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Green named three-time Olympian

Hay River's Brendan Green is excited to be once again selected to represent Canada in biathlon at next month's Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"It's always a great honour to represent Canada and the North," he said in an e-mail interview with The Hub.

Hay River's Brendan Green has been selected to compete in his third Winter Olympic Games. NNSL file photo

It will be his third Olympics, after having competed in Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.

Green said he knew after the qualification period ended on Jan. 14 following a World Cup race in Germany that he would be named to the team.

The members of the team were officially announced on Jan. 16 in Canmore, Alta.

When asked if there was ever any doubt that he would be named to the team, Green said it's a bit difficult to say.

"The qualification process is a little bit complicated, and there was always the chance for a change in the rank of athletes with each World Cup race," he explained. "Nothing was certain or guaranteed until the last race and the qualification time period had ended."

Green noted that each Olympics that he has participated in has come at a very different time in his career.

"It's been a long journey and I've been racing at a high level in this sport for far longer than I could have ever imagined," he said. "It's an honour to represent Canada and I am grateful for each opportunity that I have to race."

And he said he is extremely honoured to represent Hay River and the NWT at the Olympics.

"I am proud of where I came from, what I have achieved, and how I got to this point in my athletic career," he said. "The North will always be my home, and I am so grateful for the support. I can say with certainty that I would not have been able to accomplish any of this without the amazing support of the North behind me."

Green noted that each Olympics is always special.

"It's such an inspirational event," he said. "The Olympics unite the world in a way that I have never seen before. It's an opportunity for nations to put aside their differences, come together as one, and celebrate humanity through sport."

Green noted that the Olympics are the pinnacle of an athlete's career, and standing on the Olympic podium is every athlete's ultimate dream.

"I am still as motivated as ever each time I race, and my goals will be no different this time round," he said. "Ultimately my dream is to reach the Olympic podium – for the North and for Canada."

In order to do that, he said he needs to perform to his full potential.

"I will focus on what I can control to have the best races possible, and hopefully the end result will match my effort," he said. "If I can leave this Olympics knowing I gave it my absolute all and tried my hardest in every aspect of my racing and preparation, then I will be happy regardless of the outcome."

Green helped make Canadian biathlon history in 2016 by anchoring the 4×7.5-km relay team to bronze for the country's first-ever relay medal at the world championships.

In South Korea, he can potentially compete in six races, but that depends on how successful he is in his first few races. In Sochi, he raced in all six events, and this time he is hoping to race in at least four events.

Green will be attending the Olympics with his partner Rosanna Crawford, who is also a member of the biathlon team.

"Rosanna and I feel so lucky to be on this journey together," he said. "We both understand the dedication and time it takes to be an elite-level athlete, and being able to share in each other's success, and support each other in our failures, I think is really unique and special. Going to our third Olympics together and representing Canada is something we are very proud of and thankful for."

Crawford is also looking forward to the Olympics.

"I'm extremely proud to be able to represent Canada at my third Olympics," she said in a news release from Biathlon Canada. "The team has had a great season so far and I'm looking forward to carrying this momentum into the Olympics."

Five men and five women were named to the biathlon team, which will challenge the 24-year Canadian biathlon medal drought at the Winter Olympics.

People in Hay River are happy Green has again made the Olympic team.

"There's no doubt that our town is 100 per cent behind the young man," said Mayor Brad Mapes. "He's a great example for our community on what work will get you."

Mapes said community residents will be glued to their televisions next month to watch the 31-year-old Green compete.

Chuck Lirette, a former biathlon coach and now a biathlon organizer with the 2018 South Slave Arctic Winter Games, noted Green is a role model for young biathletes in Hay River.

"I know every single one of them looks up to Brendan tremendously," Lirette said. "He's their icon."