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canada’s snowsports journal

2010WINTER

OLYMPICSSPECIAL

PREVIEWISSUE

January 2010 $4.99

Volume 5, Number 3 www.srcmag.ca

Geneviève Simard

*connectedthinking

© 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. “PricewaterhouseCoopers” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity. 5984-1209

Great athletes have great passion: for the exhilaration of going faster and further, for the thrill of testing their own limits and for the satisfaction of taking their sport to new heights. We follow their highs and lows for the sheer joy of watching great men and women give it everything they’ve got.

Proud to say we support Alpine Canada Alpin.

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Geneviève Simard photographed by ACA/Pentaphoto.

REALsure he was born to shred.

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REAL is a special place where there are moremountains than million-dollar condos and wherethe real champions come out to play.

Join them at three of the world’s finest skiresorts and almost 8,000 acres of terrain, allin the heart of Canada’s Protected PlaygroundTM,Banff National Park.

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7 EDITOR’S NOTEThe evolution continues

8 PHOTO OF THE MONTHSteven Nyman hangs it out in Lake Louise

10 MAILBAGReaders chime in on safety of ski racing

12 SKIPARAZZIAerials men bare all. Manny andSasquatch

40 FREESTYLE FILESKristi Richards back on top

42 ALPINE RACE REPORTDecimated alpine team not loweringOlympic goal

44 SNOWSPORTS RACE REPORTBrian McKeever forced to play the waiting game

46 MASTERS A psychological approach to rebounding from ski injury

48 FUEL Eat right ... and save money

49 MARKETPLACE

50 NO GUTS, NO GLORYYes, that’s 250 km/h!

DEPARTMENTS

2010 OLYMPIC PREVIEW:Special preview section17

WHISTLER’S FANTASTIC FOUR:Rise of the Golden Skiers14

FEATURES

January 2010, Volume 5, Number 3

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

www.srcmag.ca SRC 7

By Gordie Bowles

EDITOR’S

NOTE

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION

Editor-in-Chief Gordie Bowles

Publisher Mark Kristofic

Graphic Designer Mark Tzerelshtein

Senior Editors Michael Mastarciyan

Don Cameron

Senior Photographer Paul Morrison

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Tom McCarthy, Sean Stevens, Gary Kingston,

Meredith Gardner, Brian Stemmle, Carl Petersen,

Michael Mastarciyan, John Evely, Marina Ellis,

Oliver Kraus, Michel Painchaud, Howard Cole.

ADVERTISING

Sales Manager Mark [email protected]

WEB SITE

Webmaster Don [email protected]

SRC is an independent publication of BK Media Inc.

and is published eight times per year.

Editorial Office: 5562 4th Ave. Delta, B.C., V4M 4H2.

Subscriptions: For circulation inquiries or address

updates, contact [email protected] or visit

www.srcmag.ca.

Publication Mail Agreement: 41254013. Canada

Post number 7229094. ISSN: 1913-9861, SRC

(Print), ISSN 1913-987x (SRCmag.ca).

“We acknowledge the financial support of the

Government of Canada through the Canada Magazine

Fund toward our editorial costs.”

elcome to the new world of SRC magazine.

The facelift is complete. Regular readers of our

magazine will notice a distinct difference with this

issue, from the way this thicker and higher-quality paper prod-

uct feels to the perfect-bound finish, subtle design tweaks and

refined editorial. Readers with hawk eyes might notice the sub-

tle change in our tagline — from “the source for Canadian

snowsports news” to “Canada’s snowsports journal.”

Why the changes? SRC has evolved into a multiplatform, multimedia brand adapt-

ing to an altered media landscape that demands a balance of timely news with in-

depth, high-quality coverage. For more than a decade, naysayers have claimed that

action sports magazines are dying a slow death — on the brink of irrelevancy — as the

accessibility of information from multiple social channels negates the need for ink to

ever touch paper. No way! Action sports magazines continue to be a cultural neces-

sity, but only if they maintain the highest standard of editorial efficiency using all medi-

ums and stay in tune with subscribers. That is our mantra.

The SRC family — SRC print, SRC digital, SRCmag.ca and the Weekly Wrap —

serve separate yet integrated roles to inform and entertain our subscribers and reach

out to new ones. SRCmag.ca, which now has more than 100,000 unique visitors per

month, fulfills the instant news demand, while the Weekly Wrap recaps the top

snowsports news stories in a convenient e-mail delivery format. And excuse me for

sounding like a salesman here, but our Web site kicks ass. Not because of how it

looks, but what it delivers and how quickly. Whether an event’s at Wengen or Whistler,

Trondheim or Tremblant, SRC provides comprehensive coverage, often before you’ve

had your morning coffee.

The bottom line is that SRC magazine is constantly seeking the magic balance be-

tween instant news and in-depth coverage to serve our readers and digital subscribers

more efficiently. The print magazine now has less news but more features, more

prominent photos and unique behind-the-scenes profiles that you will not find any-

where else.

With all the attention on Canadian snowsports athletes over the next month — and

hopefully beyond 2010 — SRC will continue its transition into a must-have magazine

for mainstream Canadians while keeping our die-hard subscribers in mind.

As the athletes embark on a memorable Olympic journey, we at SRC are proud to

boast what we feel is an Olympic-ready product, ready to capture every story as it un-

folds, delivered to you quickly, efficiently and with an in-depth focus. I hope you enjoy.

Gordie BowlesEditor-in-Chief

SIGN UP FOR SRC DIGITAL OLYMPIC COVERAGEDuring the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, SRC will have reporters and photographers

on site at the three snowsports venues (Whistler, Cypress and Whistler Olympic Park),

and SRC will distribute two DIGITAL MAGAZINES during the Games. We encourage

print subscribers to sign up, at no cost, to this digital service. Go to www.SRCmag.caand click through to “Digital Editions” to subscribe.

Wondering if you’re already on the list? If you’re receiving the Weekly Wrap on Mon-

day mornings, then you’re good to go.

WJanuary 2010

Volume 5, Number 3

www.bkmedia.ca

SRC – The evolution continues

SRC www.srcmag.ca8

By Paul Morrison, SRC Senior Photographer

PHOTO OF THE

MONTH

SLOPE SURFERAmerican downhiller Steven Nyman might have a laid-back surfer’sdemeanour, but don’t let that fool you; the often-injured speedster fromUtah – whose birthday is Feb. 12, 2010, the day of the Opening Ceremony— is a dark horse in the men’s Olympic downhill.

See page 18 for all SRC predictions, analysis and venue information.

www.srcmag.ca SRC 9

PHOTO OF THE

MONTH

SRC www.srcmag.ca10

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?SRC awards some very cool stuff each and every issue for the letter of the month. Send letters to: [email protected] by fax to (604) 357-1434. This month’s winner is Pete Engstad, who just scored a toque from Silverfoot.

ú NOT QUITE A GOLD MEDAL, BUT ENGSTAD WAS A PIONEERRe: Vol. 5, No. 2, December 2009, “All in the Family”Dear Editor,The article on Pierre and Alex Harvey begins with: “A short history of Cana-dian cross-country skiing goes like this: Before this decade, there were veryfew Canadian skiers who made a blip on the international radar, and reallyonly one worth mentioning — Pierre Harvey.” Without diminishing the Har-veys’ accomplishments, past and present, there are other names worthmentioning. One of those is Kaare Engstad of the Omineca Ski Club inBurns Lake, B.C. He placed 16th in the 50 km at the 1932 Olympics in LakePlacid, N.Y. That result remains the best ever by a Canadian in the Olympic50 km race. At the 50 km Olympic trials earlier in Lucerne, Quebec, hestarted first but was soon passed by the entire field when he pulled off thetrack to rewax his skis. He won the race by a margin of 16 minutes over thesecond-place finisher. We enjoy SRC and the broad coverage of snowsportsit provides.

Pete EngstadMount Washington, B.C.

ú READERS CHIME IN ON SAFETY OF SKI RACINGRe: SRCmag.ca article, Dec. 13, 2009, “Fallen stars: Alpine racing’s criticalissue”Dear Editor,Skis carve too powerfully, racecourses are prepared rock hard and sets ondifficult terrain are too fast. Something has to give, and usually it is theknee. Watching J.P. lay down some of the best splits and to then end hisseason is just the worst thing. You can’t have a sport survive when the in-jury rate is so high. The risk/reward in skiing is out of line with what is sus-tainable for the racers. F1 cars could go faster, but the limit was reachedonce drivers were starting to pass out. Skis are now too fast for the humanbody and joints to withstand the forces when racers lose balance. Back to210 GS with 50 m radius? Maybe the answer, but for sure a slower sport.

Mark SteinSent via e-mail

Dear Editor,This was a letter sent to the president and secretary of FIS recently re-garding safety: As a sport, we and FIS should be ashamed of ourselves withthe devastating injuries that continue to ruin the careers and lives of ouryoung athletes — severe ACL injuries on course and broken legs from fenc-ing. The ACL injuries continue to increase in youngsters 12 years and up, forwhich there is only the reason of equipment parabolics, DIN settings andcourse sets that are too fast and too offset. In the 1970s and 1980s therewere no numbers like this. The course sets can be fixed immediately, theothers must be found an urgent solution. These injuries can be crippling forlife and not necessary. Skiing is not a violent sport and it does not need tobe dangerous beyond reason.

I have grown up playing ice hockey, rugby and American football at veryhigh levels and never are there injuries at this degree. [It is] very, very rarein any of these sports [to be] losing teammates such as [… in ski racing]since the equipment changes and course sets.

As a parent with children in ski racing, I have never been so affected andheartbroken to watch my close friends’ children succumb to losing theirhopes of enjoying the sport of ski racing. No other sport at the senior levelloses athletes at these rates, and I can tell you we are losing participationfrom the youngsters whose parents have no interest in sitting in ambulanceswith their child to have their knees cut open on arrival at the hospital.

Jeffrey S. RyleyToronto, Ontario

Dear Editor,How about cranking down the bindings so they can work like they’re sup-posed to do, that is release the torque forces from the ski to the knee. Thelast few injuries that I saw could possibly have been avoided if the (both)skis came off.

Henry HaidukCollingwood, Ontario

Dear Editor,I absolutely agree with Max Gartner that the (speed event) courses need tohave more turns (or wider turns) to slow the skiers down. I have never seenthe wisdom in having skiers reach speeds up to 140 km/hr; the human bodyis just not made to handle the forces created by turns or falls at thisspeed. The consequences of making a mistake are just way too severe. Ihave no reason to believe there will be less interest in the sport if thecourses are made slower.

Downhill should just be taken out of the World Cup or at least the down-hill format. Super-G is fast enough and equally as exciting, but much lessfraught with danger for the athletes. We can still call it “downhill” but justmake the gate configuration that of super-G.

Dr. Phil HamiltonGatineau, Quebec

Dear Editor,I have watched a number of injury falls and it seems to me that knees, orlegs, get wrecked partly due to skis not coming off when they should(Lanzinger’s terrible crash, Lanning of late, and others). I have seen juniorshurt this way too. Bode Miller seems to have the right idea. His skis seemsto come off when they are supposed to, or even when they should not, buthe can ski on one anyway. I wonder if he sets his DINs a bit lower. I have hada ski fall off at 75 mph and it was not fun, but I just scared myself. Theremight be less risk having a ski come off a bit prematurely than not come offat all in a bad fall, but it is about managing risk. Also, there seems to be amacho mentality around about how high one sets his or her DIN settings.This opinion might be simplistic, but might be part of the picture.

Gordon DavidsonVernon, B.C.

