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23TuesdayMarch252014SportsRecreationArcticWinterGamesSportsRecreationArcticWinterGamesByMARIACHURCHTeamAlbertaNorthmayhavesentarelativelysmalldelegationofathletestotheArcticWinterGamesinFairbanksAlaskalastweekbutneverthelesscameoutthetopCana-dianteam.AlbertaNorthbroughthomeawhopping125med-alsthisyearwith42gold49silverand34bronze.Some118athletesrepre-sentedTeamAlbertaNorththisyearasmallnumberconsideringTeamsNWTandAlaskasent271and284athletesrespectively.JerryGeorgechefdemissionforTeamAlbertaNorthsaidtheteamsstrengthgenerallyliesinalpineskiingsnowboard-ingfigureskatingandspeedskatingandthisyearseveralathletesbroughthomemultiplemedalsinthoseevents.AveryNairnfromGrandePrairiewongoldinbothsla-lomandgiantslalomCar-sonKinshellafromPeaceRivertookgoldmedalsintwospeedskatingeventsandGrandePrairiesReganBergandJackMacDou-gallbothwonthreegoldsinseparatesnowboardingevents.AlbertaNorthteamdeliversgoldperformanceatAWGsAlaskaandYukonaretypicallynorthernAlbertasbiggestcompetitorsattheAWGbothofwhomsendlargeteamstothegamesbutthisyearTeamAlbertaNorthcameinthirdfollow-ingAlaskaandthesmallbutpowerfulTeamYamalfromRussia.AlbertaNorthhostedtheAWGsin2010inGrandePrairieandGeorgesaidtheresalwaysahometeamadvantagewhichmightex-plainAlaskasmedalcountwhichwas56higherthantherunnerup.Theressomegreatfacili-tiesherebuttherearealwayscertainlysomeadvantagestoknowingthecoursesandforsureIthinkthereisalittlebitofthatthisyearhesaid.GeorgesaidtheAWGsaresometimesdubbedthefriendlygamessincetheathletesgener-allyhavenothingbutgoodwillfortheirinternationalcompe-tition.EachyeartheAWGIn-ternationalCommitteepresentstheHodgsonTrophytotheteamexemplifyingfairplayandteamspirit.ThisyearthetrophywasawardedtoGreenland.Thebigawardattheclos-ingceremonyisntaboutwhichteamwonthemostgolditsreallyabouttheteamidenti-edasshowingthemostteam-workandsportsmanshipandIthinkyoudoseethatalotmoreherewithathleteshelp-ingeachotherouthesaid.ThelevelofsportsmanshipisevenmoreapparentintheArcticsportsandDenegameseventswherethestrongathletesseemtobemorefocusedonshowingthelessexperiencedplayerspropertechniqueandculturalfundamentalsoftheirsportGeorgesaid.AlbertaNorthsjuniorfe-maleDenehandgamesteamcameinsilverandjuvenilefemalecameinbronze.FormanyoftheAlbertaNorthathletesmanyofwhomarefromremoteisolatedcom-munitiesthegamesareaonceinalifetimeopportunitytoexperienceaninternationalsportscompetitionandtheirenthusiasmreectsasmuchGeorgesaid.TheArcticGamesisthehighlightformanyoftheseathletes.Itslikelytheoneandonlytimetheywillgetachancetocompeteinaninternationalmulti-sporteventlikethishesaid.Oftenthisisareallybiggoalforthemwhentheyaregrowingupintheircommuni-tiesandplayingtheirsports.TheArcticGamesisthehighlightformanyoftheseathletes.Itslikelytheoneandonlytimetheywillgetachancetocompeteinaninternationalmulti-sporteventlikethis.JerryGeorgeTeamAlbertaNorthPhotoTeamAlbertaTeamAlbertaNorthsentoneofthesmallerdelegationsofathletesbutstillmanagedtocomeinthirdplaceattheArcticWinterGamesinFairbanksAlaska.ByMARIACHURCHSpeedskatingArcticsportsDenegamesanddogmushingaresomeoftheNWTsstrongestsportsiftheArcticWinterGamesareanyindicationandforthelattertwoitsawelcomesurprise.LastweekinFairbanksAlaskaTeamNWTtookthemostgoldsilverandbronzemedalsinthefoursportsandwhilethecoachesandstaffwereexpectingastrongshowinginspeedskatingandArcticsportstheDenegamesanddogmushingresultshaveleftthemsur-prisedanddelightedsaidTeamNWTsAWGchefdemissionDougRentmeister.WerereallyproudofalotoftraditionalsportsthatweareshowingmedalsintherethatwenormallydidntplacewellinhetoldTheJournallastFriday.Whatweareseeingisarealblendofallthesports.Weareseeingsomekidscomingthroughwithshin-ingcoloursandweareex-ceptionallyproudofallofTeamNWTdominatesintraditionalsportsatAWGSocialmediakeepshomecrowduptodateonathletesthekidsandwhattheyaredoinghereatthesegamesRentmeistersaid.TopNWTmedalistVe-ronicaMcDonaldfromFortSmithparticipatinginherfifthAWGsonceagaindominatedintheArcticsporteventsbywinningfivemedalstwogoldinthetwo-foothighkickandtriplejumptwosilverinkneeljumpandarmpullandonebronzeintheAlas-kanhighkick.FortSmithsRyanTourangeauafirst-timeAWGathletewasnamedthetopmalecompetitorintheDenegamesandmedaledinthreeevents.Hetookhomethegolduluforover-allindividualDenegameschampion.SnowshoerandbiathleteJaredBlaketherstath-leteonTeamAWGfromTsiigehtchicandthisyearsagbearerattheopeningceremoniesalsostoodoutduringthegamesinhiseventscomingascloseasfourth.DogmushingbroughtTeamNWTseveralmedalsthisyearwithYellowknifesTaylorBeckwinningasilverandtwobronzeFortSmithsBrandonTuckeybringinghomeagoldandabronzeandZackCamp-bellagoldandsilver.DominiqueBennettandLaurenEggenbergerbothjuniorspeedskatersfromYel-lowknifeeachrakedinvegoldmedalsintheirsportwhileDaphnCloutiertooktwogoldsinjuvenilespeedskating.TeamNWTwrestlersalsosawremarkableresultsandbroughthome10medalsfortheterritory.RentmeistersaidtheNWTshouldbeproudofall271ofitsyoungathleteswhowereenthusiasticandwell-behavedthroughoutthegames.Henotedthatthisyearlikelysawthelargestnum-berofNWTparentsattendthegamesthanksinparttoaprivatecharterforparentsorganizedbyHayRivermotherLouiseSchumann.Whenyoureseeingyourparentsupinthestandssup-portingandyellingforyouthatsahugehugesupportRentmeistersaid.SocialmediakepthomeconnectedSocialmediasitesFace-bookandTwitterwereabuzzwithAWGactivityoverthecourseofthegameswithmanyteamspostingofcialupdatesandathletesthem-selveskeepingfollowersathomeapprisedoftheirac-tivitiesinFairbanks.Rentmeistercalledsocialmediaakeypieceofthegamesthisyearinthatitallowedfansbackhometoshowconstantsupportfortheathletes.Itallowsthekidstobeconnectedwithpeopleathomethosethatcouldntmakethetrip.Theycanconnectwiththemonhowwelltheyaredoingandsharingthedaytodaystuffhesaid.PhotoPrestonDosedelTeamNWTsKennyDanielKennyfromDelinecompetesinthesnowsnakeeventatthisyearsArcticWinterGamesinFairbanksAlaska.