Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and the Canadian Olympic Committee will unveil the bobsleigh athletes nominated to represent Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games during a school visit in Calgary on Friday, a move designed to build momentum around the national team announcement while engaging the next generation of Canadian sport fans.
The nomination event is scheduled for Friday, January 23 at 10:30 a.m. MT at Olympic Heights School in southwest Calgary. The announcement will take place in the school gymnasium, with athletes available for media interviews immediately following the presentation.
Organizers said the event will combine the official nomination reveal with a student-focused celebration, including music, dance and motivational messaging aimed at elementary-aged children. Hundreds of students in Grades 1 to 6 are expected to take part.
The bobsleigh athletes nominated for the Canadian Olympic Team will be joined by key national sport leaders, including Jenn Heil, Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 Chef de Mission, and Jesse Lumsden, High-Performance Director at Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. Also participating is Catriona Le May Doan, a three-time Olympic medallist, alongside the Absolute High-Performance Youth Dance Crew, which will contribute to the event’s performance and community atmosphere.
While athlete nominations are a major milestone in the Olympic cycle, the decision to stage the announcement at a Calgary school underscores how national sport organizations are increasingly blending high-performance sport with community outreach and brand-building.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton said the nominated athletes will “ignite the Olympic dream” for students through a high-energy presentation, as well as a ceremonial moment where athletes will put on their new Team Canada jackets for the first time. Following the announcement, the athletes will visit classrooms to meet students and share personal stories about their paths to the Olympic level.
The event is part of a broader strategy to connect Olympic sport with local communities, particularly in cities like Calgary that have longstanding ties to winter sport training and infrastructure. Calgary remains a key hub for Canada’s sliding sports, with national training programs and athlete development pipelines often rooted in Alberta facilities.
From a business and organizational standpoint, public-facing nomination events help reinforce the visibility of Olympic sports that depend heavily on sponsorship, donor funding, and government-backed sport investment. National sport organizations also rely on public engagement to support long-term athlete development and inspire participation in sport at the grassroots level.
The athletes being nominated are described as representing Canadians “from coast-to-coast,” highlighting the national scope of the program and the wide geographic base that contributes to Canada’s Olympic winter sport pipeline.
The Canadian Olympic Committee works with national sport organizations such as Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton to manage athlete selection and nomination processes. While the announcement in Calgary will introduce the nominated bobsleigh team, nominations typically remain subject to formal approval processes within the Canadian Olympic Committee’s selection structure before becoming official.
Friday’s event is scheduled to begin with the main announcement at 10:30 a.m. MT, followed by individual classroom visits starting at 11:15 a.m. MT. Media are invited to attend the announcement portion of the program, with opportunities to speak with athletes and officials immediately afterward.
The event will be hosted at:
Olympic Heights School (School Gymnasium)
875 Strathcona Dr SW
Calgary, Alta.
Organizers said the nomination announcement will be delivered in front of students, combining the formal Olympic milestone with a celebratory presentation. The format is intended to create an accessible and energetic environment, while also offering a platform for athletes to share their stories of perseverance, training, and progression through Canada’s high-performance system.
Alongside athletes, the presence of Canada’s Chef de Mission adds an official Olympic delegation element to the event. The Chef de Mission plays a central leadership role for Team Canada at the Games, supporting athletes and staff while acting as a key spokesperson for the delegation during the Olympic period.
The inclusion of Olympic medallist Catriona Le May Doan also reinforces the event’s focus on inspiration and mentorship. Olympic alumni are often used in outreach settings to help connect young audiences with the broader legacy of Canadian sport, while encouraging participation and ambition in athletics.
For Calgary, the nomination announcement further strengthens the city’s role in Canada’s winter sport ecosystem, with Olympic-related events supporting local visibility and community pride. The city’s association with Olympic sport has long been tied to the 1988 Winter Games and continues through training programs and national sport development activity.
With Milano Cortina 2026 drawing closer, bobsleigh nominations represent a key step in finalizing Canada’s competitive roster for the Games. Friday’s announcement will provide the first official look at the athletes expected to carry Canadian hopes in one of the Winter Olympics’ marquee speed sports.