ú THE BEST-EVER SKI TEAM SONG

MAIL

BAGLe

tter

of t

he M

onth

Dear Editor,In the weeks prior to our annual trip to Beaver Creek, Colo., to skiand cheer for the Canadian men’s ski team at the World Cup Birdsof Prey races, Payton, our 5-year-old daughter, decided she shouldwrite a song to inspire the team to do its best. Payton took hermarker pens and favourite writing paper to her room and emergeda few short minutes later with original lyrics for “The Ski Team.” Thelyrics seemed awkward at first read, but [then] Payton, inspired byTaylor Swift and Hannah Montana, sang the first bars at our annual“Canada House” Dinner in Beaver Creek, where the Canadian teamathletes, coaches and support staff get to relax while on the roadand enjoy some Canadian camaraderie. Here are the lyrics that Payton debuted to the Canadian Ski Team to a thunderous round of applause.

THE SKI TEAMYou are the best ski team ever, Go ski team GoYou are the best Canadian team ever, Go Canada GoYou go very fast,Go fast GoGo Erik, Go John, Go Manny, Go Franky, Go Jan, Go RobbieGo Mike, Go Pat, Go Julien, Go Steph, Go Trev, Go LouisGo JP, Go Ryan, Go Brad, Go Jeff, Go Dustin, Go TylerI love the way you always go so fastI love the way you always stay in a tuckYou will always win to meYou can go so fast I can’t even catch up to youEven if you lose, I will be very proud of youand you should be proud of yourself

— By Payton Brodeur (age 5)Sent via e-mail by Grant Brodeur

www.srcmag.ca SRC 11

© 2009 Colum

bia Sportswear Com

pany. All rights reserved.

SRC www.srcmag.ca12

Gossip, news and entertainment from the snowsports world

SKI

PARAZZI

KOCHER AND CO. JAMMIN’, BIATHLON STYLEWe jammin’ ... I hope you like jammin’ too. – Bob Marley.

Canadian Olympic biathlon medal hopeful Zina

Kocher battled her bout with mono — which savaged

her 2008 World Cup season — into a productive per-

sonal experience, learning hobbies like knitting and

playing the flute in an effort to learn calming and

“centering” skills. With teammates Megan Imrie an

accomplished pianist and Jean-Phillippe Le Guellec

an aspiring guitarist, Kocher and her teammates

should be a solid act during the Games in the

Athletes Village.

Talk about turning a boring experience into

something ... umm, productive.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH –SASQUATCH AND MANNY O.P.

Manny O.P. has become a bona-fide star onthe World Cup circuit after winning his sec-ond World Cup title in Lake Louise in lateNovember, and again in Val Gardena, Italy, inlate December, but the Canadian Cowboyhas nowhere near the global appeal of hisgrizzly brethren Sasquatch.

AERIALS MEN SHOW THEIR RISQUE SIDE Canadian magazine giant Chatelaine will fea-ture aerialists Steve Omischl, Kyle Nissen andRyan Blais in the buff in the February issue,which is due on newsstands Jan. 5.

The guys on the Canadian men’s freestyleaerials team are a bold group with no fear oftaking chances ... but a nude shoot?

“I don’t know, I figured this is the best shapeI’m ever going to be in … for the opportunity todo a nude photo shoot, I may as well go for it,”aerialist Ryan Blais of Grande Prairie, Alta.,told the Vancouver Sun.

Most of the time when there’s talk aboutathletes posing nude, it involves females.

Added teammate Kyle Nissen: “I’ve hadmakeup put on my face before, but never allover my body.”

“I’m going to get razzed by all my friends,guaranteed, but they did a good job. And truth-fully, it was fun.”

When asked about the magazine’s demo-graphic, Blais laughed and told the Sun: “It’swomen. I know that.”

READERS SPEAK ... RECENT SRCMAG.CA HOMEPAGE POLL RESULTS:Hermann Maier’s recent retirement begs the question: Who is the best ever?Hermann Maier 20.3%Ingemar Stenmark 54.4% Phil Mahre 1.3%Bode Miller 3.8% Franz Klammer 6.3% Marc Ghirardelli 13.9%With John Kucera’s injury, who will step upfor the Canadian men’s speed team?Erik Guay 17.0%Robbie Dixon 19.1%Manny Osborne-Paradis 51.1%Jan Hudec 12.8%

performance. inspired.

Good Luck Britt!

www.pifinancialcorp.com 604.664.2900 Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund

What does PI stand for?

A financial services firm at peak performance.

PI Financial is the proud sponsor of Whistler’s Britt Janyk, one of Canada’s top downhill and Super G racers.

In this, the most important season of her great career, she can count on the support of PI Financial and all of its employees in Vancouver, Victoria and Calgary!

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omething strange is going on in Whistler. Something almost super-human. It started about 20 years ago when four mild-mannered kids tookup the sport of ski racing. In the beginning they were like other small chil-

dren taking up the sport — weebling and wobbling down the hill like little penguinson skis. But soon they started to exhibit skills that can only be described assuper. They started to ski faster, stronger and better than their peers —and then even their elders.

In time, they became so fantastic that the four were chosento ski with the best in the world, given the honour of wear-ing the colours of their country — in the form of tights.Not much different than the tights worn by Batman,Superman and the Fantastic Four.

Comic book legend Stan Lee’s ski racing versionof the classic Marvel Comics Fantastic Four prob-ably would feature Whistler as the setting andcast Britt Janyk as Invisible Woman (SusanStorm); brother Mike Janyk as the Human Torch(Johnny Storm); Manny Osborne-Paradis as Mr.Fantastic (Reed Richards); and Robbie Dixon asthe stony hulk known as the Thing (Ben Grimm).

Britt would be perfect as Invisible Woman be-cause she moves so fast on skis that she’s almostimpossible to see in the flesh. Mike Janyk would bea great choice for Mr. Fantastic given his freakish abil-ity to bend and stretch his body around slalom gates atlightning speed, but the fact that he’s Britt’s brother makeshim a shoo-in for the Human Torch, who is Invisible Woman’sbrother in the comic.

While Robbie doesn’t have orange rock-like skin and a grumpy, self-loathing disposition, he is solid as a rock and, to quote a Ukrainian friend of mine,“Strong like bull!” Perfect for the Thing. And just like in the Fantastic Four comic,Robbie is the roommate of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team’s own Mr. Fantastic — Os-borne-Paradis. In his own mind, Manny is Mr. Fantastic, but if I skied as fast as hedoes, I’d think I was Mr. Fantastic too.

SRC www.srcmag.ca14

Whistler’s

S

Can they slay the Home-Field Goblin?RISE OF THE GOLDEN SKIERS

BY MICHAEL MASTARCIYAN (AKA THE HULK)

HUMAN TORCHMike Janyk

Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto


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The story needs a villain or villains. We could cast Bode Miller as Doctor Doomand maybe some of the Austrians as the Frightful Four (maybe not Benni Raich,

because he is a pretty swell guy, and I say that sincerely). But if wewere to make this truly a Canadian comic book tale, and since

artistic license is limitless in the comic book world, let’s saythe villain is a metaphysical nemesis, more a concept or

thought than a being. One that is born out of stress,fear and performance anxiety — a villain we would

call the dreaded Whistler 2010 Home-Field Ad-vantage Goblin (the Home-Field Goblin, forshort).

In the comic book world, we know how thestory would end. It might take a few issues, butin the end the Fantastic Four would vanquishthe Home-Field Goblin and win gold and gloryin the name of their country on Whistler’sslopes at the Olympic Winter Games after a

gargantuan battle. But in the real world, super-heroes, even if they are amazing ski racers, don’t

always win. And sometimes what we think is anadvantage might be a disadvantage. Canadian Alpine Ski Team women’s speed coach

Rob Boyd is an expert on the advantages and disadvan-tages of skiing at home. In 1989, Boyd became the first Cana-

dian male to win a World Cup downhill race on home soil — andhe did it in Whistler.

Boyd says skiing in front of a home crowd can definitely be a disadvantage — but only if you let it be one. “There’s extra pressure, extra expectations, from spon-

MR. FANTASTICManny Osborne-Paradis

Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

SRC www.srcmag.ca16

sors, to local fans, to family,” Boyd says. “If you’re not proactive about that, and knowing what to ex-pect and how to handle those things, it can be a distraction. But of course it can also be a very bigadvantage too — to have all that positive energy with all those people cheering you on.”

Mike Janyk points to perception as the key to any success infront of a home crowd: “For sure there is more pressure

skiing at home, but if you accept that and embrace it,you can use it to your advantage. It’s all how you

perceive it.”Dixon acknowledges the performance

pressure Canadian racers must deal with inWhistler and says it’ll be tough to block

out. But like Boyd, he believes it can beturned into a positive if a racer handlesit correctly and focuses on the extratraining time on the Whistler tracks. “Ithink having everyone backing you atthe hill is a pretty neat opportunity, be-cause skiing is not like hockey in

Canada, and having a home crowdcheering you on will be really cool and

can get you really pumped,” Dixon says.Like her brother Mike, Britt Janyk be-

lieves the key to success in February will be toembrace the moment and the atmosphere that

comes with it, and adds that the worst kind of pres-sure is the kind that comes from within. “I think it defi-

nitely could be a disadvantage if you let the pressure get toyou,” she says, “but it’s just the pressure that

we put on ourselves. There’s a saying that I’ve kind of been re-peating, that ‘Pressure is a privilege,’ that we’ve earned thatposition, that pressure, and that is what it’s about.Home-field advantage can be a disadvantage, butnot for me.”

For Osborne-Paradis, who is used to beinga ski racing superhero on home soil, thereis no such thing as “bad pressure.” Witha second place in the 2006 Lake LouiseWorld Cup downhill and most recently,a victory in the super-G at Lake Louise,he says any pressure he feels imme-diately dissipates when he hears theroar of home crowd. “I get an extraboost when I think of my friends andfamily being at the bottom of the runwaiting to see how I’ve done, and itmakes me focus better and I ski harder.Any pressure or prerace anxiety I may feelis gone because I want to rock out in front ofeveryone who is important to me, and that in-cludes each and every Canadian that is cheering forus at the hill and at home across the country. To be hon-est, I’m more concerned about what I’ll sound like singing ‘OCanada’ if I get on the podium,” Osborne-Paradis says with a laugh.

Boyd, who has known Whistler’s Fantastic Four in some way or another since they were young skiracers, sums it up best. “These guys have been in front of the limelight in a very positive way for sometime now, and I think that has only helped them prepare for what’s gonna be coming in February. I thinkthey are so well-adjusted to all the hoopla that they probably will thrive off that extra attention, and itcould fuel them to do what they plan and hope they can do.” SRC

INVISIBLE WOMANBritt Janyk


THE THINGRobbie Dixon



y now you’ve all seen your share of the CTV “Believe” commercials. Heck, why shouldn’t you believe?Canada enters the 2010 Winter Olympic Games as the de-

cisive favorite, anchored by the Own the Podium program, a $110 mil-lion government initiative that’s designed to produce 35 medals,which could dethrone Germany, the overall winner in 2006 with 29 medals, including 11 golds.

Vancouver-Whistler will be abuzz with 2,500 athletes from 80-pluscountries, including an estimated 215 Canadians, vying for 258medals in 10 sports.

But counting on predictions at the Olympic Games is about as reliableas the sunshine in Vancouver. The talent pool is incredibly deep, themargins of separation are tiny and the array of variables associated withalpine racing — especially on Whistler Mountain – are immense.

SRC has accounted for all these factors into our attempt at a“reliable forecast” of medal winners. Here’s a breakdown of whatto expect from the world’s best in Vancouver-Whistler in thesnowsports events. — By Gordie Bowles

2010OLYMPIC PREVIEWSRC BREAKS DOWN THESNOWSPORTS FOR THE2010 WINTER OLYMPICS

B

No Canadian has won anOlympic alpine skiing medalsince Edi Podivinsky’s down-hill bronze in 1994, but AlpineCanada has set its 2010 goal

at four Olympic medals in the alpine skiingevents. The men’s speed events are AlpineCanada’s best chance.

