Jean-Sebastien Labrie appointed head coach of para-alpine ski team

CALGARY – Jean-Sebastien Labrie was named head coach of the Canadian Para-Alpine ski team Friday.

The native of Plessisville, Que., was with the para-alpine team during the 2006-07 season as World Cup coach before serving as the program’s head coach from 2007 through the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games.

He has since been with Alpine Canada’s women’s team as the prospect head coach.

Under Labrie’s direction, the para-alpine team won 13 of Canada’s 19 medals at the 2010 Paralympics.

“I missed the great team staff, but one of the reasons I came back is that I’m looking forward to working with some of the athletes who I worked with leading to the 2010 Paralympics,” Labrie said in a statement. “Preparing a team for the Games is an awesome and unique opportunity that I missed and that I’m looking forward to again.”

The role of the para-alpine program head coach was eliminated after Labrie’s departure in 2010. From 2010 to 2012 the program had been split into a World Cup team and Continental Cup squad. This season, the groups will again compete in one World Cup program.

Labrie joins the staff of para-alpine World Cup coaches that includes Sven Pouliot, Jocelyn Huot and Lasse Ericsson. Former Continental Cup head coach Sebastien Michel, who has been with the team since 2006, will leave to pursue other interests and continue working with the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance.