Erik Guay (Mont-Tremblant, QC) narrowly missed becoming the first Canadian male to be on a World Cup podium in Whistler, BC since Rob Boyd’s dramatic downhill win in 1989, finishing in a tie for fourth in today’s TELUS Whistler Super-G.
Guay powered down the Dave Murray Downhill course in a time of one minute 26.89 seconds, to miss the podium by just 0.18s as ski racing returned to Whistler for the first time since 1995.
“I’ve been there before and the last couple times I haven’t been too affected by it but I’m getting a little tired of finishing fourth place,” said Guay, who has two fifth place finishes this season in the super G. “It was meant to be I guess.”
“On this particular race I know exactly where I lost it. I was a little too round in the middle, I could feel it. I was able to make the correction and get back on line and ski aggressively towards the bottom but it was already too late by then,” said Guay, a 26-year-old World Cup downhill champion.
“To win a World Cup you’ve got to be perfect from start to finish,” he added.
Austria’s Christoph Gruber was nearly perfect from start to finish, winning in a time of 1:26.60. His teammate, and in fact his roommate, Hannes Reichelt placed second just 0.03s back with Slovenian Ales Gorza finishing third to earn his first World Cup podium in 95 career starts.
It was a very successful day for Canadians with four in the top 15, including François Bourque (New Richmond, QC) who was 13th
“There are only three spots on the podium and everything needs to be right to be there,” Bourque said. “When you’re on [the podium] everything is fine but when you’re not you have to find the little things that are missing to get on (the podium).”
Robbie Dixon (Whistler, BC) had the second best World Cup result of his career, finishing 14th on his home ski hill. World Cup super G champion John Kucera (Calgary, AB) followed closely behind in 15th with Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Vancouver, BC) a SG career-best 21st.
“The team has been doing really well this year. They’re having consistent top 10, top 15 results and I know that our main goal is to be on the podium, so it is a disappointment obviously. You’re on your home hill and you want to be in the top 3,” said Dixon, who came sixth at a World Cup super G in Kitzbühel, AUT in January.
“It’s pretty nice that you guys waited for 55 because most of the time I’m coming down in super G and I have to dodge the podium in the finish area. So this is a nice treat,” joked a delighted Osborne-Paradis in the finish.
“I’m in contention for top 10 and that’s what I’m going to focus on now,” added Osborne-Paradis a little more seriously.
As for the other Canadians, Patrick Wright (Oakville, ON) was 41st and Jeffrey Frisch (Mont-Tremblant, QC) finished in 47th.
Please note the start time for tomorrow’s Ladies TELUS Whistler Downhill has been pushed up to 10:15 a.m. PT. Rogers Sportsnet will have television coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT.
