Chilliwack's Reece Howden has been selected for Team Canada's ski cross roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The 27-year-old champion continues his dominant season with recent World Cup victories. This marks his second Olympic appearance following a youth gold in 2016.
Alpine Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced a roster of 20 athletes on January 27, 2026, including Howden among the men's ski cross competitors. The group features experienced performers set to compete in Italy next February.
Howden, who hails from Chilliwack, British Columbia, has built an impressive resume. He secured three FIS Crystal Globes in 2021, 2023, and 2025 by topping World Cup rankings. This season, he won the first three World Cup races in December and added two more podiums at the Veysonnaz event in Switzerland earlier this week, including a victory. Alpine Canada highlighted his 35 World Cup podium finishes across 84 starts, a world record.
At Veysonnaz, described as a challenging course with passing opportunities and rolling terrain, Howden excelled with quick starts, advancing through the 1/8th finals, quarterfinals, and semifinals. On the first day, he finished second behind France's Youri Duplessis-Kergomard while holding off Switzerland's Tobias Bauer. "I’m feeling pretty good, going into that line I thought I was going to pull it off," Howden said. "There’s still lots of season left and I’m happy with the skiing."
In the overall standings, Howden leads with 433 points, 152 ahead of Duplessis-Kergomard. Fellow Canadians Kevin Drury and Jared Schmidt rank in the top 10. Among women, Hannah Schmidt sits eighth and Brittany Phelan ninth.
This will be Howden's second Olympics, following his gold medal in men's ski cross at the 2016 Lillehammer Youth Winter Olympics, where he also served as Team Canada's Closing Ceremony flag bearer. Ski cross events are scheduled for February 20 and 21 at the Livigno Snow Park.
"The confidence is good, ski cross is one of those things where it’s a lot easier to keep winning when you are winning," Howden added. Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 Chef de Mission, praised the athletes: "In both alpine skiing and ski cross, Canada competes with a bold, strategic, and relentless style."
The full men's ski cross roster includes Howden, Drury, Gavin Rowell, and Schmidt. Women's side features Phelan, Schmidt, and Marielle Thompson.
