Ste.-Anne-de-Beaupré (QC), Canada (Wednesday, May 21, 2003) - Two Québec ski areas will host the 2006 FIS Junior World Alpine Championships, Alpine Canada Alpin announced today.

The Championships were awarded to Canada by the FIS (Fédération internationale de ski). Under the bid plan presented by Canada to the international organizing body of alpine ski racing, World Cup-caliber Mont-Sainte-Anne will host the technical events of slalom and giant slalom, while the newer track at Le Massif will challenge the world's best junior racers by hosting the downhill and super G events on its Charlevoix course.

"The opportunity to host such an important event as the World Junior Alpine Championships is both exciting and important as we look to bring more high-level alpine racing events to the country," said Ken Read, President, Alpine Canada Alpin. "With the continued emphasis of Alpine Canada Alpin on our developing athletes, it's important for us to bring large-scale events that showcase the excitement of ski racing to younger generations of Canadians. It's also significant for our young athletes to experience the pride of representing Canada at an elite level of international competition in races that take place on home turf.

"Mont-Sainte-Anne and Le Massif will provide the world's best juniors with a World Cup-level challenge and excellent hosting over the proposed 11-day program. We look forward to welcoming the world in 2006."

The announcement comes as Alpine Canada Alpin continues to move forward with its provincial partners to implement a world-leading national development plan focused on making Canada a leading alpine racing nation in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Québec City - the host city for 2006 - hosted the World Juniors in 2000 where Emily Brydon collected gold in the combined and silver in the slalom for two Canadian medals. At last year's World Juniors in Briançonnais, France, the Canadian team had a record-making day, capturing three medals in one day when François Bourque secured the title of World Junior super G Champion with his gold-medal performance, while Brigitte Acton took home the silver and Kelly VanderBeek earned bronze in the women's super G.

"Significant resources are being applied within Alpine Canada Alpin and by our partners across the country to raise the interest in the sport and build a world-class system that will allow new and existing athletes to develop to their full potential," said Read. "We hope the road to more 2010 Olympic medals will be built upon Canada's success at the Junior World Championships in Québec."

Over the past few months, Alpine Canada Alpin has focused incremental resources on building the national development program. Max Gartner, a renowned former national team coach, was named vice-president of Canadian development programs, while earlier this month, former women's World Cup technical team head coach Mark Sharp accepted the position of director of juvenile development, working to implement the new development model with Canada's 11- to 14-year-old racers. Between them, Gartner and Sharp have coached racers to Olympic, World Championships, and World Cup medals, and they are now focused on developing Canada's future crop of international medallists.

The 2006 Junior World Championships at Mont-Sainte-Anne and Le Massif are set to take place from February 25 to March 7, immediately following the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. The event attracts hundreds of racers between the ages of 15 and 20 from the leading alpine racing countries around the world.

The 2004 Junior World Championships will take place at Maribor, Slovenia, February 7-15, the FIS confirmed.