The downhill team is led by B.C.’s MannyOsborne-Paradis, coming off a career-bestWorld Cup season Osborne-Paradis won threeWorld Cup medals in 2008-09 — includingback-to-back podium finishes in March andstarted the 2010 World Cup season with a win inthe opening super-G (his first ever top 10 in thediscipline) – grew up skiing on the slopes ofWhistler. He is intimately familiar with theOlympic downhill course, and could have anedge at the Games. The Canadian downhillteam will also include Mont Tremblant’s ErikGuay, who became the first Canadian male in 13years to win a World Cup downhill when hewon the 2007 downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and Jan Hudec, whois returning from his sixth career knee injury.Hudec is the only other current Canadian malewith a World Cup downhill win to his credit.

SRC www.srcmag.ca18

2010 OLYMPIC PREVIEW: ALPINE MEN

SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S DOWNHILLGold: Aksel Lund Svindal, NorwaySilver: Manuel Osborne-Paradis, CanadaBronze: Didier Cuche, SwitzerlandDon’t-be-surprised winner: Erik Guay, Canada;Didier Defago, Switzerland; Bode Miller, USA;Michael Walchhofer, AustriaDark horses: Klaus Kroell, Austria; Jan Hudec, Canada

DOWNHILL

The Canadian team will sorely miss Calgary’sJohn Kucera, the reigning world champion inmen’s downhill, after he suffered a broken leg atLake Louise, Alberta in late November. Kucera,a team-leader and three-event threat will be onthe sidelines during the Games.

The best bet for downhill glory, however, isAksel Lund Svindal. The 27-year-old Norwe-gian is clutch in action. After enduring a spec-tacular crash on the Golden Eagle jump atBeaver Creek in 2007 that left him bedridden ata Vail hospital for two weeks with facial frac-tures, an injured back and ribs and a deep gash inhis backside, he returned to the site of that crashone year later to win both the downhill andsuper-G in 2008. He ended up winning his sec-ond overall World Cup title that season.

The Swiss “rock” Didier Cuche is another medalfavorite. Still going strong 12 years after making hisOlympic debut, the certified butcher might be get-ting better with age, after winning a gold and silvermedal at the 2009 World Championships. If he ison his game, he will contend in three events, thedownhill likely his best opportunity.

Didier Cuche, Switzerland.Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

Michael Walchhofer, Austria.Photo: Michel Painchaud

Manny Osborne-Paradis started the season witha bang, winning the season-opening super-Gin Lake Louise. Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

SUPER-G



SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S SUPER-GGold: Aksel Lund Svindal, NorwaySilver: Christoph Gruber, AustriaBronze: Erik Guay, CanadaDon’t-be-surprised winner:Christof Innerhofer, Italy; Manny Osborne-Paradis, Canada; Bode Miller, USA; Werner Heel, ItalyDark horse: Robbie Dixon, Canada

Erik Guay, Canada.Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

Benjamin Raich, Austria. Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

Manny Osborne-Paradis on the shoulders of his teammates in Lake Louise inlate November 2009. Photo: Michel Painchaud.

Robbie Dixon has move from darkhorse to a le-gitimate medal-contender category with an ex-plosive early World Cup season. Dixon hasconsistently finished amongst the leaders indownhill, super-G and giant slalom and may beCanada’s best hope for a super-G medal.

With the absence of Kucera, who has threecareer super-G podium finishes, the next bestCanadian hope is Manny Osborne-Paradis, whoclaimed victory in Lake Louise.

But Austrian force Christoph Gruber orAksel Lund Svindal will likely edge the twoCanadian skiers, even though they will be racingon their home mountain in Whistler.

Some pundits might have taken Erik Guayoff their gold-potential list, but as his teammatesstole headlines the last two seasons, Guay re-mained a steady force for the Canadian team.The 28-year old Guay finished fourth on thisrace track during the Olympic test event —within a stone’s throw of race winner Gruber,and Guay will likely have the maturity to com-pete for a career-pinnacle performance.

Bode Miller created a stir with wild partyingat the 2006 Olympics, but he has two Olympicsilvers, an American-record 31 World Cup vic-

tories and an awful lot of motivation. Swiss Daniel Albrecht could provide the feel-

good story in Whistler if he earns a podium. Asscary as Svindal’s crash at Beaver Creek was, Al-brecht’s crash at Kitzbühel in January 2009 waseven scarier. In an induced coma for three weeks,he still had no recollection of the incident threemonths later. Whether the 2007 super-combinedchampion can contend for a medal or not re-mains to be seen, but his participation at theGames would be nothing short of heroic.

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GIANTSLALOMAustrian Benjamin Raich should headline themen’s giant slalom. The “Blitz from Pitz” be-came the first male skier since Alberto Tomba(1988) to win the Olympic slalom and giantslalom double in 2006, and could do “La Bomba”one better by repeating that feat in 2010. Thesoft-spoken Austrian was the World Cup runner-up at the Whistler venue, thought to benefittechnical skiers more than gliders, in 2008.

American Ted Ligety has regained his form,finishing second in the World Cup opener inSölden, Austria, after falling off the mark slightlyin 2008-09. The 2008 giant slalom World Cupoverall winner became the youngest U.S. maleskier (21) to capture Olympic gold when he wonthe men’s combined in Torino in 2006. The af-fable skier known as “Shred” (also the name ofhis ski-product company) might have the game-day nerves to land on the podium.

Again Kucera’s absence will be felt in thisevent, but with Jean-Philippe Roy, FrancoisBourgue and Robbie Dixon, the men’s giantslalom team have an outside shot.


SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S GIANT SLALOMGold: Benjamin Raich, Austria Silver: Aksel Lund Svindal, NorwayBronze: Ted Ligety, USADon’t-be-surprised winner:Didier Cuche, Switzerland; Carlo Janka, Switzerland; Massimiliano Blardone, Italy; Hannes Reichelt, AustriaDark horse: Robbie Dixon, Canada

Never count out American superstar Bode Miller. Photo: Michel Painchaud

Veteran Didier Cuche may take a biteout of his younger competitors in the men's giant slalom.Photo credit: Michel Painchaud

Robbie Dixon.Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC


Austrian Benni Raich is a safe bet for most disci-plines but the workhorse will contend for boththe slalom and super combined titles. The powerhouse Austrians have a knack of winningon the Olympic stage, having captured 101 skiingmedals at the Olympic Games.

Whistler’s Mike Janyk will lead the Canadianmen’s team in the slalom, an event in whichCanada had two top-five finishes in Torino in2006 (François Bourque’s fourth place in giantslalom and Genevieve Simard’s fifth placein giant slalom). Janyk won a bronze medal inthe men’s slalom at the 2009 World Champi-onships in Val d’Isere, France, and is healthiesthe’s been in years.

Croatian Ivica Kostelic will be a threat in bothevents. With nine World Cup victories (seven inslalom) and a handful of Olympic starts, the 31-year-old brother of Janica could emerge from hissister’s shadow to collect his own Olympicgolden memories.

The combined podium will be a mix of all-rounders and slalom specialists. Swiss racer CarloJanka could be a surprise story in Whistler andwill likely be the one to beat in the men’s com-bined. With a giant slalom World Champi-onships title (Val d’Isere 2009) and a bronzemedal in the downhill at the same event, he hasproven to be a game player.


SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S SLALOMGold: Ivica Kostelic, Croatia

Silver: Mario Matt, Austria

Bronze: Manfred Pranger, Austria

Don’t-be-surprised winner:

Julien Lizeroux, France;

Reinfried Herbst, Austria

Dark horse: Mike Janyk, Canada

SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S COMBINEDGold: Carlo Janka, Switzerland

Silver: Benjamin Raich, Austria

Bronze: Silvan Zurbriggen, Switzerland


Romed Baumann, Austria;

Julien Lizeroux, France

Dark horse: Mike Janyk, Canada

SLALOM/COMBINED

Michael Janyk (right) worked his way onto the World Championships podium with a stellar second run in Val d’Isere, France, last winter. Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto

THE AUSTRIAN (AND AMERICAN) CHARGE Note to Olympic fantasy pool participants:Count out the Austrians and you will perish.

Alpine skiing has always been dominated bythe Austrians. The Österreich has won 101alpine skiing medals — more than any countryin any single sport during the history of theOlympic Winter Games. The Austrians haveswept the podium at three alpine events sincethe start of the modern Olympic Games. Tal-ents like Benjamin Raich and Kathrin Zettel arelikely to be leading the Austrian team in 2010.

But don’t forget about the red, white andblue. The American team is also very strong onthe World Cup circuit. The notorious BodeMiller — mood dependent — and talentedLindsey Vonn are both serious contenders inmultiple events, with a few youngsters backingthem with a strong American contingent at the2010 Vancouver Olympics.

SRC www.srcmag.ca22

2010 OLYMPIC PREVIEW: ALPINE WOMEN


histler’s Britt Janyk became the first Canadianfemale to win a World Cup downhill in 14 yearswhen she won the 2007 downhill in Aspen, Col-

orado. That’s the good news. The bad news is she has beensomewhat invisible since finishing third in the overallWorld Cup standings that season. But Janyk is a self-pro-claimed reborn Whistlerite, and racing on her home hillcould provide a spark to help her win the women’s down-hill a stone’s throw from her family’s house.

But it will be two-time defending World Cup championLindsey Vonn who will steal the Whistler show. TheAmerican superstar – leader of Vonntourage – closed outlast season with world golds in her marquee disciplines, thedownhill and the super-G, and she is primed to be a threatin four disciplines, possibly five — if she avoids brokenchampagne bottles in the winner’s circle early in the week.Let’s just say the downhill is a done deal. She won back-to-back downhills to start the 2009-10 World Cup season, withease, and will be nearly impossible to beat in Whistler.

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VONNTOURAGETHE INVINCIBLE LINDSEY VONN IS READY TO TAKE VANCOUVER 2010BY STORM

Lindsey Vonn. Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

Kelly VanderBeek finished fourth in the super-Gat the Torino Games and would like nothing morethan to erase the four years of what-ifs by standingon the podium in 2010. She has never won a WorldCup race but has finished second twice to go alongwith a third place. Britt Janyk and Emily Brydoncould be close behind, but don’t count on it.

The teen with speed, Lara Gut of Switzer-land, could capture the nation’s first alpine goldmedal since Vreni Schneider won the slalom atthe 1994 Lillehammer Games. The 18-year-oldsparkplug made a splash when she earned herfirst World Cup podium (bronze) at the St.Moritz downhill even though she had crashedmoments before the finish line. In December2008, the Swiss charmer claimed her first vic-

SRC www.srcmag.ca24

SUPER-G


five disciplines except super-G (one gold, one silver,three bronze) in two Olympic appearances. Withmore than 40 career World Cup victories, she re-mains a threat in every event, although she seems tobe favoring speed events of late. Vancouver will likelybe the last hurrah on the Olympic stage for the 28-year-old Swede.

tory on the tour by winning the super-G, also atSt. Moritz. Two months later, she won two silvermedals at the World Championships.

SRC PODIUM PIX • WOMEN’S DOWNHILLGold: Lindsey Vonn, USA Silver: Maria Riesch, Germany Bronze: Tina Maze, SloveniaDon’t-be-surprised winner: Anja Paerson, Sweden; Andrea Fischbacher, Austria; Britt Janyk, CanadaDark horse: Emily Brydon, Canada

SRC PODIUM PIXWOMEN’S SUPER-GGold: Lindsey Vonn, USASilver: Anja Paerson, SwedenBronze: Nadia Fanchini, ItalyDon’t-be-surprised winner:Lara Gut, Switzerland; Andrea Dettling, SwitzerlandDark horse: Tina Maze, Slovenia; Elisabeth Goergl, Austria

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For the rest of the Canuckwomen, Fernie, B.C.’s EmilyBrydon has the most versatility— seven career podium finishesin three different disciplines —

but Whistler’s Britt Janyk (above photo) will likelyoutperform her long-time teammate Brydon inthe speed events.

