Canmore's Britt Richardson Aims to Channel 'Crazy Canuck' Spirit at 2026 Winter Olympics
Britt Richardson and her Canadian alpine skiing teammates are poised to make a significant impact at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. The giant slalom specialist from Canmore, Alberta, believes this event could mark the beginning of a new era of success for Canadian skiers on the world stage.
Embracing a Legacy of Fearless Skiing
Richardson has openly expressed her desire to channel the aggressive and fearless style of the legendary "Crazy Canucks"—Canadian downhill icons like Ken Read, Steve Podborski, Dave Murray, and Dave Irwin. As she prepares for her giant slalom event scheduled for Sunday at 4 a.m. ET, Richardson hopes to embody that same competitive spirit that once made Canadian skiers formidable opponents in alpine events.
"Crazy Canucks … GS edition," Richardson declared, referencing the giant slalom discipline. "We're all skiing really well. All the girls have had really good results coming into these Games. So it's really cool to see the whole team performing. And I think it's just the start of some big results for us."
Olympic Debut with Podium Ambitions
At just 22 years old, Richardson is the youngest member of Canada's four-woman giant slalom team, joining fellow debutante Justin Lamontagne. Veterans Cassidy Gray and Valérie Grenier bring experience to the squad, competing in their second and third Olympic Games respectively. Richardson has made no secret of her aspirations for the competition.
"The podium is definitely on my mind," Richardson admitted. "I like to think that I'm knocking on the door. It's just a matter of putting it all together on race-day."
Building Momentum Through Consistent Performance
Richardson enters the Olympics with considerable momentum from recent competitions. Her career-best result came in January 2025 when she finished seventh in the giant slalom at Kronplatz, Italy. She followed this achievement with a ninth-place finish last month in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czechia, maintaining her position in the top 20 of every World Cup race during the 2025-26 season.
"For sure, it gives me good confidence to finish it off with a good result leading into the Games," Richardson explained. "And it's cool to see some consistency in my skiing. That's not something that's always been there for me. And I've been improving slowly within every race, which has been cool to see."
The Mental Game of Elite Competition
Richardson attributes much of her recent success to psychological preparation and strategic planning. She emphasized that while her technical skiing has remained strong throughout the season, the mental aspect of competition has become increasingly important.
"I think it's just the mindset," Richardson continued. "I think the skiing has been there the same all season. But I think the sport comes down to a lot of mental game, and I think that I've really dialled it down to a good plan. I've worked really hard with my support staff around me to kind of really understand how I work as an athlete under pressure and under circumstances where the race is maybe not best set out for me or whatever it is."
The Canadian giant slalom team will compete at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio, Italy, where Richardson, Gray, Grenier, and Lamontagne hope to create Olympic moments that echo the glory days of Canadian alpine skiing.
