Karin Harjo becomes 1st female head coach in World Cup ski racing with new Alpine Canada job

Alpine Canada has named former American assistant coach Karin Harjo the new head coach of the women's alpine team, making her the first-ever woman to lead a World Cup team.

"It's not the first thing that I think about, but it is really important," Harjo told CBC Sports about breaking the gender barrier in coaching. "I'm really excited, and it is an honour to be entrusted with this leadership role and to work with such a talented group of athletes."

Harjo comes to Alpine Canada from the U.S. Ski Team, where she worked with Olympic champions Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsay Vonn, among other American skiers.

Canadian alpine skiers posted strong results in 2021-22 and while none cracked the podium, Valerie Grenier, 25, came close with a fourth-place finish in giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia while Ali Nullmeyer, 23, finished fifth in a slalom in Zagreb, Croatia

 "I'm not going to come in and give them the magic to put them on the podium," Harjo said. "It's about teamwork, working with them and figuring out as a group what we can do to be successful -- I'm just here to facilitate an environment to make them successful."

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A native of Underwood, Washington, Harjo focuses on the controllable factors as the most important. While working with Shiffrin and Vonn, Harjo concentrated on ensuring they managed what they could, right down to the smallest details. 

"The consistency that they choose to do their jobs with the small details every day sets them apart," Harjo said. "It's something that I want to bring to this team, and it has been incredible watching these ladies do that."

The experience Harjo brought to the table made her the main target for the Canadian