Given that the Whistler course will be very tech-nical, Swedish veteran Anja Paerson might steal thethunder in Whistler. The reigning Olympic slalomchampion has captured medals in every one of the

Elisabeth Goergl, Austria. Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

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The return of 28-year-old Marlies Schild, after abroken leg sidelined the Austrian for the entire2008-09 season, could be one of the feel-goodstories in the women’s alpine events. Schild, thefiancée of Benjamin Raich, should be roundinginto shape by the time the Olympics arrive, andif she regains the same mobility that helped herto five medals in World Championships andOlympic races, she’ll be a top threat.

German slalom ace Maria Riesch has been

dominant on the World Cup circuit in slalom.With five consecutive slalom wins around the2008-09 new year, the 24-year-old German be-came the first skier since Anja Paerson in 2004 tocapture four or more straight World Cup wins inone discipline. Riesch already has tasted successon the Olympic course. She won the super-com-bined race — an Olympic test event — atWhistler in February 2008. The close friend ofLindsey Vonn is also capable of reaching the

podium in the speed events. Speaking of Vonn,the American should be on a roll in Whistler andwill be tough to beat on this course, which fea-tures a few flat sections, where Vonn is sublime.

Three young Canadian women — Marie-Michele Gagnon, 20, Anna Goodman, 23, andBrigitte Acton, 23, all from Quebec — haveturned heads with solid performances in slalombut won’t likely be in contention for hardware inWhistler. But women’s slalom in Canada hasmoved at a snail’s pace for well over a decade, andthe home Olympics should give these athletes theexperience to move to the next level.

BY THE NUMBERS ALL-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALS (ALL SPORTS)Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total Norway 84 98 98 280Soviet Union 67 63 87 217United States 59 80 78 217Austria 70 64 51 185Germany 46 65 68 179Finland 52 57 42 151Canada 43 38 38 119Sweden 44 31 43 118Switzerland 43 37 38 118East Germany 35 36 39 110

OTHERS: Italy (101 total), France (83),Netherlands (78), Russia (76), China (33), Japan(32), South Korea (31), Czechoslovakia (25),Great Britain (21), Czech Republic (10),Liechtenstein (9), Poland (8), Croatia (7), Estonia(6), Australia (6), Bulgaria (6), Belarus (6),Hungary (6), Kazakhstan (5), Belgium (5),Ukraine (5), Slovenia (4), Spain (2), Luxembourg(2), North Korea (2), Uzbekistan, New Zealand,Slovakia, Denmark, Romania, Latvia (1).

GIANT SLALOM

SLALOM/COMBINED

Slovenian Tina Maze has been grinding it out for years since herfirst World Cup start in Maribor in 1999, and the 26-year-old prideof southeastern Europe might have the blend of technique, experi-ence and composure to take the women’s giant slalom in Whistler.The 2009 world silver medallist in giant slalom, Maze could chal-lenge for medals in the giant slalom as well as both speed events.

The Canadian women’s slim hopes of a podium in the women’sgiant slalom rests on Genevieve Simard, but highly unlikely.


SRC PODIUM PIXWOMEN’S SLALOMGold: Lindsey Vonn, USA Silver: Maria Riesch, GermanyBronze: Marlies Schild, AustriaDon’t-be-surprised winner:Dark horse:Marie-Michele Gagnon, Canada

SRC PODIUM PIXCOMBINEDGold:Lindsey Vonn, USASilver: Anja Paerson, SwedenBronze: Elisabeth Goergl, AustriaDon’t-be-surprised winner:Kathrin Zettel, Austria; Lara Gut, SwitzerlandDark horse: Emily Brydon, Canada

SRC PODIUM PIX • WOMEN’S GIANT SLALOMGold: Tina Maze, SloveniaSilver: Elisabeth Goergl, AustriaBronze: Kathrin Zettel, AustriaDon’t-be-surprised winner: Lindsey Vonn, USA; Lara Gut, SwedenDark horse: Denise Karbon, Italy

Emily Brydon, Canada. Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto.

Marie-Michele Gagnon, Canada. Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto

Kristi Richards of Summerland, B.C., en route to a gold-medal run at a FISfreestyle moguls event in Suomu, Finland.Photo: Mike Ridewood/CFSA

SRC www.srcmag.ca26

2010 OLYMPIC PREVIEW: FREESTYLE

he maple leaf will be waiving often onthe Olympic podiums at Cypress inFebruary. After achieving full Olympic

status when moguls was contested as a medalevent in 1992 (aerials was added two years laterin Lillehammer), freestyle has reached full matu-rity and will showcase to the world a polished op-eration and exciting action, especially with theaddition of ski cross to the Olympic lineup.

T


Canada’s Steve Omischl wonthe 2008-09 World Cup titleand will be the favourite for

gold — a distinction that comes with a lot ofpressure at a home Olympics. Americans JeretPeterson and Ryan St. Onge will provide toughcompetition to the Canadian, as well as China’sHan Xiaopeng, the reigning Olympic championand 2007 world champion.

Omischl, widely considered the best aerialistin the world, won the title for a third consecutiveyear and is one of Canada’s strongest medal con-tenders for the Games. Other strong Canadiancompetitors include aerialists Ryan Blais, KyleNissen and Warren Shouldice as well asVeronika Bauer on the women’s side.

China could sweep women’s aerials, and theCanadian women will likely not be in the hunt.The Chinese aerialists possess unmatched depth;five Chinese women placed in the top 10 of the2008-09 World Cup standings. Nina Li, a silvermedallist in Torino and three-time world cham-pion — is so technically superior that her two-flip combinations many times surpasses thescores of her competitors’ triple jumps. TheChinese aerialists are coached by Dustin Wilson,a former World Cup competitor for Canada andformer coach of the Australian national team.

Australia’s Jacqui Cooper, one of the pioneersof women’s aerials, will be in the hunt at herfourth Olympics (1994, 1998, 2006) and couldbe a sentimental favorite.


SRC PODIUM PIXWOMEN’S AERIALSGold: Nina Li, ChinaSilver: Shuang Cheng, ChinaBronze: Lydia Lassila, Australia Don’t-be-surprised winner: Jacqui Cooper, Australia; Xu Mengtao, ChinaDark horse: Evelyne Leu, Switzerland

SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S AERIALSGold: Steve Omischl, CanadaSilver: Ryan St. Onge, USABronze: Kyle Nissen, CanadaDon’t-be-surprised winner: Jeret Peterson, USA; Ryan Blais, CanadaDark horse: Dmitri Dashinski, Belarus

Ryan St. Onge, USA. Photo: Oliver Kraus/FIS

Steve Omischl, Canada. Photo: Oliver Kraus/FIS

Canadian Ryan Blais. Photo: Mike Ridewood/CFSA

AERIALS

MOGULSJennifer Heil, the Canadianicon of the Torino Games, willstaunchly defend her Olympic

moguls title at Cypress. She has dominated theworld since her golden moment in Torino. Overthe past five seasons, Heil won four World Cuptitles — she did not compete in the 2007-08 sea-son while recovering from nagging injuries —and landed on the podium 37 times (20 gold, 15silver, 2 bronze). Heil claimed World Champi-onships gold in 2005 and 2007.

Canadian Kristi Richards has reclaimed theform that earned her a World Championshipstitle in 2007, winning gold and silver medals inthe opening World Cup races in Finland in De-cember. The Summerland, B.C., native hasstepped up on the big stage and her rejuvenatedspirit make her a legitimate contender.

The strongest threat to dethrone Heil, how-ever, will come from American Hannah Kear-ney, who catapulted to the top of the World Cupstandings last season after recovering from a tornACL and a lingering concussion.

Alexandre Bilodeau will be the man to beat inCypress after dominating the World Cup circuitin 2009. But the return of Australian Dale Begg-Smith — the Torino men’s moguls gold medal-list — should pose a serious threat to the youngCanadian. Bilodeau was named the top mogulsskier last season, a title he earned by Februaryafter winning four consecutive moguls events ina two-week span.

Beyond Begg-Smith and Bilodeau, a pack ofmoguls specialists will compete for the bronzemedal. On two occasions last season, Bilodeauwas part of a podium sweep with Canadianteammates Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau and Vin-cent Marquis. Rousseau had a strong seasonwith three podium finishes and a fourth-placefinish overall, while Marquis finished thirdoverall and won a bronze medal at the WorldChampionships.

If four male moguls skiers are chosen for theOlympic team, Maxime Gingras is one athleteto watch. The 24-year-old Quebec native madea strong comeback last season, placing third inone event and 10th at the World Champi-onships. A year earlier he had been droppedfrom the World Cup team.

Beyond Begg-Smith, other international con-tenders are Frenchman Guilbaut Colas, who fin-ished second in the overall moguls standings lastseason, and Russian Alexandr Smyshlyev, whochallenged the world’s best on most weekends.

SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S MOGULSGold: Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada

Silver: Dale Begg-Smith, Australia

Bronze: Vincent Marquis, Canada


Guilbaut Colas, France;

Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau, Canada

Dark horse: Maxime Gingras, Canada

SRC PODIUM PIXWOMEN’S MOGULSGold: Jenn Heil, Canada

Silver: Hannah Kearney, USA

Bronze: Shannon Bahrke, USA


Kristi Richards, Canada

Dark horse:

Margarita Marbler, Austria

Jenn Heil, Canada. Photo: Mike Ridewood/CFSA

Canadians Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau (left), Alex Bilodeau and Vincent Marquis are all medal contenders forOlympic hardware. Photo: Mike Ridewood/CFSA

Vincent Marquis. Photo: Oliver Kraus/FIS

SRC www.srcmag.ca28



Even though the Canadian team claimed five ofsix medals at the World Cup event on theOlympic hill at Cypress in 2009, the competi-tion will be fierce.

The United States is likely to be very com-petitive in men’s ski cross, fueled by two formerU.S. alpine ski racers — Daron Rahlves andCasey Puckett. Rahlves, the most successfulspeed event skier in U.S. history — he won 12World Cup races and one World Champi-onships title — emerged from retirement tocompete in Vancouver in 2010. Puckett, 37, wasa four-time Olympian in alpine skiing (1992,1994, 1998, 2002) and believes he enters Van-couver with his best chance at an Olympic medalin his new sport.

But the Canadians are the team to beat. De-pending on what percentage of freestyle skiersare taken from each discipline, ski cross racersChris Del Bosco, Davey Barr and Stanley Hayerare likely to compete for the Olympic title.Hayer, who finished first at the X Games in 2009and captured the silver medal at the World Cupon the Cypress venue last year, is vying for anOlympic start bib. And Del Bosco, who won theWorld Cup event last season at Cypress en routeto finishing second overall in the 2009 WorldCup standings, will lead the Canucks in thesport’s inaugural Olympic Games.


Ashleigh McIvor is the only ski cross athleteto have so far been named to Canada’s Olympicfreestyle team. But Kelsey Serwa had a strongseason, collecting more overall points thanMcIvor. Julia Murray and Aleisha Cline are alsoconsidered strong contenders for 2010 hardware.

Ophelie David of France will be in the mix fortop spot. The 34-year-old veteran was the over-all World Cup winner in 2009, a distinction shehas claimed three of the past five seasons.

SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S SKI CROSSGold: Chris Del Bosco, Canada

Silver: Thomas Kraus, Czech Republic

Bronze: Stanley Hayer, Canada


Davey Barr, Canada;

Daron Rahlves, USA

Dark horse: Casey Puckett, USA

SRC PODIUM PIXWOMEN’S SKI CROSSGold: Kelsey Serwa, Canada

Silver: Ophelie David, France

Bronze: Aleisha Cline, Canada


Ashleigh McIvor, Canada;

Karin Huttary, Austria

Dark horse: Julia Murray, Canada

SKICROSS

Chris Del Bosco, Canada.Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

Canadian Ashleigh McIvor charging from behind at the 2009 World Championships. Photo: Oliver Kraus/FIS

Aleisha Cline, Canada.Photo: Paul Morrison/SRC

SRC www.srcmag.ca30

A number of unlikely countries have producedat least one skier on the women’s circuit who canchallenge on any given day. On the distance side,the resurgent Marit Bjoergen, a big star for theNorwegians, will be looking for some Olympicglory after flaming out in Torino. CharlotteKalla, a young Swede, has earned her stripes inthe last few years and will be hunting for amedal. Perhaps the strongest skier on thewomen’s side since the last Olympics has beenFinland’s Virpi Kuitunen, a classic specialist.Look for her to dominate the 30-kilometer clas-sic, the last race on the women’s schedule. Twoall-rounders, Petra Majdic, who is a nationalhero in Slovenia, and Justyna Kowalczyk ofPoland, last year’s overall World Cup and dis-tance World Cup champion, will threaten in vir-tually any race. Majdic, in particular, is adominant classic sprinter.

The Russians and Italians will look to chal-lenge in the sprint, a specialized event, withAlena Sidko for Russia and Marianna Longa onItaly’s side. The Swedish women, though, havea terrific sprint squad, led by Lina Anderssonand Anna Haag. They captured two of the threemedals at the last World Championships.

The traditional four-person relay, with twoclassic legs and two skate legs, will pitch theNorwegians against the Finns and Russians, allof whom have consistent teams. The teamsprint, in only its second year on the Olympic

2010 OLYMPIC PREVIEW: NORDIC

SRC PODIUM PIXWOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY30 KM, MASS-START CLASSICGold: Virpi Kuitunen, Finland

15 KM PURSUIT (7.5 CLASSIC+7.5 FREE)Gold: Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland

WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL SPRINT CLASSICGold: Petra Majdic, Slovenia

TEAM SPRINT FREEGold: Italy*Best Canadian chance: Chandra Crawfordand Sara Renner

4X5 KM RELAY CLASSIC/FREEGold: Norway

10 KM INDIVIDUAL FREEGold: Charlotte Kalla*Best Canadian chance: Sara Renner

ross-country skiing was contested atthe inaugural Olympic Winter Gamesin 1924 and has been a part of every

Winter Games since. But though it is one of sixsports that have been contested at every WinterGames, it’s not your grandma’s sport anymore. Itis powerful and exciting, with lots of sprint action,fast corners and aggressive tactics — definitelyworth checking out. Cross-country events havebeen dominated by the Nordic countries andother European powers. While that is likely tocontinue in Whistler, there are reasons for opti-mism in North America. Every cycle of OlympicGames rotates the technique used for the vari-ous events, except the pursuit and relays. Half theevents are classic and half are skating, and theyswitch back and forth every Olympics.

DYNAMIC DUO:Devon Kershaw(above) and ChandraCrawford (left) are both medal con-tenders in the teamsprint free event.Photo: John Evely

By Tom McCarthy

CROSS-COUNTRY

WOMEN

agenda, will feature the Italians, Swedes and Rus-sians. Canada’s best medal chance is in the teamsprint, which is skating technique this timearound, and so will showcase Chandra Craw-ford’s strong technique along with team veteranSara Renner, competing in her fourth Olympicsafter taking a break to become a mom. TheCanadians have to be considered a longshot inthis event and would have to be very lucky in anyother event. But hey, Crawford was a longshotin the sprint in 2006 and ended up playing airguitar to “O Canada” on the podium. Don’t evercount her out.

C


The men’s picture for Vancouver looks a lot dif-ferent than the women’s side. In every distancerace, the overwhelming favourite has to be PetterNorthug. He’s a young enigmatic Norwegian withthe best finishing kick to come along in a genera-tion. He has the staying power to hold on to anypace and then finds a gear that no one else has. Hewas kept out of the Torino Games by his coachesto allow for development and has carried a grudgeever since. Northug is a multiple gold-medalfavourite.

There are a stable of other high-quality skierswho deserve mention, including Alexey Petukhov, aRussian who has showed great sprint promise earlythis season, Dario Cologna, last year’s World Cupwinner, Finland’s Sami Jauhojaervi and Lukas Bauer.Other skiers will be favourites in a particular race,including Italy’s Pietro Piller Cottrer in the pursuit.

The sprint side of the sport has been dominated byNorway, with its tremendous depth. John KristianDahl, Anders Gloeersen, Ola Vigen Hattestad, Oys-

tein Pettersen and Northug are all legitimate chal-lengers — all of them Norwegian. It is worth noting,though, that the Swedes have spent more time prac-ticing this sprint course than anyone else. EmilJoenssen could steal it from the Norwegians.

The men’s distance relay will be the race to watchin Vancouver. The Canadians have their strongestteam ever and will challenge for a medal if they putit together. They’ll battle against Norway, Russiaand Germany. Italy is always a wild card in theOlympic relay — the Norway vs. Italy relay battle isa legendary Olympic rivalry dating back to 1994.

The Canadians have a number of very legitimatemedal chances. They field an extremely strongteam, consisting of Devon Kershaw, the teamleader, Alex Harvey, the young star, Ivan Babikov,the toughman, and George Grey, the seasoned vet-eran. That team will be rounded out by several oth-ers, including Gordon Jewett. Though he’s not afavourite for a medal, Jewett’s Olympic journey isinspirational — he never gave up on his dream,though serious, debilitating back injuries erectedhuge barriers.

2010 OLYMPIC PREVIEW: NORDIC

SRC PODIUM PIXMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRYV30 KM PURSUIT (15 CLASSIC+15 FREE)Gold: Pietro Piller Cottrer*Canada’s favourite: Ivan Babikov

INDIVIDUAL SPRINT CLASSICGold: Ola Vigen Hattestad*Canada’s favourite: Devon Kershaw

TEAM SPRINT FREEGold: NorwayBest Canadian chance:Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey

4X10 KM RELAY CLASSIC/FREEGold: Canada

15 KM INDIVIDUAL FREEGold:*Canada’s favourite: Devon Kershaw

50 KM, MASS-START CLASSICGold:*Canada’s favourite: Alex Harvey

BIATHLONWhistler Olympic Park in majestic Callaghan Valley will be the busiest of the venues at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games as it hosts 28different medal events, including the 10 in biathlon. Though Canada ranks well behind the dominant biathlon powers of Germany andNorway, there is significant hope for Canada’s young competitors in the sport that blends cross-country skiing and target shooting.

MEN

shooting exercise. She is known to get verynervous about her standing shooting and is fo-cused on improving that mental hurdle beforeher first Olympics.

The best prospect for a top finish at WhistlerOlympic Park at the February 2010 WinterOlympics is Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, a 24-year-old based near Quebec City. Last winter was hismost promising season yet, in a sport dominated byveterans such as 35-year-old biathlon legend OleBjorndalen. Le Guellec finished in the top 10 twiceon the World Cup stage.

Norwegian Bjorndalen is favoured in mostraces he enters as he is arguably the best biathleteof all time. With nine Olympic medals and 10world championships, he’s renowned for fast skitimes. A smaller skier, he excels on hills, oftenbuilding up a huge lead.

Austrian rising star Dominik Landertinger hasstormed into the World Cup elite this season andwill be a threat at Whistler Olympic Park. At just20 years old, he’s an impeccable skier, besting ex-perienced biathletes like Bjorndalen already andwinning several World Cup gold medals.

German Michael Greis, a three-time goldmedallist at the 2006 Torino Games, was also the2006-07 World Cup champion. Although the Ger-mans have often underperformed recently, theyhave shown in the past they know how to win atthe Olympics. This will be Greis’ third Olympics.

WOMENCanadian women have not been able to match thesuccess of Myriam Bedard – bronze medallist inAlbertville in 1992 and double gold medallist inLillehammer in 1994 – but have been mountingsteady improvement. Zina Kocher, 26, the firstCanadian in more than a decade to win a WorldCup medal when she won bronze in Swedennearly two years ago, will lead the team. SandraKeith of Calgary, Megan Imrie of Falcon Lake,Man., and Megan Tandy of Prince George, B.C.should round out the 2010 roster for the Cana-dian women.

German powerhouse Kati Wilhelm, a ser-geant in the German Armed Forces and a for-mer Olympic cross-country skier, has beenamong the top three athletes in the IBU WorldCup standings much of this season and could bea legitimate threat for gold at Whistler OlympicPark. Wilhelm’s teammate Magdalena Neuneris the new sensation for Germany and, at age21, became the youngest triple world championin biathlon ever. She is among the top perform-ers in this season’s World Cup – hoping to de-fend her 2007-08 title – although she did haveone total collapse in Antholz, where she lost ahuge lead by missing every shot in her final

MEN

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VENUE GUIDE: WHISTLER CREEKSIDE

BY THE NUMBERSEvents: Alpine skiing events

Venue Capacity: 7,700

Elevation: 810 metres

Distance: 4.1 km from Whistler

Athletes’ Village

Investment: $27,635,000 – The

governments of Canada and B.C.

have jointly funded all new

construction and upgrades.

Status: Improvements include

reshaping of the men’s and

women’s downhill courses and

additions to the existing

snowmaking system.

THE PISTEThe men’s downhill is located on the redesignedDave Murray Downhill course on Whistler Moun-tain, named for the late Canadian alpine skier whocompeted as a member of the famed Crazy Canuckson the World Cup circuit in the late ’70s and ’80s.

The women’s downhill course — located onFranz’s Run — was built from scratch for theOlympics. The course is parallel to the men’s coursealso on Whistler Mountain. It is named for FranzWilhelmson, who was a driving force in getting the

Whistler Resort to its current status as one of thepremier ski resorts in North America.

Whistler Creekside is one of two bases for WhistlerMountain; it is located a short drive between WhistlerVillage and the Whistler Athletes’ Village. TheWhistler Blackcomb ski resort has up to 2 million vis-itors each year. It was opened for skiing in February1966 with just three lifts. Whistler Mountain has hosted11 FIS World Cup races, the most recent event in 2008.The region held its first FIS World Cup in 1975.

Following the Games, Whistler Creeksidewill continue to offer world-class ski conditionsfor tourists and all recreational skiers while alsobeing used for future international competi-tions and national training.


VENUE GUIDE: WHISTLER CREEKSIDE

A spectacular jump that sends racers soar-ing toward the finish line — called “HotAir — or Boyd’s Bump” — will unlikelychange the overall standings but is a greatspectator thrill and the best seat in the2010 house for the alpine events.

THE BRAINS AND BRAWN BEHIND THE SCENESLike many sports, ski racing isdependent on volunteers.Volunteerism provides the verylifeblood of ski racing at all levelsfrom club races to the World Cup.

In Whistler, a group of parentsbanded together in the late 1960sto form a Nancy Greene SkiLeague program for their sonsand daughters. Fourty years laterthe Weasels are a driving forcebehind the scenes at the 2010Winter Olympic Games.

Bob Parsons, considered thefounder of the Weasels, coined thephrase while watching a row ofvolunteers linked arm-in-arm andtramping down a steep slope, bootpacking the soft snow. He said:“They’re Weasel Workers,” namingthe group after the slope on whichthey were working.

The volunteer race crew arerich in experience at all levels ofski racing and perform all thetasks necessary for a safe skirace: erecting safety nets,preparing the race track surface,building start and finish areas andmaintaining the courses.

Over the years, the WhistlerWeasel Workers have assistedwith many races, in many places.Weasels have participated in theOlympic Winter Games in Calgaryand again at Salt Lake, as well asin the World Championships inSierra Nevada, Spain, and inBormio, Italy. Weasel Workershave also been involved with WorldCup races at Lake Louise and atBeaver Creek in Colorado. InFebruary 2008, The WhistlerWeasel Workers were again hardat work in Whistler, building andmaintaining the courses for thefour Whistler World Cup races intheir preparations for the 2010Olympic Games.

If either of the Janyk siblings —Britt or Mike — find themselves inthe fortunate position of being onthe podium, you just know that theWeasels will be grinning from earto ear.

