Canada sending 207 athletes to Milano-Cortina Olympics, including 109 rookies

More than 50 cent of Canada’s Olympic athletes will be making their Games debut next month in Milan Cortina, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced Thursday.

Of the 207 athletes headed to Italy, 109 will be competing at their first Winter Olympics.

“At the Olympic Games, the world doesn’t just see what athletes can do, it sees what a country is made of. This Canadian team brings heart and pride, grounded in respect,” Olympic moguls skiing great Jennifer Heil said in a statement released by the COC. She is Canada's chef de mission for these Games.

Forty-seven of the Canadian athletes are Olympic medallists, with hockey start Marie-Philip Poulin, speed skater Valerie Maltais and ski jumper Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes preparing for their fifth Games.

Eric Myles, COC chief sport officer, is looking forward to watching “this incredible group” leave its mark in Milan Cortina.

“Being named to an Olympic team isn’t about a singular performance, season, or moment. It takes years of commitment, sacrifice and resilience from athletes and those who support them every day,” he said.

“We’re proud to stand behind each of them, committed to providing an optimized, distraction-free environment that allows them to reach their full potential.”

Competition runs Feb. 6-22 in the most spread out Games in Olympics history with nearly 3,000 athletes from 93 countries dispersed in six Olympic villages across 22,000 square kilometres in Northern Italy.

They will compete in 116 events on ice and snow, in eight sports and 16 disciplines.

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“Behind every start line is a story: years of sacrifice, relentless work, and the resilience to keep going when it would’ve been easier to