Nearly four years ago, three Canadians won bronze medals in the first mixed team acrobatics competition at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Lewis Irving, Marion Tenault and Micah Fontaine – the first Canucks to reach an Olympic podium in the event since Veronica Brenner and Deirdre Dionne won silver and bronze, respectively, in Salt Lake City in 2002 – are aiming for another podium finish next year.
They will try to do so at the Livigno Air and Moguls Park in Italy, where 3,000 spectators will surround the track at the foot of the mountain and dozens of athletes will take off to reach the highest bar in winter sports.
But before Milan Cortina 2026 ends this season, they are overseas training at Genting Snow Park: the site of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics acrobatics competition and their bronze medal.
As they approach the Winter Games unencumbered by low crowds and the COVID-19 pandemic, the three reflected on their experiences in China and what each is aiming to achieve in February.
Freestyle skier Micha Fontaine is thrilled to be part of the team that won a bronze medal in its Olympic debut in mixed acrobatic competition.
The key to Fontaine's success
“If you’re not having fun, how can you even perform?”
That's what Fontaine told CBC Sports shortly after winning bronze in his first Olympic appearance, downplaying the seriousness of the competition despite his first-time nerves.
“All the memories we had four years ago are coming back,” he said upon his return to Genting.
There in the snow, in February 2022, Fontaine performed his first double backflip with a quadruple twist.
Since then, he has run hundreds of distances, competing in the World Cup.
But for Fontaine, continued progress is paramount.
Over the past three summers, he has made an effort to add more spins to his jumps, bringing his total to five twists; a difficult move that he intends to carry over to the Winter Olympics.
“Sometimes it’s a little harder, but I always try to get back to that state of mind of having fun and not being overwhelmed by everything,” he said.
“For me this is the key to success.”
Teno focuses on sustainable development
After winning the silver medal earlier this month in Ruka, Finland, Teno has two hopes: make the podium at Milan Cortina 2026 and make his ride carbon neutral.
“In 2022, I was new to the World Cup and also to the sport, so the expectations were different,” she said ahead of her appearance at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
“Four years later I proved myself on the World Cup circuit.”
Off the slopes, the Sherbrooke, Que., native worked for four years with consulting firm WSP, which calculated emissions and other data to make Teno's ride as environmentally friendly as possible.
In addition, it now works directly with FIS to develop an event calendar that requires less travel for athletes, while advocating on behalf of its fellow competitors and understanding financial and shareholder issues.
“I'm very proud of what I've done and the role I've taken on. [making] Sustainability is my goal,” Teno said.
“This is an ongoing project.”
Irving draws on experience
“To be honest, right now I'm thinking more about the World Cup itself or the Crystal Globe than the Games themselves,” Irving told CBC Sports.
A senior member of the team with two Olympic Games under his belt, Irving prefers to remain as cool as possible throughout the season.
“I want to combine these last 12 years of competition experience and try to surpass what I did last time.”
For Irving, improving on his previous Olympic results includes winning two medals at Milan Cortina 2026.
Approaching his 50th World Championships start next weekend and overcoming multiple injuries since Beijing 2022 (he broke his hip shortly after the competition), he is thinking about his future in the sport and whether Milan-Cortina 2026 will be his last Olympics.
“This may be my last season. We don't know yet,” Iriving said.
“I want to go there and enjoy every stop, every event we go, and the people I’ve been doing this with for over a decade.”
Return to Livigno
But for Irving and his teammates, the main event is now just a few stops away.
However, this will not be their first experience at the Livigno Balloon and Tycoon Park.
At last season's World Cup final in March, which was double the Olympic Test Events in Aerial Gymnastics and MogulsIrving, Teno and Fontaine competed individually. Their results ranged from close to the podium to average results.
And yet, the real victory of the team was the opportunity to get acquainted with the mountain and its airfield.
“Knowing how the run-up goes, how much time you have before you jump, that’s a bonus to the games,” Fontaine said.
“Spending a few days jumping there was a huge accomplishment, and it takes away some of the surprise if you've never been there,” Irving added.
This is because in Livigno, unlike the Beijing facilities with its 10-metre wind walls and carefully maintained courses that provide almost the same jump every time, athletes are more exposed to the elements and the uncertainties that can arise.
“We have noticed that, especially in the afternoon, the wind tends to pick up,” Irving said.
For a skier, wind means a jolt in the air that can cost athletes vital points when landing in competition.
And given Livigno's location in the Italian Alps, daytime fog is another threat.
“You show up and it's a perfect day, but an hour later it gets really foggy,” Irving explained.
But knowing what the weather may bring, the trio are ready for any outcome in Livigno and for the Winter Olympics, which promise a return to form.
“It would be great to give a real Olympic experience to people who have just competed in the Beijing Games,” Irving said.
And for Teno, another hope is the promise of the most gender-balanced Games to date, with 47 percent of the athletes being women.
“I'm really excited about this very high level competition where women are showing off their biggest trick yet,” she said.
“And that's what I like about antennas. When everyone just sends them.”
