GMC Cup Day 3: AST Alumnus Read Takes GS; Michalik grabs silver
BANFF, Alta. – Erik Read of Banff hopes he’s put a tough 2009-2010 season behind him with his victory in the men’s giant slalom on Monday at the GMC Cup alpine skiing competition. Meanwhile Sarah Freeman of Fernie, B.C., experienced victory for the first time in her competitive career winning the women’s GS.
In the men’s giant slalom, Read clocked a two-run time of one minute and 49.53 seconds with Cory Canart of Beaumont, Alta., second in 1:49.67 and Mathieu Leduc of Comox, B.C., third in 1:50.66.
Read arrived home just 24 hours before Monday’s race after three weeks in Europe which included last week’s world junior championships. He missed the first half of the season with a broken hand.
“It was nice to come back to the home hill, it definitely gave me some confidence being here,” said Read, 18, the son of Canadian skiing legend Ken Read. His mother Lynda Robbins won the GMC Cup overall title in 1979.
“Sure there was fatigue from the trip, but | made sure I was ready to go today. I was really aggressive and skied smart in the sections you needed to be strong technically.”
Canart was back on the podium after not finishing his first runs in the weekend slalom races.
“It was a good to get a finish and the medal as well,” said Canart, a double medallist at the previous circuit stop in Apex, B.C., last month. “This was one of the steepest runs I’ve faced and I felt I had one of my best races this season.”
Leduc,20, won both slalom races on the weekend.
“Neither run went the way I wanted,” said Leduc. “I was having a lot trouble moving properly on the course and having a hard time with the terrain. But this result hasn’t affected my confidence. I know the technique is there and I just have to put it down on race day.”
In the women’s GS, Freeman clocked one minute and 57.20 seconds over two runs with Victoria Michalik of Banff, Alta., (ALBERTA SKI TEAM) second in 1:57.83 and Celine Rytz of Fernie, B.C., third at 1:57.92.
“I"ve never won before...ever,” said Freeman, 17, second after the opening run. “I was just trying to keep my position in the second run, I was so nervous. I guess there was some hope I could win a race with my recent results but that was always a nerve wracking thought for me.”
Michalik, 16, was seventh after the opening run but some adjustments to her equipment helped her clock the fastest time on the second run.
“My first run was really bad and my coach did some work to my skis and that really helped,” said Michalik, who posted fifth places at the first two slalom races here on the weekend. “The course was really icy with a lot of turns and I was able to ski with more control and gave it my all.”
Rytz notched a bronze for the third consecutive race and has top-three finishes in eight of her last nine races.
“The consistency is something I’ve never had before,” said Rytz, 17. “I’m still a bit disappointed with my times, I was going for the gold today. But I’m improving and that’s what is most important at this point.”
The series is the brain-child of Olympic champion Nancy Greene Raine, who approached GMC more than four decades ago with the concept of creating a strong domestic ski racing series for up-and-coming Canadian alpine racers.
GMC has a rich history as a benefactor to communities and to amateur support. Thus, the original series was launched, developing some of Canada’s best alpine racers including Kathy Kreiner, Gerry Sorensen, Laurie Graham, Karen Percy, and the Crazy Canucks.
Several current members of Canada’s Alpine Ski Team are also GMC Cup alumni including past GMC Cup overall winners Michael Janyk (Whistler, BC) (2004), Brigitte Acton (Mont-Tremblant, QC) (2002, 2003), Shona Rubens (Canmore, AB) (2005), Marie-Michèle Gagnon (Lac-Etchemin, QC) (2007) and Erin Mielzynski (Guelph, ON) (2008).
Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Vancouver, BC) and John Kucera (Calgary, AB) are two Canadian World Cup winners who are also alumni of the program.
Last season’s Coupe GMC Cup winners were Ashley-Kate Durham (Montreal, QC) and Benjamin Thomsen (Invermere, BC).
Be sure to also check out the Coupe GMC Cup website (www.gm.ca/cup) which features new Canadian Alpine Ski Team bios, videos from Erik Guay (Mont-Tremblant, QC), Janyk, Kucera and Osborne-Paradis as well as other exciting new features.
Competition continues through to Tuesday.
Monday’s leading giant slalom results at a GMC Cup alpine skiing competition in Banff, Alta.
Men: 1. Erik Read, Banff, Alta., 1:49.53; 2. Cory Canart, Beaumont, Alta., 1:49.67; 3. Mathieu Leduc, Comox, B.C., 1:50.66; 4. Ford Swette, Whistler, B.C., 1:52.00; 5. Geoffrey Massing, Edmonton, 1:52.81.
Women: 1. Sarah Freeman, Fernie, B.C., 1:57.20; 2. Victoria Michalik, Banff, 1:57.83; 3. Celine Rytz, Fernie, B.C., 1:57.92; 4. Kailee Darlington, Whistler, B.C., 1 :58.06; 5. Tianda Carroll, Edmonton, 1 :58.23.
INFORMATION:
Janice Avon
Coupe GMC Cup
(604) 318-1081
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