Canadian team finishes Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup in third place overall

WHISTLER, BC (April 6th, 2008 - ALPINE CANADA ALPIN) – Craigleith Ski Club’s Morgan Megarry (Collingwood, ON) finished third, just 0.01s out of second place, to pick up one of two podiums for Canadian ski racers on the day as the Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup wrapped up in Whistler, B.C.

Megarry finished the Men’s K2 one-run giant slalom in a time of 56.45 seconds.

“It was my plan to just go full out today. I wasn’t happy yesterday because I didn’t finish the first run of the slalom and I wasn’t super happy with my super G either,” said Megarry, who finished 12th in Friday’s super G race.

”The time trials earlier this week showed that GS could be my best event. I knew I could win today if I skied my best. I didn’t win but I’m on the podium so I’m happy,” added Megarry, who was also crowned the Canadian Men’s K2 slalom champion last month.

The first two spots on the podium in today’s GS race for 13 and 14-year-old’s were identical to yesterday’s slalom, with Austrian Christian Juffinger winning by more than a second followed by teammate Paul Zimmerman.

ONTARIO’S KUUS ON MEN’S K1 PODIUM
Karl Kuus (Toronto, ON), from the Georgian Peaks Club, finished third today in the Men’s K1 slalom, finishing with a two-run combined time of 1:01.43. Kuus, who was actually leading after the first run, was admittedly disappointed with the result.

“I made a big mistake and it just wasn’t a very good run for me but I kept on pushing,” said Kuus about his second run. “My first run was just generally better and it’s a good result overall but I know it could have been a better day.”

American Hughston Norton finished in top spot in the event for 11 and 12-year-old ski racers thanks to the fastest second run, finishing in 1:00.62 with Slovakian Roman Murin in second.

USA’S SHIFFRIN COMPLETES SWEEP
No one had a better Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup than American Mikaela Shiffrin, who completed the sweep today, winning the Ladies K1 slalom in a two-run combined time of 1:02.29 to win by over three seconds.

“This is a huge accomplishment because I know that there are some very talented competitors here. I just tried to ski my best and go for it,” said Shiffrin, a Burke Mountain Academy ski racer from Lyme, NH who won all three racers she entered in during the Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup.

“My long term goal is to make the US World Cup team, that’s what I’m shooting for but right now I’m just having fun. In the start gate I’m focused and prepared but the most important thing to me right now is that ski racing is fun for me,” Shiffrin added.

Petra Vlhova of Slovakia was second followed by Russian Ekaterina Tkachenko in third. Roni Remme (Palgrave, ON) was the top Canadian, finishing in fifth.

CHISHOLM FIFTH IN LADIES K2 GS
Gillian Chisholm (Toronto, ON) was the fastest Canadian in the Ladies K2 one-run giant slalom finishing fifth despite completing her run in a way that did exactly go as planned.

“I’m actually surprised that I was fifth. The fog was so thick and I was trying to carry my speed the best that I could through the final pitch but I got in my tuck a little too early and I was heading straight for a gate. My ski got caught in a rut and I crashed pretty hard.  Apparently I came across the finish line backwards and in the air but I didn’t miss a gate,” said Chisholm, a member of the Georgian Peaks Club.

“I wanted to be top 5 today so I guess it worked out. We had really good training here in Whistler before the races and I think it really helped all of us a lot,” added Chisholm.

Austria’s Lisa Reis won the Ladies K2 GS in a time of 51.91 with Valentina Volopichova of the Czech Republic in second and Christina Goessner third.

TEAM CANADA FINISHES THIRD
Team Canada finished the Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup in third place overall with 209 points. The United States won the title this year with 271 points with Austria placing second with 218.

Chisholm (K2) and Remi (K1) picked up the Nancy Greene Award, which is given out to the best overall Canadian female skiers while Ford Swette (North Vancouver, BC) (K2) and Ëdouard Dumas-Longpré (Sherbrooke, QC) (K1) picked up the Dave Murray Award for best overall Canadian male racers during the event.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS:
WHISTLER, BC – APRIL 6TH, 2008 – MEN’S – K2 GS

WHISTLER, BC – APRIL 6TH, 2008 – MEN’S – K1 SL

WHISTLER, BC – APRIL 6TH, 2008 – LADIES – K1 SL

WHISTLER, BC – APRIL 6TH, 2008 – LADIES – K2 GS

WHISTLER, BC - TEAM STANDINGS

COMPLETE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: http://canski.live-timing.org/

ABOUT THE 2008 SIERRA WIRELESS WHISTLER CUP
Hosted by the Whistler Mountain Ski Club (www.wmsc.info), the Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup is the only international ski racing event for 11 to 14 year olds in North America. World Cup champions to have participated in the Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup include Canadians Erik Guay, Britt Janyk and Emily Brydon as well as Austria’s Benjamin Raich, Slovenian Tina Maze and Anja Paerson of Sweden.

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