MEN - WHERE THE RACES WILL BE WON:For the men’s event, the race will be won — and lost — on“Fallaway,” a technical and very steep section on the lowerpart of the course that turns the skiers left and drops into acompression. A mistake made here could be disastrous.

WOMEN -WHERE THE RACES WILL BE WON:On the women’s downhill, the steep anddifficult top section – namely Deuce –with strong turns and steep sections willbe the place where Olympic medals willearned and lost.

BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE:

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his could be the epi-centre of Canadiangold medals during the

2010 Olympic Winter Games.Cypress Mountain will host allthe freestyle (moguls, aerials, skicross) and snowboard (halfpipe,alpine, snowboard cross) events.

Located in the southern sec-tion of Cypress Provincial Park inWest Vancouver – 30 km fromthe Vancouver Olympic Athletes’Village – the ski area has 52downhill ski runs split betweentwo mountains, Mount Strachanand Black Mountain.

After the Games, CypressMountain will continue to be oneof the most popular areas inBritish Columbia for alpine ski-ing, cross-country skiing, snow-boarding, snow tubing andsnowshoeing.

VENUE GUIDE: CYPRESS MOUNTAIN

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BY THE NUMBERSEVENTS: Freestyle (moguls, aerials, ski cross) and snowboard (parallel giant slalom, halfpipe, snowboard cross)ELEVATION: 930 metres VENUE CAPACITY: 12,000 (freestyle skiing), 12,000 (snowboard), 8,000 (snowboard halfpipe).COST: $16.7 million for upgrades and improvementsSTATUS: The expansion of existing facilities, including modifications to existing runs, a new in-ground halfpipe, a snowmaking system andwater reservoir, lighting, a new freestyle site for aerials and moguls as well as a regraded parallel giant slalom course.DISTANCE: 30 km to Vancouver Athletes’ Village

MOGULS AND AERIALSThe moguls and aerials courses are side by side, literally overhanging the main CypressMountain parking lot. The spectator venue for those two events will be set up at the bot-tom of the courses in an extension of the parking lot, creating a convenient space to ac-cess. The freestyle venue was the first Games site to be completed (Nov. 2006)

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VENUE GUIDE: CYPRESS MOUNTAIN

SKI CROSS ANDSNOWBOARDCROSS

SNOWBOARD PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM

The ski cross and snowboard cross events will take placeon the same course, but will happen a few days apart sothe course can be lengthened for the ski cross event. Theski cross and snowboard cross course length is 1,135 me-tres with a vertical drop of 208 metres. The ski-crosscourse shares the same finish line as the snowboard crossand parallel giant slalom courses.

Located near the ski cross and snowboard cross venue, the snowboard parallel giant slalom will be run on Black Mountain with great vantage points in most locations.

DID YOU KNOW?Chama ... what? — Neither mountain’s officialname is Cypress, but the ski region, which used togo by the name Cypress Bowl, named “the bowl”between the two mountains “Cypress” after theyellow cedar tree Chamaecyparis nootkatensisthat grows in the area. The tree is also morecommonly known as the yellow cypress.

Course gurus — The snowboard, ski cross andparallel giant slalom courses are built by WhiteIndustries Ltd., led by professional course builderJeff Ihaksi (builder of the Torino 2006snowboarding courses). The halfpipe was built byArena Snowparks and Steve Petrie.

Volys to the rescue — A total 510 volunteers willmaintain the six courses (aerials and moguls, skicross, halfpipe, snowboard cross and parallelgiant slalom).

A green thumb at Cypress — Members of theVANOC team and Cypress community partnersjoined in summer 2007 to salvage and relocatewetland plant species of local significance fromthe site of the new snowmaking reservoir tonearby wetlands (an area remaining unaffectedby venue construction). Follow-up monitoringshows the plants are not only thriving, but they’replaying host to rare insects and other wildlife.

Local yokels — Mostly local workers were hiredduring the venue construction phase at Cypress.

THE GREAT WALL OF CYPRESSCypress Mountain had an in-ground halfpipe built in preparation for theGames. The halfpipe is set at an incline of 17.5 degrees and is 170 metreslong with 22-foot-high walls. A halfpipe of this size is often referred to as a“superpipe.” The walls of halpipes have increased in height since the early1990s. A standard halfpipe has walls that are 11 feet high, whereas asuperpipe is any halfpipe with walls 16 feet high or greater.

Aerial view of the ski cross track at Cypress. Photo: VANOC

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The cross-country venue includes a 6,000 square-foot technical building, 10 kilometres of competi-tion trails in two distinct five-kilometre loops anda 150-metre-long stadium area. Athletes will ski atan average speed of 25 kilometres per hour duringcross-country ski races, reaching maximum speedsof nearly 60 kilometres per hour. Over the men’s

50-kilometre race, the athletes will climbapproximately 2,000 vertical metres (morethan twice the vertical of the men’s down-hill course at Whistler Creekside). Thewinning time for this race is expected to bearound two hours.

One of the five-kilometre loops is in-tended for the skating technique, and oneis intended for the classic technique. It is not thehardest course on the World Cup circuit, thoughit flows extremely well and has a lot of fast down-hill corners. The classic course has a long gradualuphill that could separate people and the skatingcourse has a number of shorter, steeper climbs,which will be challenging. The sprint courseloops above the stadium, and features two verysharp corners that will provide lots of racing ex-citement.

WHERE THERACES WILL BE WON:The cross-country courses do not feature anylong, steep hills where an athlete could break

away early. The long, gradual classic course onthe uphill could separate the contenders from thepack, but is unlikely to determine a winner. Mostof the races will likely be won on two short, steepuphills 500 metres from the finish, within fullview of the crowd in the stands.

BEST SEAT IN THEHOUSE: The best place to be is in the standing-room areaopposite the stadium seating. From there, you cangrab an up-close look at the athletes as they climbthe final hill, see them come directly at you asthey whip around the first tight sprint corner, andthen watch them come barrelling down the sta-dium straight-away. Plus, tickets are only a thirdthe price as the stadium seating.

ross-country skiers will compete at the Whistler Olympic Park, located in the Callaghan Valley about 18kilometres south of Whistler. A temporary stadium holds 12,000 spectators at the $119-milllion venue,which will also host biathlon, ski jumping and nordic combined. The venue consists of 14 km of cross-

country skiing and biathlon trails as well as two ski jumps (90m and 120m) that will be immediately visible upon en-tering the venue. The two square-kilometre venue also includes three separate temporary stadiums (for cross-country, biathlon and ski jumping respectively)located about 500m apart. An additional 20 to 25 kilometres of recreational nordic trails will cover cross-country ski terrain next to the Olympic Games corearea. A 10,500 square-foot day lodge will be part of the athletes’ compound.

After the 2010 Games the Whistler Olympic Park will be owned and operated by the Whistler Legacies Society, which will also operate the WhistlerSliding Centre and part of the Whistler Athletes’ Village. VANOC has set aside $110 million for venue legacies as part of their venue budget.

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VENUE GUIDE: WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK

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VENUE GUIDE: WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK

BIATHLON

SKI JUMPING

The biathlon venue includes a 6,000 square-foottechnical building, four kilometres of competitiontrails, a 150-metre-long stadium and state-of-the-art shooting range. The shooting range has 30shooting positions and lanes. For the OlympicGames, the targets are placed 50 metres from theedge of the firing line and shooting position andhave a diameter of 45 millimetres (the size of a

loonie, the Canadian one dollarcoin) for prone and 115 millime-tres (the size of a grapefruit) forshots fired while standing.

More on 2010 biathlon:A fully electronic target systemwill be able to detect and report

the precise time and location of each bullet fired.The automated and electronic target system willchange the size of the targets automatically in be-tween the prone and standing shooting rounds.

The elevation at the Olympic biathlon stadiumis 870 metres, the elevation at the lowest point onthe four-kilometre course is 850 metres and theelevation at the highest point is 891 metres.

The biathlon ski course for the 2010 OlympicWinter Games consists of a main four-kilometreloop that includes shortcuts for the other re-quired competition distances

A temporary, portable 10-metre air and laserrifle biathlon range will be set up in the cross-coun-try stadium for the Paralympic biathlon events.

The ski jumping venue in-cludes large hill and normalhill ski jumps, coaching standsand a state-of-the-art techni-cal building known as thejudges’ tower. Jumping hillshave three distinct parts: thein-run where the jumpers gainspeed and take off into flight;the landing hill which thejumpers fly over and then landon; and the outrun area at thebottom used to stop. The in-runs include one of the world’smost sophisticated ski jump snow refrigeration and track setting systems.

More on judging:• The angle of takeoff is 11 degrees below the horizontal plane and

the maximum in-run and landing hill slope angle is 35 degrees. • On the normal hill, the maximum flight distance down the landing hill

is 106 metres. On the large hill, the maximum flight distance is 140metres. This distance is known as the hill size and is often used to iden-tify the jump hills.

• The elevation difference from the top of the in-run to the bottomof landing hill is 100 metres.

BY THE NUMBERS EVENTS: Cross-country, biathlon, ski jumping, nordic combined

VENUE CAPACITY: 12,000 in each of three temporary stadiums

COST: $119.7 million

OPENED: November 30, 2007

ELEVATION: 850 metres - 910 metres

DISTANCE: 15km from Whistler Athletes’ Village.

INTERESTING TIDBITS:• The venue has approximately five kilometres of roller ski trails and

six kilometres of lit trails to enhance athlete-training opportunities.

• The only snowmaking system at the venue is for the ski

jump landing hill.

• The average amount of snow on the ground during the time of the

Olympic Winter Games in February is 191 centimetres.

• The average daily high temperature during the time of the Olympic

Winter Games in February is +3.3°C and the average daily low is -4.0°C.

• The elevation range of the venue is between 840 and 930 metres.

• There will be warm-up trails and several cutover trails for the shorter

competition distances (two, 2.5, three, 3.3 and 3.75 kilometre).

• In addition to competition trails, Whistler Olympic Park has 40 to 45

kilometres of training trails and easier recreational trails, including flat

parts that will be used for the Paralympic sit-ski competitions. Competition

courses include a five-kilometre course for the standing classes and a

specially designed 3.75-kilometre course for the sit-ski classes.

