Manitobans in Beijing
WECAN
As part of the WECAN Beijing campaign, leading up to the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the COPSI Network released a series of stories giving a true behind-the-scenes look into how our sport science and sport medicine expertise supports athletes and coaches in their quest for a podium performance.
Click here to Read the Press Release.
2022 Winter Olympic Games
Opening Ceremonies: February 4, 2022 | Closing Ceremonies: February 20, 2022
Curling
Jennifer Jones, Curling
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Age: 47
Previous Olympic Experience: Sochi 2014
Position: Skip
Jennifer Jones is heading into her second Olympic Games in Beijing. She is one of the most recognizable names in curling in Canada, known as the “GOAT”.
Jennifer is one of the most successful female curlers ever in Canada. She won gold at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, is a 2-time world champion, as well as a 6-time national champion. She is the first female skip to go completely undefeated at the Winter Games.
She has competed in 16 Tournament of Hearts competitions, has won 9 Grand Slam of curling titles, as well as 6 Players’ Championships women’s titles.
Fun Fact: Jennifer Jones is the oldest Olympian in Beijing at 47 years old.
Kaitlyn Lawes, Curling
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Age: 33
Previous Olympic Experience: Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018
Position: Third
Kaitlyn Lawes will be attending the Olympics for her 3rd time in Beijing. Her first Olympic appearance was in 2014 in Sochi as the third on the team with skip Jennifer Jones, they went on to win gold. This was the same Games where the women’s team went undefeated throughout the tournament. Her next appearance 4 years later resulted in another gold medal, this time in Mixed Doubles with John Morris, in the inaugural tournament at the Olympics.
She joined Team Jennifer Jones in the 2010-2011 season. She has won 3 provincial titles, a national title at the Tournament of Hearts, silver at the World Women’s Championships, as well as silver and bronze medals at the national championships.
Dawn McEwen, Curling
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Age: 41
Previous Olympic Experience: Sochi 2014
Position: Lead
Dawn McEwan was part of the undefeated, gold winning team in Sochi 2014. She was also the top lead during the Games, curling 92%, as well as curling a near perfect 99% in the gold medal game. Beijing will be her second Olympic Games.
She began curling with Team Jennifer Jones as lead in the 2007-2008 season, which has since lead to numerous medals in World Championships and Tournament of Hearts. Though they missed out on the 2018 Games, they went on to win the Tournament of Hearts, as well as going undefeated in the World Championships.
She was voted the best female lead in Canadian curling history by a poll at TSN of broadcasters, reporters, and elite curlers in 2019.
Jocelyn Peterman, Curling
Hometown: Red Deer, Alberta
Age: 28
Previous Olympic Experience: None
Position: Second
Jocelyn Peterman is the newest member of Team Jones, joining at the end of the 2017-2018 season, replacing Jill Officer who was planning to retire. She previously curled with Team Chelsea Carey, competing in her first Tournament of Hearts at the age of 22 in 2016. From here she went on to win bronze at her first World Championship.
She then won the 2018 Canada Cup in her first season, competed at the 2019 Tournament of Hearts, and won bronze in the same tournament a year later.
She has also had great success curling in mixed doubles, having won the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in 2016, and then in 2019 winning the Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship, which sent her off to win silver at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
Speed Skating
Alexa Scott, Speed Skating
Hometown: Clandeboye, Manitoba
Age: 20
Previous Olympic Experience: None
Alexa Scott is heading into her first Olympic Games in Beijing. She will be competing in both Women’s 1000m and Team Pursuit.
As a Junior, she represented Canada at the ISU World Junior Championship for 3 years. In her third year, she won the allround bronze medal.
In the following years she continued to medal in Junior World Cups, and in her first senior international event in her final year of junior, she won silver in the team pursuit and came forth in the 1000m and 1500m at the Four Continents Championships.
At the Canadian Long Track Championships in October 2021, she had top-5 finishes in the 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m. She was then named to her first senior World Cup team.
Back in 2019, Alexa represented Team Manitoba at the Canada Winter Games, winning gold medals in the 1000m, 3000m and mass start.
Heather McLean, Speed Skating
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Age: 29
Previous Olympic Experience: PyeongChang 2018
Heather McLean will be competing in her second Olympic Games in Beijing. She previously raced in the 500m and 1000m in PyeongChang, finishing 14th and 25th respectively.
She will be representing Canada in Beijing competing in the Women’s 500m.
Tyson Langelaar, Speed Skating
Hometown: Winnipeg, MB
Age: 22
Previous Olympic Experience: None
Tyson Langelaar will be competing in his first Olympic Games in Beijing, competing in the Men’s 1500m and Team Pursuit.
