Elite snowboarder Liam Gill can now add modeling to his list of accomplishments.
That’s because Gill, a member of Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation in the Northwest Territories, was among the nine athletes who came together in Toronto on Nov. 18 to model the clothing Canadian athletes will wear at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Milano Cortina, a region in northern Italy, will host both Games next year.
During the Athlete Kit reveal held at lululemon’s flagship Toronto store, Gill was outfitted with the Canadian puffy winter green outfit, which all team members will wear at the Olympics’ closing ceremonies. Other athletes modeled the clothes for the opening ceremonies.
Athletes also have specific clothing to don when talking to media and, if they are fortunate enough to win a medal, when they make a podium appearance.
Gill was thrilled with the look of his outfit, which includes suspenders.
“You can wear it and not be too warm,” he said. “I think it’s great. I think it’s neat how they brought in this new colour. I know I was curious and I asked,” Gill said. “It’s inspired by the harsh weather in Canada and it’s kind of like a glacier green, which I think is pretty neat.”
All Canadian athletes that will compete will receive all of the clothes displayed during the kit reveal.
“I’m super glad with all the clothes,” Gill said.
But he was especially fond of the closing ceremony gear.
“Out of the wardrobe, if I were to dress myself, this is exactly what I’d wear,” he said. “So, I’m happy.”
Gill, who is 22, got his first taste of the Olympics at the 2022 Beijing Games. He placed 23rd in the men’s halfpipe competition.
Gill had originally been named as an alternate for the Canadian squad for Beijing. But mere days before the Games began he was added to the team when another athlete was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Gill has not received official word he will be participating at next year’s Games in Italy. The Canadian snowboard team is expected to name its roster of competing athletes shortly before the Games.
Gill likes his chances of once again representing his country.
“They’re good,” he said. “I’ve just got to do my thing and I’ll be there.”
Trying to determine which snowboard athletes from each country will participate in the Olympics is not an easy feat.
Criteria includes points athletes earn during various World Cup events from 2024 through next January, as well as the 2025 world championships.
“It’s super complicated,” Gill said of the qualifying process. “I tend not to pay too much attention to it. I just try and focus on my snowboarding.”
The pandemic was very much on everyone’s minds during the Beijing Games and various COVID restrictions were in place.
“Obviously, the Beijing Olympics was a different one,” Gill said. “I was chilling by myself a lot most of the time. So, hopefully, I can get more of the real experience.”
Other than participating in his own event, Gill didn’t have an opportunity to catch the action in any other sports.
“After my event, I was thinking of sticking around and watching some sports,” he said. “And I get to actually to do the opening ceremony this time, which I wasn’t able to at the last Games.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics begin Feb. 6 and continue to Feb. 22.
Gill will be rather busy before that as he’ll compete in five World Cup events.
Two of those events will be in Colorado. Others are in China, Switzerland and Gill’s hometown of Calgary.
“It’s going to be a really tight schedule,” he said.
But he was thrilled Canadian Olympic Committee officials selected him to be part of its Athlete Kit reveal.
“It was an honour,” he said. “The last Olympic cycle, I got called up pretty last minute. And it’s pretty nice this time around to be thought of … It means a lot. There are some special people here. So, it’s pretty cool to stand among them.”
If he is fortunate enough to compete at next year’s Olympics, Gill said he will be aiming for a finals appearance, earning a Top 12 finish in his halfpipe event.
“Finals is like the real deal,” he said. “That’s like, you know you’re playing the game. I just want to land my run really. I’m just more focused on that than the results.”
Gill is confident he can be a Games’ finalist.
“For sure,” he said. “I should be alright. If I just do what I do, I think I should be happy.”
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