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2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES: SNOWSPORTS – SCHEDULES

12-Feb-109:00 Ski Jumping - NH Individual Trial Qualification10:00 Ski Jumping - NH Individual Qualification Round18:00 General - Opening Ceremony

13-Feb-108:30 Ski Jumping - NH Individual Trial for Competition9:45 Ski Jumping - NH Individual 1st Round10:45 Ski Jumping - NH Individual Final Round Medal Event11:45 Alpine Skiing - Men's Downhill Medal Event13:00 Biathlon - Women's 7.5 km Sprint16:30 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Moguls Qualification19:30 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Moguls Final Medal Event

14-Feb-109:00 Nordic Combined - Individual NH/10 km CC - Trial Round10:00 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Super Combined Downhill10:00 Nordic Combined - Individual NH/10 km CC - Competition Round11:15 Biathlon - Men's 10 km Sprint Medal Event13:00 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Super Combined Slalom Medal Event14:30 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Moguls Qualification17:30 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Moguls Final Medal Event

15-Feb-1010:00 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' 10 km Free Medal Event10:30 Snowboard - Men's Snowboard Cross Qualification12:30 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's 15 km Free Medal Event14:00 Snowboard - Men's Snowboard Cross 1/8 Finals14:26 Snowboard - Men's Snowboard Cross Quarterfinals14:42 Snowboard - Men's Snowboard Cross Semifinals14:53 Snowboard - Men's Snowboard Cross Finals Medal Event

16-Feb-1010:00 Alpine Skiing - Men's Super Combined Downhill10:00 Snowboard - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Qualification10:30 Biathlon - Women's 10 km Pursuit Medal Event12:15 Snowboard - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Quarterfinals12:29 Snowboard - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Semifinals12:40 Snowboard - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Finals Medal Event12:45 Biathlon - Men's 12.5 km Pursuit Medal Event13:30 Alpine Skiing - Men's Super Combined Slalom Medal Event

17-Feb-1010:15 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Individual Sprint Classic Qualification10:45 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's Individual Sprint Classic Qualification11:00 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Downhill Medal Event12:30 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Individual Sprint Classic Quarterfinals12:55 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's Individual Sprint Classic Quarterfinals13:05 Snowboard - Men's Halfpipe Qualification13:20 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Individual Sprint Classic Semifinals13:30 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's Individual Sprint Classic Semifinals13:45 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Individual Sprint Classic Finals Medal Event13:55 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's Individual Sprint Classic Finals Medal Event17:15 Snowboard - Men's Halfpipe Semifinals19:15 Snowboard - Men's Halfpipe Finals

18-Feb-1010:00 Biathlon - Women's 15 km Individual Medal Event12:30 Snowboard - Ladies' Halfpipe Qualification13:00 Biathlon - Men's 20 km Individual Medal Event16:00 Snowboard - Ladies' Halfpipe Semifinals18:00 Snowboard - Ladies' Halfpipe Finals Medal Event

19-Feb-108:30 Ski Jumping - LH Individual Trial Qualification10:00 Ski Jumping - LH Individual Qualification Round11:30 Alpine Skiing - Men's Super-G Medal Event13:00 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' 15 km Pursuit (7.5Classic+7.5Free) Medal Event

20-Feb-1010:00 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Super-G Medal Event10:00 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Aerials Qualification Jump 110:00 Ski Jumping - LH Individual Trial for Competition10:50 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Aerials Qualification Jump 211:30 Ski Jumping - LH Individual 1st Round12:30 Ski Jumping - LH Individual Final Round13:30 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's 30 km Pursuit (15Classic+15Free) Medal Event

21-Feb-109:15 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Ski Cross Qualification10:00 Alpine Skiing - Men's Giant Slalom 1st Run10:45 Biathlon - Men's 15 km Mass Start Medal Event12:15 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Ski Cross 1/8 Finals12:44 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Ski Cross Quarterfinals13:00 Biathlon - Women's 12.5 km Mass Start Medal Event13:05 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Ski Cross Semifinals13:20 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Ski Cross Finals Medal Event13:45 Alpine Skiing - Men's Giant Slalom 2nd Run Medal Event

22-Feb-108:30 Ski Jumping - Team Trial Round10:00 Ski Jumping - Team 1st Round10:45 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Team Sprint Free Semifinal 110:45 Ski Jumping - Team Final Round Medal Event11:10 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Team Sprint Free Semifinal 211:35 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's Team Sprint Free Semifinal 112:00 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's Team Sprint Free Semifinal 213:00 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Team Sprint Free Final Medal Event13:25 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's Team Sprint Free Final Medal Event18:00 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Aerials Qualification Jump 118:50 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Aerials Qualification Jump 2

23-Feb-109:00 Nordic Combined - Team/4x5 km CC - Trial Round10:00 Nordic Combined - Team/4x5 km CC - Competition Round10:30 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Ski Cross Qualification11:30 Biathlon - Women's 4x6 km Relay Medal Event13:00 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Ski Cross 1/8 Finals13:00 Nordic Combined - Team/4x5 km CC - 4x5 km Relay Medal Event13:29 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Ski Cross Quarterfinals13:50 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Ski Cross Semifinals14:05 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Ski Cross Finals Medal Event

24-Feb-1010:00 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Giant Slalom 1st Run11:15 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's 4x10 km Relay Classic/Free Medal Event13:15 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Giant Slalom 2nd Run Medal Event19:30 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Aerials Final - Jump 120:05 Freestyle Skiing - Ladies' Aerials Final - Jump 2 Medal Event

25-Feb-109:00 Nordic Combined - Individual LH/10 km CC - Trial Round10:00 Nordic Combined - Individual LH/10 km CC - Competition Round11:00 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' 4x5 km Relay Classic/Free Medal Event18:00 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Aerials Final - Jump 1 Medal Event18:35 Freestyle Skiing - Men's Aerials Final - Jump 2

26-Feb-1010:00 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Slalom 1st Run10:00 Snowboard - Ladies' PGS Qualification Run10:34 Snowboard - Ladies' PGS Elimination Run11:30 Biathlon - Men's 4x7.5 km Relay Medal Event12:15 Snowboard - Ladies' PGS 1/8 Finals12:51 Snowboard - Ladies' PGS Quarterfinals13:13 Snowboard - Ladies' PGS Semifinals13:27 Snowboard - Ladies' PGS Finals Medal Event13:30 Alpine Skiing - Ladies' Slalom 2nd Run Medal Event

27-Feb-1010:00 Alpine Skiing - Men's Slalom 1st Run10:00 Snowboard - Men's PGS Qualification Run10:34 Snowboard - Men's PGS Elimination Run11:45 Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' 30 km, Mass Start Classic Medal Event12:15 Snowboard - Men's PGS 1/8 Finals13:13 Snowboard - Men's PGS Semifinals13:27 Snowboard - Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Finals Medal Event13:45 Alpine Skiing - Men's Slalom 2nd Run Medal Event9:30 Cross-Country Skiing - Men's 50 km, Mass Start Classic Medal Event18:00 General - Closing Ceremony

SRC www.srcmag.ca40

BACK ON TOP – KRISTIRICHARDS BOUNCES BACKWITH WORLD CUP WINKristi Richards is off to the best start of herfreestyle ski World Cup career after winningsilver in women’s moguls in December.

Richards, the 2007 world championmoguls champion, claimed the the sea-son-opening event in Suomo, Finland, put-ting a exclamation point on her return toform following a disappointing 2009 WorldCup campaign.

“I feel everything is just coming to-gether,” said Richards, who finished sec-ond the next day just behind AmericanHannah Kearney.

“I’ve been working on the same techniquefor four years, and it’s time (to perform).”

Richards was actually in jeopardy ofmissing the final after almost failing to landher opening jump, but she picked up thepace to qualify. After that, it was more up-tempo skiing and cleaner jumps in the final.

“There was nothing to lose, so I was oneof the fastest again and I skied like I knowhow to ski.”

With podium appearances in two Eu-ropa Cups and two World Cups this sea-son, Richards says she has the feeling herlack of consistency last season is a thingof the past. SRC

Who will win gold at the 2010 OlympicWinter Games in women’s ski cross?

1. Ophelie David, France2. Kelsey Serwa, Canada3. Ashleigh McIvor, Canada4. Aleisha Cline, Canada5. None of the above

Go to www.SRCmag.ca to enter the polland see what our panel of experts haveto say. You also have the opportunity toenter to win prizes from SRC Magazineand GMC World of Skiing.

Who will win gold at the 2010 OlympicWinter Games in men’s moguls?

Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada 52.4%Guilbault Colas, France 4.8%Vincent Marquis, Canada 14.3%Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau, Canada 14.3%None of the above 14.3%

THE FRENZY POLL JANUARY 2010

RESULTS FROM THE DECEMBER2009 FRENZY POLL

CANADA POST

FREESTYLE FILES

CALIFORNIAN SKIER PUTTING JAMAICA ON THE SKI MAP... SERIOUSLY!

Some might say he’s Usain Bolt on skis. Not sur-prisingly, though, when Errol Kerr tells peoplehe’s a member of the Jamaican Winter Olympicteam, most pull out the bobsleigh one-liners.

“When people hear of a Jamaican skier, theyexpect dreads hanging out the back of my hel-met and a smoke stream following me downthe mountain,” Kerr said.

This is no joke, though. Less than two yearssince Bolt brought world records and world renownto the island nation with his sprinting, Jamaica’slatest winter star is hoping to put his country on themap in the new Olympic sport of ski cross.

Born to an American mother and Jamaicanfather, Kerr grew up a dual citizen between LakeTahoe in California, where he moved with hismother as a child, and Westmoreland, Jamaica’swesternmost parish.

He has felt most at home on the slopes sincehe was a kid watching a ski race on TV.

He rolls with the jokes, most of which in-evitably draw comparisons to the Jamaica bob-sleigh team, a fan favourite in the 1988 WinterOlympic Games in Calgary that inspired thecomedy movie “Cool Runnings.”

But while the bobsleigh team was initially a nov-elty, Kerr enters the Vancouver Olympics — hisfirst — as a talented longshot.

The hybrid style of ski cross draws on Kerr’sextensive background in alpine skiing. It alsomakes good use of the rougher edge he pickedup in motocross and BMX, and the 200-pluspounds he has to throw around, said AmericanJonny Moseley, an Olympic gold medallist whowill be a TV commentator for the freestyleevents in Vancouver.

“Errol’s got a good shot at the Olympics,”Moseley said. “He’s cut out for the sport.”

Kristi Richards of Summerland, B.C., en route to a gold-medal performance at the opening FISfreestyle moguls event in Suomu, Finland, Dec. 12, 2009. Photo: Mike Ridewood/CFSA

Errol Kerr’s late father never strapped on apair of skis, Errol’s mother, Catherine Kerr —once a ski racer herself — said. It would havemoved him to see how far his son has come,and to know that he is competing for the island,she said. Kerr said part of his dream was al-ways to race for his father’s country – under theblack, green and yellow flag of Jamaica.

“To be able to see Errol grab a hold of thatand say let’s take it a step further, put Jamaicaon the map of skiing, it’s beautiful,” she said.“He would just be so proud.” SRC

— Canadian Press

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THE WAITING GAME – MCKEEVER’SMEDAL PROVES PARALYMPIC METTLE, NOW AWAITS DECISIONFOR OLYMPIC INCLUSIONBrian McKeever has done what he needed to doto make history. Now, it’s up to the bureaucrats.

When the visually-impaired cross-countryskier from Canmore won a 50-km Nor-Am raceon his home course at the Canmore NordicCentre in mid-December, he inched closer toqualifying for the Olympic team. If he makes theCanadian roster, the 30-year-old would becomethe first winter athlete to compete in both theOlympics and Paralympics, as well as the firstCanadian to accomplish the double.

Cross Country Canada now considers McKeever a candidate to race that distance atthe 2010 Winter Olympics at the WhistlerOlympic Park in Callaghan Valley.

“It’s out of my hands now,” McKeever saidafter his win in Canmore. “The goal was to tryand win this particular race. I’ve prepared allyear for it, even four years for it. I figured thiswas my shot, the 50-km race.”

Five athletes have competed in both Para-lympics and Olympics, and all of them have beensummer-sport athletes: South African swimmerNatalie du Toit (amputee); American runnerMarla Runyan (visually impaired); Polish tabletennis player Natalia Partyka (born without right

hand and forearm); Italian archer Paola Fantato(polio); and New Zealand’s Neroli Susan Fairhall(paraplegic), who was also an archer.

The Olympic cross-country team will be offi-cially named in mid-January. The Canadianswill field a minimum team of 12 athletes on the2010 Olympic team. World Cup team regularsAlex Harvey, Devon Kershaw, George Grey, IvanBabikov, Chandra Crawford, Perianne Jonesand Sara Renner have all pre-qualified to benamed to the team.

Canada can enter a maximum four men inthe 50-km race, but it’s unlikely Harvey, Ker-shaw, Grey and Babikov will all want to racethat event, according to high-performance di-rector Thomas Holland.

“You have a minimum and maximum teamsize, and you have to look at your priorities andfill everything,” Holland said. “You take thebest out of each event, and, after you’ve donethat, you can look and see what your teamlooks like and are there holes to fill.”

McKeever, who has Stargardt’s disease, aninherited condition of macular degenerationthat also claimed his father’s eyesight and lim-its him to less than 10 percent vision, has wonseven Paralympic medals, including four gold,with his older brother Robin as his guide. Healso competed at the 2007 World Champi-onships with able-bodied athletes and finished24th in the 15-km event.

