Canada's Ted-Jan Bloemen celebrates after his men's 5000 meters race of the Speed Skating World Cup in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017. Bloemen is among the Canadian athletes to watch heading into the Peyongchang Olympics. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Michael Sohn
February 07, 2017 - 9:31 AM
The 2018 Peyongchang Olympics open a year from Thursday. Here is a look at some Canadian athletes to watch heading into the Feb. 9-25 Games:
TED-JAN BLOEMEN
A transplanted Dutchman now competing for Canada's long-track speedskating team, Bloemen set a world record in the 10,000 metres after donning the Maple Leaf. He's also a powerful addition to the men's pursuit team.
PATRICK CHAN
Olympic gold in men's singles has eluded Canada's top male figure skater over the years. The 26-year-old from Toronto must up his quadruple-jump quotient to upgrade from silver in 2014.
JUSTINE DUFOUR-LAPOINTE
The 22-year-old Montrealer is ramping up for a run at a second straight gold in women's moguls. Dufour-Lapointe and silver-winning sister Chloe provided Canada's most touching moment of 2014 in their 1-2 finish.
CHARLES HAMELIN
Owner of Olympic gold medals in the 500 and 1,500 metres and relay, the 32-year-old short-track speedskater from Sainte-Julie, Que., wants to complete the set with a 1,000-metre win.
ALEX HARVEY
The 28-year-old cross-country skier from Saint-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., has the goods to become the first Canadian man to win a cross-country medal and be the difference-maker in a relay medal.
KAILLIE HUMPHRIES
The 31-year-old bobsled pilot from Calgary goes for her third gold in as many Games.
MIKAEL KINGSBURY
The 24-year-old moguls skier from Deux-Montagnes, Que., has won everything there is to win in his sport several times over, except an Olympic gold. He was runner-up to now-retired teammate Alex Bilodeau in 2014.
MARK McMORRIS
The snowboarder is a double medal threat with the introduction of the Big Air event. A slopestyle bronze medallist in 2014, the Regina boarder bounced back from a broken femur in 2016 and is back on his epic game.
MARIE-PHILIP POULIN
The 25-year-old women's hockey forward from Beauceville, Que., is a gold-medal gamer scoring a combined four goals, including an overtime winner, in the last two women's Olympic finals.
MARIELLE THOMPSON
Ms. Consistency in the elbows-up, first-to-the-line sport of skicross, the 24-year-old from Whistler, B.C., aims to become the first woman to win back-to-back gold.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017