Sport Shorts: Shouldice, Gough, Nesbitt Make Their Marks
Triple Backflips: What a place to win a gold medal! Warren Shouldice delivered two enormous triple backflips to win gold in freestyle aerials at a World Cup in Calgary – the city where he grew up. The two-time Olympian said it was one of the best days of his life. “I had no idea it would be so special until it happened.” It is the 12th World Cup medal of his career and his second win.
In personal-bests, Montreal’s Jean-Christophe Andre was 4th, Remi Belanger (Mascouche, Que.) was 6th and Travis Gerrits (Milton, Ont.) was ninth. On the ladies side, Sabrina Guerin (Laval, Que.) was the top Canadian in 5th spot. Crystal Lee (Queensville, Ont.) finished a personal-best 8th.
Gough Makes More History: Already with a record three World Cup medals this season, luge star Alex Gough won bronze Saturday at the World Championships in Italy. It is the first-ever Canadian medal at this level. Doubles pair Tristan Walker and Justin Snith slid to a career-best 8th place finish.
Three Moguls Medals: Canadian men dominated the moguls event at the World Cup in Calgary. Up-and-coming talent Mikael Kingsbury won the gold medal and Olympic champion Alex Bilodeau took silver behind him. Kingsbury, 18, now sits comfortably in 2nd spot in the FIS World Cup standings. Rookie Simon Pouliot-Cavanagh (Quebec City) finished 5th. On the ladies side, Canada’s Audrey Robichaud won her second career medal, this one silver.
Nesbitt Still Perfect: Speed skater Christine Nesbitt’s spectacular season continued at a Moscow World Cup. The London, Ontario native won gold in 1,000 and 1,500 metres, two races she has yet to lose this season. That makes it a combined nine for nine in the two events. Denny Morrison (Fort St. John, B.C.) won two medals himself, a pair of silvers in the 1,000- and 1,500-metre races. Also in Moscow, the men’s pursuit team missed a bronze medal by two one-hundredths of a second.
Judo Gold: Olympic judoka Marylise Lévesque won the gold medal in 78 kg on Sunday, going undefeated at a World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. Lévesque is ranked 31st in the world and defeated world No. 23 Luise Malzahn of Germany to win gold. Teammate Myriam Lamarche nabbed bronze in the 63 kg event.
6th in Clubs: Mariam Chamilova (Maple, Ont.) was top Canadian at the rhythmic gymnastics World Cup in Montreal. In the European-dominated sport, the 17-year-old finished 6th in clubs, 7th in ball and 8th in hoop. She is the 2009 Canadian junior champion.
Rocking Skeleton’s Birthplace: Friday, Mellisa Hollingsworth won a silver medal in skeleton at a World Cup in the sport’s birthplace, St. Moritz SUI. For the 30-year-old from Eckville, Alta., it marks the 26th medal of her World Cup career. She is a two-time overall World Cup champion. All six Canadians made the top-10 in St. Moritz, including rookie Darla Deschamps finishing 4th for the second week in a row.
Bobsleigh Action: In bobsleigh at St. Moritz, all three two-man sleds cracked the top-5. Olympic champion duo Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse (Summerside, P.E.I.) were 4th, Helen Upperton (Calgary) and Shelley-Ann Brown (Pickering, Ont.) were 5th, and Lyndon Rush (Humboldt, Sask.) teamed with Edmonton’s Neville Wright to also finish 5th. The four-man crew finished 9th on Sunday.
