Canadian Olympic gold medalists Mikael Kingsbury of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec and Marielle Thompson of Whistler, British Columbia have been named the flag bearers for Canada at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo. It is interesting that both flag bearers are freestyle skiers. Kingsbury is a mogulist, who won gold at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, and Thompson, a ski cross racer, won gold at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
Kingsbury and Thompson are both competing for Canada in their fourth Olympic Winter Games and have won other Olympic medals in the past. Kingsbury won the Olympic silver medal in men’s moguls at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Thompson won the Olympic silver medal in women’s ski cross at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
At the World Freestyle Skiing Championships, Kingsbury has won 15 medals (nine gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals). Thompson has won three World Championship medals (one gold medal and two silver medals). At the World Cup level, Kingsbury and Thompson have also had unprecedented success. Kingsbury has now won 143 World Cup medals (100 gold medals, 33 silver medals and 10 bronze medals). Thompson has won 74 World Cup medals (36 gold medals, 23 silver medals and 15 bronze medals).
