OLYMPICS: Canada breaks new ground with women outnumbering men on team for Milano Cortina

Canada will send 207 athletes to the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, marking the first time in Winter Games history that women will outnumber men on the national team.

The Canadian Olympic Committee announced Thursday that the team includes 108 athletes competing in women’s events, compared with 99 in men’s events.

The roster features four sets of siblings and eight children of former Olympians, adding compelling family storylines that will unfold during the February 6-22 Games.

Among Team Canada’s athletes, 109 are Olympic rookies eager to make their debut, while 47 are seasoned Olympians looking to add to their medal collections. The team spans generations, from 18-year-old snowboarder Eli Bouchard, the youngest member, to 44-year-old curler Marc Kennedy, the oldest.

"At the Olympic Games, the world doesn’t just see what athletes can do, it sees what a country is made of," said Jennifer Heil, 2006 Olympic moguls champion and Team Canada’s Chef de Mission, in a press release. "This Canadian team brings heart and pride, grounded in respect."

-Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon/Reuters