sporting stage, while we continue to nurture and develop a deep pool of athletes in a healthy and supportive culture of excellence.”
Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 Chef de Mission, congratulated the nominated athletes and highlighted the intensity of the sport.
“A huge congratulations to the bobsleigh athletes who stayed focused under pressure and remained stable at high speed on the ice to earn a spot on the Olympic team,” said Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 Chef de Mission. “These athletes bring leadership, dedication, and energy both on the track and in the community, and I am sure that all Canadians are proud to be represented by athletes who give back and inspire positive change.”
Competition dates are set for Feb. 15-16 for women’s monobob, Feb. 16-17 for two-man, Feb. 20-21 for two-woman and Feb. 21-22 for four-man at the Cortina Sliding Centre, closing out the Olympic Winter Games schedule. All nominations remain subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee.
