The Canadian freestyle ski team is without superstar Jenn Heil, but the team still had sensational results to start the World Cup season Thursday. Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau of Drummondville, Que.,followed up a leading score in the qualification round with a convincing win, as team-mates Alex Bilodeau of Rosembre, Que., and KristiRichards of Summerland, B.C., each collected bronze medals.
The veteran Rousseau, who had struggled on the World Cup circuit the last two seasons, turned his career around with the help of a World Championship moguls win last year. “It’s unbelievable,” said Rousseau, 28. “I’ve been trying to win the Tignes World Cup for 11 years!” “In the past, I’ve been better at the end of the season than at the beginning, so this is a big change.”
The third World Cup triumph of his career also betters his previous best of fifth on the Tignes course several times. “This shows the world championship win wasn’t a fluke, but it was deserved,” he said. “It was not a dream. It’s confirmation of the situation.” The win also has Rousseau thinking about the overall World Cup moguls� title after placing third in 2000 and 2001 and second in 2003.
Thursday, on the hill where the World Cup season traditionally kicks off, Rousseau�s winning score was 25.04. Tapio Luusua of Finland scored 24.41 to Bilodeau’s 24.05. Bilodeau had trouble landing his second jump, an off-axis 1080, but had a strong day otherwise. “P.A. nailed it and he was the best skier today. Today I was skiing well, but not as fast as I was the past two days,” said Bilodeau, 20. “But I’m really happy with that podium, to start the season, and we’ll build from there.”
Finalist Vincent Marquis of Quebec City finished 11th, while other Canadian men�s results were Maxime Gingras of St-Hippolyte, Que., in 15th and Warren Tanner of Grimsby, Ont., in 21st.
Heil, who has won the last four overall World Cup women’s moguls titles, has not joined the team yet, while coming back from injury. Richards’ bronze medal wasn’t a big surprise, though, after beating Heil and others for the 2007 World Championship moguls’ crown. But this was by far Richards’ best start ever to a freestyle ski season. “I have a history of not competing well in the first contest of the year,” said the 26-year-old. “I’m definitely very excited about breaking that cycle. I usually crashed.” Richards’ third-place score was 23.43. Margarita Marbler of Austria scored 24.24 for the win, while silver medallist Aiko Uemura of Japan scored 23.51.
Other Canadian finalists were Stephanie St-Pierre of Ste-Foy, Que., in sixth and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal in 10th. Also, Sylvia Kerfoot of Vancouver placed 15th, Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City 16th, Nathalie Bazin of Quebec City 19th and Jackie Brown of Cambridge, Ont., 22nd.