He had a successful junior career, having won numerous medals at the World Junior Championships. He won allround bronze in 2017, as well as bronze in the 1000m and 1500m and a silver medal in the team sprint. The next year he won allround silver.
Moving up in neo-senior, he won the 1000m and 1500m, and silver in the 3000m at an ISU Junior World Cup.
In 2020, Tyson competed at his first World Single Distances Championships, with a 4th place finish in the team pursuit and ninth in the 1500m. At the World Allround Championships, he finished 2nd in the 500m and 13th overall.
Hockey
Results
Women’s Preliminary Round, Group A – Game 1: Canada – 12 | Switzerland – 1
Women’s Preliminary Round, Group A – Game 2: Canada – 11 | Finland – 1
Women’s Preliminary Round, Group A – Game 3: Canada – 6 | ROC – 1
Women’s Preliminary Round, Group A – Game 4: Canada – 4 | USA – 2
Women’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – Canada – 11 | Sweden – 0
Women’s Playoffs Semi-Finals – Canada – 10 | Switzerland – 3
Women’s Finals – Canada – 3 | USA – 2
Ashton Bell, Hockey
Hometown: Brandon, Manitoba
Age: 22
Previous Olympic Experience: None
Position: Defence
Ashton Bell will be making her Olympic Games debut in Beijing. She has only been playing defence for a few years after switching from forward in the 2019-2020 season.
She first represented Canada at the 2016 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. She led her team in scoring with 6 points in 5 games, also being selected for the tournament’s all-star team. She won silver again the next year as well after being named the team’s captain.
She joined the University of Minnesota-Duluth of the NCAA in the 2017-2018 season and experienced great success over the years at the school.
Kristen Campbell, Hockey
Hometown: Brandon, Manitoba
Age: 24
Previous Olympic Experience: None
Position: Goalie
Kristen Campbell will be headed to the Olympic Games for the first time in Beijing. She first represented Canada internationally in 2015 at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships. Here she won a silver medal starting the game. Her first experience with the National Women’s team was in 2019, but had to wait until 2021 to be named to the roster for the IIHF Women’s World Championship. She was the third goaltender in this tournament and Canada went on to the gold medal.
She started her collegiate career with the University of North Dakota, but after their women’s hockey program folded, she made the move to the University of Wisconsin and was the starting goaltender. Here, she won the 2019 NCAA Championships and 2018 and 2020 WCHA titles. After graduation, she joined the PWHPA and skated with a Calgary-based team for the 2021 Dream Gap Tour.
Jocelyne Larocque, Hockey
Hometown: Ste. Anne, Manitoba
Age: 33
Previous Olympic Experience: Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018
Position: Defence
Jocelyne Larocque is no stranger to the Olympics, heading into her third Games in Beijing. She has a gold medal from Sochi 2014, and a silver from PyeongChang 2018.
She has been a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team since 2008. In 2011 she made her IIHF Women’s World Championship debut, and has since won gold twice, silver five times, and has one bronze medal.
She attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and gained an NCAA title in her first year in 2007-2008, winning again in 2009-2010. After university, she played with the Manitoba Maple Leafs in the WWHL, and then joined Alberta of the CWHL for the 2012-2013 season, later being traded to Brampton where she was named captain for 2015-2016. After the CWHL folded after the 2019 season, she joined the PWHPA and played for a Toronto-based team during the Dream Gap Tours in 2020 and 2021.
2022 Winter Paralympic Games
Wheelchair Curling
Dennis Thiessen, Wheelchair Curling
Hometown: Crystal City, Manitoba
Age: 60
Previous Olympic Experience: Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018
Position: Vice-Skip
Dennis Thiessen is off to his third Paralympic Games in Beijing, after winning gold in 2014 in Sochi, and bronze in PyeongChang in 2018.
Dennis has been involved in wheelchair curling since 2005. He made his world championship debut in 2013 where Canada took gold, and has competed every year since then, excluding 2017 and 2019.
Fun Fact: Dennis was instrumental in starting the Manitoba’s provincial branch of Farmers with Disabilities. This is an organization that is dedicated to presenting farm safety programs to children, youth, and adults.
The Team Behind the Team
Jeff Stoughton, Coach, Curling
Trevis Boyd, Official, Speed Skating
Jill Officer, Athlete Mentor, Curling
Reece Derraugh, Equipment Technician, Speed Skating
Adrian Honish, Deputy Lead of Performance Technology/Performance Analysis
Hans Wuthrich, Chief Ice Technician, International Ice Consultant, Curling
Anyone we’ve missed? Please let us know at media@cscm.ca.
Last updated: March 12, 2022
