Jennifer Heil named Canada’s chef de mission for 2026 Winter Olympics
Global News
The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics take place from Feb. 6 to 22.
Jennifer Heil set the bar for Canada at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
The decorated skier captured the country’s first medal — and its attention — with a gold in moguls on the opening day of competition. Now two decades later, she’s poised to lead the Canadian team back under the same spotlight in Northern Italy.
The Canadian Olympic Committee named Heil its chef de mission for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games on Tuesday.
“I was kind of like, ‘Holy, 20 years have passed!'” Heil said of her reaction during a video call from her home in Vancouver. “It’s truly a full circle.
The chef de mission is an ambassador for the team before and during the Games. Past champions are often chosen for the volunteer position to guide Canada’s squad.
Sprint star Bruny Surin was Canada’s chef for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, while speedskater Catriona Le May Doan — Heil’s idol — held the role at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
“Some leaders are chosen for their experience, others for their heart. Jenn brings both,” COC chief sporting officer Eric Myles said in a statement.
A 2015 inductee into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Heil made her Olympic debut as an 18-year-old at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and followed up her 2006 gold with a silver at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
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