Lunder headlines list of Canadian biathletes nominated for Beijing Games

CANMORE, Alta. — Emma Lunder is one of the headliners on the list of eight Canadian biathletes nominated Wednesday for next month’s Beijing Olympics.

Lunder, from Vernon, B.C., opened the World Cup season last November with a career-best sixth-place finish in the women’s 15-kilometre individual event in Sweden.

She’s one of four Canadian biathletes who will return to the Games after making their Olympic debut four years ago in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The others are Sarah Beaudry of Prince George, B.C., and Calgary brothers Christian and Scott Gow. The roster also includes Olympic rookies Megan Banks of Calgary, Jules Burnotte of Sherbrooke, Que., Emily Dickson of Burns Lake, B.C., and Calgary’s Adam Runnalls.

“Being nominated to a second Olympic Games feels amazing,” Lunder said in a release. “I’ve had a great team behind me for the last four-plus years helping me achieve this goal, and I have so much gratitude for all of the teammates, coaches, staff, family, and friends who have been with me on my journey.”

Lunder and Beaudry helped Canada to a 10th-place finish in the women’s relay competition in Pyeongchang.

Justin Wadsworth and Pavel Lantsov, both from Canmore, Alta., were nominated as coaches. Nadia Moser, one of the program’s core athletes, was not named to the team after suffering an injury last month.

Myriam Bedard is the only Canadian to reach the biathlon podium at the Olympics. She won bronze in Albertville in 1992 and won two gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer Games.

Biathlon competition is set for Feb. 5-19 at the Zhangjiakou Biathlon Centre.

“From the day I started biathlon, I’ve wanted to race at the Olympics and it’s unbelievable that I will be doing exactly that in a few weeks,” Runnalls said.