Eight Canadians will participate in Bombardier Lake Louise downhill training runs scheduled to get underway Tuesday, Alpine Canada Alpin announced today.

Emily Brydon (Fernie, BC) and Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC), both World Cup winners last season, will be joined by Kelly VanderBeek (Kitchener, ON), who finished third in the 2006 Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart Super G, to lead the team into the training runs.

Last season’s overall Coupe Nor-Am Cup champion Larisa Yurkiw (Owen Sound, ON), 2007 Pontiac GMC Canadian giant slalom champion Emilie Desforges (Montréal, QC) and Kelly McBroom (Canmore, AB), the 2007 Pontiac GMC Canadian super combined champion, are also training along with Sherry Lawrence (Calgary, AB) and development team racer Georgia Simmerling (West Vancouver, BC).

“This group has been training very well and is really looking forward to this week in Lake Louise. They have all been really focused on being prepared for the start of the speed season,” said Ladies team director Patrick Riml.

“We were thrilled with John’s performance on Sunday and that of the while Men’s team in Lake Louise. We were inspired watching them on TV and are looking forward to having the fans in Lake Louise cheer us on,” Riml said, about John Kucera (Calgary, AB) second place finish in the Men’s Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart Super G.

The Canadian team will be represented by six racers in downhill races Friday and Saturday as well as having six athletes in Sunday’s super G.

All three Ladies Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart races will be available live on www.cbcsports.ca as well as CBC cable channel bold. Saturday’s Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart downhill will be televised on the main network beginning at 5 p.m. ET with the Ladies super G on at 3 p.m. ET (except Atlantic Canada & NFLD).