Area sends 50 to the Alberta Winter Games

A huge contingent of Medicine Hat-and-area athletes are heading north today for the Alberta Winter Games.

In all, 50 are listed from the Hat and nearby communities on the Games’ website. Fort McMurray is this year’s host, expecting as many as 2,000 competitors in 22 sports this weekend.

Starting with Friday’s opening ceremonies and going through until Monday, the developmental multi-sport games are in the region for the first time since 1992. They were most recently hosted by Medicine Hat in 2016.

Ringette and wrestling are the biggest sports for participation by local athletes at the Winter Games. The Zone 1 team is almost entirely from Medicine Hat, with 16 athletes and two coaches hailing from either the Hat or Schuler.

There are 10 wrestlers on the Zone 1 roster from the Gas City, six fencers, five volleyball players, four hockey players, three judokas and two in snowboarding. Speedskating and badminton round out the sports with Hat-andarea representation.

Eight athletes are Alberta Winter Games veterans, having also been on the roster for the 2016 edition. Fencers Madalena Caparini, Brandon Dintheer, Emily Warwick and Michael Woods are all back for another go, along with snowboarder Jasmine Acton, judo’s Kayen Ivey, speedskater Ethan Jacobson and ringette player Kennedy Lanigan.