(Zhangjiakou ) Jared and Hannah Schmidt are at their first Olympics and they still struggle to realize they’re there together, brother and sister. In all, five siblings participate in the Games.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
“The Games are such a unique experience. It’s just really cool to have Hannah with me here,” said Jared, after his ski cross training at Genting Snow Park. A few meters further, her older sister descends the track, surrounded by the other girls of the Canadian team.
Hannah, 27, and Jared, 24, ski together, train together and travel together. Since joining the national ski cross team, they also moved in together in Calgary, in a house with two other roommates.
The brothers get along very well. “We have our fights from time to time like everyone else, but otherwise we get along really well,” says Hannah, who currently occupies the 10and World Cup rank in ski cross. Jared is 32and.
“It may sound weird, but we see each other more often when we’re at home than when we’re on the road. When traveling, Jared trains with the guys and I’m more with the girls,” says Hannah, on the eve of her test.
“When we’re on the road, it allows me to have a break from Jared,” laughs the skier who likes to tease her brother. “No, no kidding, we get along really well. We share the same sport and the same inspirations. »
PHOTO MATIC KLANSEK, GEPA PICTURES
Jared Schmidt
Apart from Hannah and Jared, eight other athletes have a sibling who competes in the Olympics. This is the case for Chloé and Justine Dufour-Lapointe in moguls, Scott and Christian Gow in biathlon, Cassie (halfpipe) and Darcy Sharpe (acrobatic downhill and high jump) as well as Marielle (ski cross) and Broderick Thompson (alpine skiing).
Tremblant athletes
The Schmidt children were born in Ottawa, but grew up on the slopes (and in the glades) of Mont Tremblant, where their father coaches. As soon as their schedule allows it, they like to go back to basics.
Hannah and Jared happened to be spending the holidays at their parents’ cottage in Mont-Tremblant. They made a gingerbread house, they snowshoeed, slid and skied. They enjoyed family time, especially since they couldn’t get together for Christmas 2020 due to COVID-19.
“It was really fun because on the mountain I saw loads of friends that I competed with and also saw their families,” says Hannah under the bright sun, but the polar cold of Zhangjiakou.
The Schmidts have long competed in downhill skiing, but Jared tells anyone who will listen: he was never one of the best. Brittany Phelan, another athlete who skis at Tremblant, once suggested that she try ski cross. He fell in love with sports.
In turn, he convinced his sister to convert to the discipline as soon as she finished her studies in criminology. A few years later, they find themselves together – with Brittany Phelan too – at the Beijing Olympics.
A competitive duo
Hannah and Jared arrived in Zhangjiakou a week ago. Since then, they have been training and enjoying every moment.
“It’s really fun to meet other Canadian athletes that you never normally meet. See you in the athletes’ lounge or in the cafeteria. You also meet a lot of people from other countries,” says Jared, visibly happy with his Olympic experience. His test will take place on Friday morning in Quebec.
The ski cross athletes also descended the track of the Genting snow park last November as part of a World Cup. Hannah had arrived 14andJared, 39and.
“This trail is good,” Hannah said, pointing to the mountain with her ski pole. It’s nothing really crazy, there are no giant jumps. In fact, there are several jumps, but they are not so scary. On the other hand, it is a track that is very long. It takes 1 mi 15 s to 1 min 20 s to descend it. It is therefore quite tiring for the legs. »
Jared and Hannah both describe themselves as very competitive people. “When we play board games, cards or play sports together, we always want to win. We are very competitive,” says Jared.
But during their respective events, there will be no competition. The brother and sister assure that they will encourage each other as much as possible.