 Ski Jasper Alberta News
Canadian Champions Crowned at Pontiac GMC Race
Sunshine and blue skies, along with a bone-chilling wind, were the backdrop
for the March 22nd Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships race action at Le
Massif and Mont Ste-Anne, Québec.
In the final race at Le Massif’s La Charlevoix course, Fernie’s
Emily Brydon earned her second national title of this year’s Championships,
winning the women’s Super G in one minute, 15.34 seconds.
“I’m really glad they held the race. It was really important
for me to ski well and win the downhill and Super G titles to end the
season on a good note,” said 23-year-old Brydon of the women’s
Super G, which was postponed on Sunday because of visibility. Fresh snow
that fell overnight caused a delay, but the race did finally get off around
noon. “The volunteers did a really good job. It was a bit rough
in sections, but it was probably the best conditions they could’ve
been.”
World Cup Super G gold-medallist Geneviève Simard of Val-Morin,
Québec, finished second, but the race was very much a victory of
sorts for her. The 23-year-old racer crashed in the Super G two days after
her World Cup victory at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in January, and
has been working towards getting back into a race mentality that allows
her to attack like she did in Cortina.
“I’m really happy with how I skied today. This was the best
I skied all week. I attacked the course, and my attitude was much closer
to what it was in Cortina where I went full-gas. I had a good feeling
in my stomach - it was a nice way to end my Super G season,” said
Simard from the finish.
Finishing third for her best result this Championships was Montreal’s
Sophie Splawinski. The teen, who recorded her career-best World Cup results
of 14th and 12th in Sweden last month, tore down La Charlevoix in 1:16.12
for bronze and a junior gold.
Over at Mont-Sainte-Anne, the men’s giant slalom kicked off the
technical events on the resort’s La Beauregard. Jean-Philippe Roy
of Sainte-Flavie, Québec, had a fabulous first run, allowing him
to hold on to become the 2004 men’s Canadian Giant Slalom Champion.
“I’m really happy to be this year’s champion. I had
a difficult season, having to overcome start numbers from the back because
of my injury last year. It’s been frustrating, because I’ve
been skiing as fast as Thomas and the rest of the guys, but unable to
make it happen with the late starts,” said Roy, who missed most
of last year’s race action because of an early-season forearm bone
fracture. “Today’s win is really important for my rankings
as I look to next season.”
Thomas Grandi, who grew up in Banff and now lives in Canmore with his
wife Sara Renner of the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team, was second in
the first run, and despite laying down the fastest time in the second
run, was unable to catch teammate Roy to defend his national title.
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