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Freestyle Season ends in Fitting Fashion
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Steve Omischl with the FIS
Crystal Globe for the overall leader of the FIS Freestyle
World Cup |
Vancouver, BC; March 27, 2008 – The 2007/2008 freestyle
skiing season came to an end on Sunday, March 23rd as the
final dual moguls pair crossed the finish line at the Canada
Post Freestyle National Championships at Ski Mont Gabriel
in a virtual dead heat.
In an exciting final, Rosemère, Quebec’s Alex
Bilodeau squeaked out a narrow victory over 2007 World Champion
Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau with an incredible display of speed,
turns and jumps. It was a fitting end to a very good season
for the Canadian team as they prepare for the 2009 World Championships
in Japan and, of course, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
There were highlights in all disciplines, from the elite
to the grassroots:
FIS World Cup:
Steve Omischl from Kelowna, BC (and North Bay, ON) dominated
the FIS Aerials World Cup winning six of nine competitions
– and winning the FIS World Cup title for aerials AND
the FIS Overall World Cup title for freestyle.
Sixteen-year-old Chloé Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal
was named Female Rookie of the Year for her breakout year
on the FIS mogul circuit.
Squamish, BC resident Sarah Burke and Calgary’s Matthew
Hayward both won the FIS World Cup title in Half-pipe.
Vincent Marquis from Quebec City was third in the race for
the FIS World Cup title in men’s moguls (with Alex Bilodeau
fourth and 2007 World Champion P-A Rousseau seventh).
2007 World Moguls Champion Kristi Richards from Summerland,
BC was fourth on the women’s side.
In all, the Canadian team won 25 World Cup medals in moguls
and aerials; 9 in Half-pipe; and another 6 in Ski Cross. The
Canadian team won the Nations Cup for the fifth time in six
years.
FIS NorAm:
There were impressive performances in all disciplines at
the NorAm level as well, as Canadian development team skiers
and provincial Half-pipe skiers showed that there is increasing
depth to the program:
35 medals in moguls and aerials; 13 in half-pipe.
Megan Gunning and Noah Bowman of Calgary winning the overall
titles in Half-pipe with Megan winning three of four competitions.
Nicole Mulder from Winnipeg coming second overall in women’s
aerials after being forced to miss the last NorAm of the season.
And Olivier Rochon, Sean Butler and Rémi Bélanger
finishing 1-2-3 in men’s aerials showing that the Jump
2010 program has really started to pay off.
2008 National champions are:
| Women’s Moguls |
Kristi Richards |
| Men’s Moguls |
Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau |
| Women’s Aerials |
Amber Peterson |
| Men’s Aerials |
Steve Omischl |
| Women’s Dual Moguls |
Audrey Robichaud |
| Men’s Dual Moguls |
Alex Bilodeau |
| Women’s Half-pipe |
Megan Gunning |
| Men’s Half-pipe |
Andrew Taylor |
2008 Junior National champions:
| Women’s Moguls |
Marina Torreblanca-Alarie |
| Men’s Moguls |
Dean Kappler |
| Women’s Aerials |
Gillian McIver |
| Men’s Aerials |
Sandy Boville |
| Women’s Dual Moguls |
Kylie Sivell |
| Men’s Dual Moguls |
Nicholas Leboe |
| Canada Post Athlete of the Year |
Steve Omischl |
| Canada Post Rookie of the Year |
Chloe Dufour-Lapointe |
Congratulations to all and thank-you to all the volunteers,
parents, officials and coaches; and to our host resorts and
sponsors, that make it all possible.
posted March 27, 2008
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