A snowboarder with deep ties to the Bristol Bay region will miss out on a return trip to the Olympics. Girdwood’s Callan Chythlook-Sifsof had hoped to make the U.S. snowboardcross team but when the team was announced on Saturday she was left off. Chythlook-Sifsof is now 24-years old and she grew up in Aleknagik and Dillingham before moving with her mother to Girdwood to be closer to the Aleyeska Resort. She was in the running for one of the 3 spots on the women’s snowboardcross team but was edged out by 2 snowboarders from Vermont and a snowboarder from Utah. Chythlook-Sifsof was hoping for a return trip to the Olympics. She made the snowboard cross team in 2010 and became the first Alaska Native to compete in the Olympic Winter Games. Via Facebook, Chythlook-Sifsof issued a statement about missing the Olympics.
“Thank you to everyone for the unbelievable support and encouragement throughout this Olympic season. Through two consecutive seasons of injury and recovery, it has been one of the toughest seasons yet. I am thankful for the opportunity to be in Olympic consideration and although I did not make the 2014 Olympic Team, I am so proud to have given it my all and put my best on the line. Looking forward to cheering on my teammates in Sochi!”
Chythlook-Sifsof suffered a season ending knee injury in February of last year and she battled other injuries this season. While Chythlook Sifsof will miss the Olympics, she was able to compete in the just completed X-Games in Aspen. She placed 10 in the women’s snowboardcross competition. The members of the snowboard cross team that will head to the Olympics were selected based on their World Cut results and Chythlook-Sifsof had finishes of 15th, 19th, 23rd, and 24th. There are 4 members of the men’s snowboardcross team. 2 of the riders are from California, 1 is from Vermont and the final rider is from Maine. The head coach of the Olympic Snowboardcross team is Peter Foley who said the U.S. will have a strong team with a mix of seasoned veterans plus some new athletes who are riding very fast.