Sport Shorts: A Wild, Wild Weekend
We are the Champions: Kelsey Serwa and Chris Del Bosco are both world champions in ski cross, which made its Olympic debut in Vancouver. After enduring four hours of daily physiotherapy in order to compete with a bruised tailbone, sprained thumb and injured ribs, Serwa persevered and continued her great season by winning gold. Her teammate Julia Murray flew down the hill behind her, and snatched silver. On the men’s side, Chris Del Bosco beat the field and won the gold medal.
Warren World Champion Shouldice: Aerialist Warren Shouldice leapt from 7th to 1st thanks to a perfect score on his signature lay, triple full-full jump to claim gold at the World Championships. “Even in my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined putting down a second jump like that…” Shouldice said.
Glorious Moguls: In the moguls at the World Championships in Park City, Utah, Canadian skiers proved their determination by winning four medals in frosty -20 degree temperatures. Olympic champion Alex Bilodeau won silver with 18-year-old Mikael Kingsbury claiming bronze behind him. Kristi Richards also won bronze – following Jennifer Heil, who captured gold. Three days later, veterans Heil and Bilodeau won gold medals in the dual moguls event. They both managed to fend off teammates, Chloe Dufour-Lapointe and Kingsbury, who won silver medals. Said Dufour-Lapointe: “I can’t really believe it, I am so proud of myself and so honored to be able to ski against my hero, Jenn Heil,” she said.
Heil Completes Checklist: Jenn Heil won her first singles moguls world title, making her the first mogul skier to win this impressive array of freestyle titles: Olympic champion, world champion single moguls, world champion dual moguls, World Cup moguls champion, World Cup overall freestyle champion as well as Rookie of the Year so long ago. “I just tried to focus on coming out here and skiing. I love to ski and knowing it was one of my last runs this year I just tried to ski with all my heart,” she said.
Elsewhere at the Freestyle Worlds: Canada showed prowess in freestyle events looking for inclusion in future Olympic Winter Games. Rosalind Groenewoud and Mike Riddle won gold medals in ski halfpipe at the World Championships while Keltie Hansen added bronze. In the slopestyle event, Kaya Turski won silver on the women’s side.
Prefontaine Nails Ninth: Alpine racer Marie-Pier Prefontaine finished a career-high 9th at a World Cup giant slalom race in Germany. The World Championships that begin this week.
Robynne World Junior Champion Thompson: Robynne Thompson won gold at the World Junior Skeleton Championships over the weekend. She is the 2nd Canadian ever to accomplish this feat. What’s more: it guarantees her a slot at the senior World Championships later this month.
A First For Darla: Rising skeleton athlete Darla Deschamps won the first medal of her career, a bronze at a World Cup stop in Italy. She credited her veteran teammates – including fiancée Jon Montgomery – for helping to propel her onto the podium so early in her career.
A First For Brown: Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown won their final race of the year, taking home gold in bobsleigh at a World Cup on Saturday. It is Brown’s first-ever World Cup gold medal. Teammates Kaille Humphries and Heather Moyse finished 5th. On the men’s side, Lyndon Rush piloted the Canada 1 four-man bobsleigh to a bronze medal at the World Cup on Sunday. He teamed with Justin Wilkinson, Cody Sorensen and Neville Wright.
