Runnalls leads Canada’s biathlon team into 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

By Canadian Press on January 22, 2026.

CANMORE — Seven of eight athletes on Canada’s biathlon team will make their Olympic debuts at the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The athletes announced Thursday by Biathlon Canada will race Feb. 8-21 at the Ansterselva Biathlon Arena, which is 65 kilometres north of Cortina near the Austrian border.

Calgary’s Adam Runnalls is the lone biathlete on the team with previous Olympic experience having represented Canada in Beijing in 2022.

Ottawa’s Zachary Connelly, Regina’s Logan Pletz, Calgary’s Pascale Paradis, Jasper Fleming of Squamish, B.C., Nadia Moser of Whitehorse, Benita Peiffer of Whistler, B.C. and Shilo Rousseau of Thessalon, Ont., round out the Canadian squad.

Canada has won three Olympic biathlon medals, all by Myriam Bédard in 1992 and 1994.

Men’s biathlon has been part of the Olympic program since Squaw Valley 1960, while women’s biathlon made its debut at Albertville 1992.

Runnalls contributed to a men’s relay team that finished sixth in 2022 for the country’s best result in the event.

“Being named a two-time Olympic team member is a powerful reminder of the commitment and consistency it takes to compete at the highest level of my sport,” Runnalls said Thursday in a statement.

“The race venue is a place where I’ve achieved all of my personal bests, which gives me a lot of confidence. I’ve been building toward this Olympics my entire career, and I can’t wait to give it everything I have.”

The 27-year-old has twice finished in the top 20 in individual races at the Olympic venue during his career.

A broken ankle prevented Moser from competing in the 2022 Olympic Games.

Paradis raced in her first world championship last year and contributed to a pair of top-10 results by the women’s relay on the World Cup circuit last season.

The team will be coached by Andrew Chisolm and Helene Jorgensen and supported by five wax technicians.

“Biathlon is one of the purest tests of mind-body connection in sport — pushing all-out endurance, then demanding total calm and precision on the range,” said Canada’s chef de mission Jenn Heil.

“With seven first-time Olympic team members and veteran Adam leading the team, it’s going to be a special Olympic experience in Anterselva, where biathlon is truly beloved.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2026.

The Canadian Press