CALGARY, Canada (AFP) - Alpine Canada named new coaches for their men's and women's World Cup ski program here Friday with an ambitious goal of producing three podium finishers at next year's world championships in France.

Dusan Grasic, director of Canada's Apline ski team since 2006, is returning to coach the men's technical team, the job he held from 2003 to 2006, while Mark Sharp and Jim Pollock will return to the women's team.

"The changes are intended to get us a step closer to our goal of being a world leader in ski racing," Alpine Canada chief executive Ken Read said in announcing the world championship treble podium quest.

"Canada is intently focused on improving on last season's 10 World Cup podium performance."

Canadians won three World Cup races last season, the nation's most since the 1993-1994 season.

Pollock will guide the technical racers, a post he had held for eight years earlier, after two seasons with the US women's team. Sharp will leave his post as development director to work with the women's squad.

Patrick Riml, who guided the US women to world and Olympic titles, was named manager for Canada's women's team last month.

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