High winds forced the cancellation of today’s ladies super combined in Crans Montana, SUI delaying what was supposed to be the resumption of World Cup alpine ski racing following the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) said the race jury unanimously decided to cancel the race, adding that it would not be replaced.
The decision likely means American Lindsey Vonn wins the overall Crystal Globe in the SC with 160 points in two races, just 10 more than Sweden’s Anja Paerson. Austria’s Michaela Kirchgasser will finish third while Emily Brydon’s 47 points is good enough for 10th spot.
FIS has indicated that there is no minimum number of races that must be held in a season for an event globe to be awarded. The FIS Council is expected to meet next week at the World Cup Finals in Garmisch Partenkirchen, GER to confirm the SC standings.
If the standings are confirmed next week by the FIS it will mean Brydon has secured use of a GMC vehicle for a year. The GMC promotion, now in its eighth year, provides a vehicle to any Canadian athlete who finishes in the top 10 in the standings in any World Cup discipline, wins a World Cup race or podiums in any Olympic or World Championship competition.
Brydon last qualified for this unique incentive after winning a super-G in the 2007-08 season in St. Moritz.
The remaining schedule in Crans Montana calls for a downhill on Saturday followed by a super-G on Sunday.
“Unfortunately they had to cancel this one,” said ladies team manager Patrick Riml. He said it was a disappointment particularly for Shona Rubens (Canmore, AB), who finished 10th in the last World Cup SC in St. Moritz, her best career World Cup result.
“The last super combined in the World Cup Shona did pretty well. She had a top 10 result so today’s cancellation is a little unfortunate for her for sure,” Riml said.
Emily Brydon of Fernie, BC and Britt Janyk were also scheduled to compete in today’s race, although Janyk would not have run the slalom, using it as another opportunity to run the downhill prior to this weekend’s speed races.
“She’s done a good job,” said Riml about Janyk, who has finished in sixth and eighth place in this week’s downhill training. “She definitely has a couple things to clean up and if she does that she’ll be right in there. She’s focused and is skiing really well.”
Riml said the Crans Montana piste is quite technical, with the surface hardening each day after being a little soft earlier in the week. He remained positive about the downhill and super-G races scheduled for the weekend.
On the men’s side, it was another strong training run for Erik Guay (Mont-Tremblant, QC). Guay finished second in today’s training, beaten only by Switzerland’s Didier Cuche, who had the top time for the second straight day. Guay also finished third in yesterday’s training.
It has not been as good a week for Robbie Dixon (Whistler, BC) and Louis-Pierre Hélie (Berthierville, QC). Dixon crashed in training yesterday and was held out of today’s training run. ACA medical staff confirmed Dixon suffered a concussion and will not participate in racing this weekend in Kvitfjell. Hélie crashed in training today and has also been diagnosed with a concussion.
It will be a huge week and a half for ski racing on television with action available on CBC, Radio-Canada and Rogers Sportsnet in the next 10 days.
Rightsholder broadcaster CBC is dedicating more than 14 hours this weekend and another nine hours next week on its various platforms. It all starts with tomorrow’s downhill races in Kvitfjell and Crans Montana both being carried live on www.cbcsports.ca as well as CBC cable channel bold.
The GMC Alpine Ski Series on CBC picks up the action at 2 p.m. ET with the ladies downhill followed by the men at 4:30 p.m. ET.