Robin, 36, raced in the 1998 Olympics andfinished eighth in the Canmore race, just oversix minutes behind Brian. SRC

— Canadian Press

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SNOWSPORTS

RACE REPORTParalympian Brian McKeever is making a run atqualifying for the Olympic Games with a recent Nor-Am win.

Matt Morison. Photo: Oliver Kraus/FIS.

INJURY BUG HITS SNOWBOARD TEAM: MORISON OUT WITH BROKEN ELBOWA broken elbow will sideline snowboarder Matthew Morisonduring three competitions leading up to the Vancouver 2010Games, robbing him of valuable training opportunities.

Morison, who won gold in the parallel giant slalom eventin Telluride, Colo, in December, will still be able to competeat the Games following four to six weeks of rest, doctors said.

The 22-year-old Burketon, Ont., native fractured the ra-dial head of his left arm during qualifying runs Thursdayafter he crashed into a net. Coaches have adjusted histraining regimen so that he will maintain his fitness through February.

Morison will not be able to compete at races in Kreis-chberg, Austria; Nendaze, Switzerland; and Stoneham,Que., in January. SRC

SRC www.srcmag.ca44

DECIMATED ALPINE TEAM NOT LOWERING OLYMPIC GOALThe Canadian ski team may be hurting but thedetermination to win at least three medals at theVancouver Winter Olympic Games remainsstrong and healthy, according to Gary Allan,president of Alpine Canada.

“We’re not striving for mediocrity,” Allan saidafter the team suffered five knee injuries in themonth of December. “We’ve been able to build avery deep roster of athletes. We’re still strivingfor those three medals.”

When Francois Bourque became the fifthCanadian skier in less than a month to beknocked out of the Games when he ripped up hisknee in a super-G race in Val Gardena, Italy, hejoined injured potential medallists John Kuceraand Kelly VanderBeek, who also will miss theOlympics.

Paul Kristofic, head coach of Canada’s men’steam, said having fewer athletes increases thechallenge of reaching the medal count.

“You lose key contenders in different eventsand you start to limit your possibilities,”Kristofic said following the Val Gardena races.“You have to know we have guys and girls thatare quite strong and quite capable to achievethose results.”

Own the Podium, the $117-million programaimed at helping Canada win more medals than

any other country at the 2010 Games, has set agoal of winning two skiing medals at theOlympics. Alpine Canada, which has receivedmore than $10 million in funding from the pro-gram — more than any other sport — has raisedthat to three medals, including one gold.

Allan still considers that achievable. “You lookat the odds and how things have changed,” hesaid. “You want to have obtainable goals. At thispoint there is no need to amend anything.”

Canadian skiers claimed four podium finishesin November and December World Cup races.Manuel Osborne-Paradis won the openingsuper-G race of the season at Lake Louise, Alta.,and followed that up with a win in the legendaryVal Gardena, Italy, downhill in late December.Emily Brydon had a second and third in the firstwomen’s downhill races of the year.

Other Canadians with medal chances at theGames include Erik Guay, who has 10 World Cuppodium finishes and was fourth in super-G atthe 2006 Olympics; Michael Janyk, a bronzemedallist in slalom at last winter’s World Cham-pionships; and Britt Janyk, who has two downhillpodium results, including a win.

Losing Kucera to a broken leg in the firstsuper-G of the season was a huge blow toCanada’s medal hopes. The Calgary residentwon the downhill at the World Championships.He also has three career World Cup podium fin-

Manny Osborne-Paradis charging the Saslongcourse at Val Gardena, Italy, claiming his second World Cup gold medal of theseason. Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto

ALPINE

RACE REPORT

ishes in super-G, including a win.VanderBeek, who finished a fraction of a

second off the podium in the super-G at the2006 Torino Games – and has three World Cuppodiums in downhill and super-G – suffered aknee injury in downhill training at Val d’Isère,France, in December.

The last time Canada earned more than oneskiing medal at a Games was in 1988 at theCalgary Olympics, when Karen Percy won twobronze medals. SRC

— The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

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By Howard Cole

SKI

MASTERS

THE WALKING WOUNDEDhis is unfortunately the hottest topic inski racing. Most of us have, at sometime, injured ourselves skiing; some-

times minor and sometimes major. A stretchedmedial collateral ligament, a torn meniscus, atorn ACL, a fractured arm, a separated shoulder,a fractured collarbone or a torn Achilles tendonall top the list of common ski injuries. Whateverthe injury, we have a psychological reaction to itand that reaction can dramatically influence howwe ski when we return to the hill. How we reactand formulate that return to snow will impact therest of your skiing days.

Doctors and physiotherapists help us with thephysical recovery. By and large, we are left to ourown devices to deal with the psychological part.I hope to shed some light on this aspect of re-covery and to make some suggestions. I have re-covered from several injuries and have spent alot of time quietly listening to others’ accountsof coming back.

First, I find it useful to appreciate how ourbrain and minds are set up. At the deepest in-stinctual level, we are designed to survive. Any-thing that interferes with or threatens thatinstinct is fiercely defended. This is a central partof our wiring. Some of us, when we are young,are attracted to danger and risk taking. We lovethe adrenaline rush. Also, when we are young,we believe we are immortal.

Ski racing involves putting on a boot that lim-its the range of motion of our ankles and conse-quently puts our knees at risk for injury. We thenattach long boards to our boots and hurl our-selves down hill at high speeds. Instinctively, fearsets in, but our minds are powerful and can learnto override this fear. As we become older andmore aware of the dangers involved, we do arisk/benefit calculation. We love the benefits ofracing to our physical, emotion and mentalhealth, and we balance it against the dangers.

When we injure ourselves, we are remindedthat our brain was right, and our carefully con-structed illusion is shattered for a time. We areforced to recalibrate our risk/benefit calculation.We return to the hill and are appropriately fright-

ened. Consciously, we can fool ourselves andoverride that fear. However, the instinctual partof us is very powerful and influences us, whetherwe like it or not, and whether we know it or not.We favour our injured limb, demand less of it,hold back on the dangerous sections of thecourse, and generally ski more cautiously. Re-cently I was watching some video footage of anathlete training 18 months after an ACL repair.When turning on his “healed” knee, he was push-ing his inside ski forward and his skis were in anopen A position (a way of controlling speed). Hewasn’t aware of it and it accounted for his slowertimes.

I believe some of us have the ability to brushthe impact of an injury off and motor on, but themajority of us are unable to do this with the samelevel of ease. The beginning of dealing with ourfear is to recognize it, acknowledge it, and onlythen manage it. Pretending it is minor or unim-portant doesn’t work. What follows is a series ofsteps I have found helpful.

STEP 1: Try to construct as accurate a picture asto how you were injured and deliberately setabout never letting yourself be in that situationagain. For example, if you hooked a GS gategoing fast and tore your medial meniscus, delib-erately practice keeping your boots a meter offthe gate. Your mind will then have a chance topersuade your brain that this is safer and you cango for it.

STEP 2: Assess whether you have any habits thatare particularly stressful on your joints and thatplayed a part in your injury. For example, skiingon the tails of your skis is particularly stressfulon your ACL. The tail of the ski thrusts the bootforward, and the structures preventing the tibiafrom pulling away from the femur are the ACLand the hamstrings.

STEP 3: Be as healthy and strong as you can beforeyou start skiing. Strength supports confidence, andpost-injury is a crucial time to have it. Really em-phasize dryland training before you hit the slopes.A weakened limb from an injury will alter your ski-ing dynamics, and if you practice those dynamicsenough, they will become bad habits.

STEP 4: Start off slowly. Ski on easy hills and beacutely aware of good skiing dynamics. Remem-ber, your brain will try to protect the injured partof you at all costs. You are deliberately trying toprevent the development of bad habits. Video andgood coaching can be very helpful at this point.

STEP 5: Be aware that your brain is constantlypushing for caution. In the early stages, it is farfrom convinced that turning on the gas is a goodthing. If you push yourself too hard, you might beharsh and negative with yourself, which will setup negative neuron networks in your brain thatwill inhibit your skiing. This is big trouble. I havetalked with athletes who pushed themselves sohard to get back to where they were pre-injury thatit has resulted in their results progressively dete-riorating as the season went on. They becamefrustrated and self-critical and lost confidence.

T

A psychological approach to rebounding from injury

SKIINGBUZZ KILL – Canadian worldchampion John Kucera wasairlifted to patrol (below andnext page) after suffering aseason-ending injury in themen’s Lake Louse World Cupsuper-G, with teammate MannyOsborne-Paradis leading in therace. Kucera suffered a brokenleg in the crash. Photo: Michel Painchaud.

STEP 6: Some of us stall in our progress. Wehave a clear picture of how we injured our-selves and plan never to go there again. Wehave figured out how to compensate for ourweaknesses. We have worked hard and arestrong. We have been patient and been aware

of how our injury has affected our skiing andwe have worked to counter that. We have re-established good skiing dynamics. We have re-sisted being negative with ourselves. Ourdoctors have said we are now fully healed andwe can go for it. We are acutely aware that

there is a part of us that is very interested inself-preservation.

Choose a training venue that you know is rel-atively safe. Coach yourself and say: “It is nowthe time for mind over matter.” You have to pushthe power of your illusion that racing is OK andcan be done relatively safely. It’s time to push theboundaries of your risk/benefit recalibration. Theprinciples of managing your fears are in my ar-ticle “Taming the Beast, Conquering Fear” (SRCFebruary 2009). Use them. Establish your confi-dence in training and then take it to the race-course. Again, choose a venue that is relativelysafe and go for it.

CLOSINGIn short, you must create the illusion that it is rel-atively safe to go for it again. I believe some of uswho are injured have such a strong instinctualresponse to survive that it becomes problematicto go back on the racecourse. We might pushourselves to do so, but it sets up such conflictswithin us that we inhibit ourselves when racing.On a racecourse you have to give it everythingyou’ve got. If you hold back, you are setting your-self up for further injury. SRC


SKI

MASTERS

SRC www.srcmag.ca48

By Bob Seebohar

SRC

FUEL

thletes living on their own while inschool or training away fromhome might find themselves faced

with the challenge of eating for high per-formance while on a limited budget. You likelyare challenged with time constraints, themany temptations of fast-food outlets, con-venience stores, and even the grocery store,and all of the above can interfere with bothliving on a budget and achieving optimal nu-trition. The following are just a few of themany planning, shopping and preparationtips that can help you make training on abudget a nutrition success.

COST-SAVING SHOPPING TIPS• BOTTLED WATER ALTERNATIVE — Insteadof expensive bottled water use tap water. Ifyou want to avoid chlorine, let your tap watersit open overnight in the fridge before puttingthe lid on. An alternate is to buy a water-filterpitcher. For a different fresh taste, add slicesof lemon or cucumber to your water bottle.• BUY IN BULK — Items such as cannedgoods, frozen vegetables, rice, pasta, cerealand other dry goods.• BAG IT — Take advantage when meats areon sale. Buy larger quantities and freeze insmaller individual portions.• BUDGET PROTEINS — Look for recipes thatuse canned meats and beans for a cheaperprotein source. • BUY WHAT YOU CAN EAT — When pur-chasing fresh produce only buy what youwill eat in a few days so you don’t waste any

due to spoilage. Alternatively, purchaseproduce that has a long shelf life in yourfridge (when kept in plastic bags), such ascarrots, cabbage, celery, potatoes, applesand oranges.• SKIP CONVENIENCE AND PRE-PREPAREDFOODS — Choose regular rice and oats in-stead of the quick cook varieties; the moreprocessed the greater the cost. Choosewhole foods and spend the extra time to pre-pare … the savings are valuable! • CHOOSE CHEAPER CUTS — Cheaper cutsof beef can be cooked at lower temperaturesand for longer periods of time (i.e. 3-4 hours)for an inexpensive alternative in stews, soupsand in crockpot meals. • PACK YOUR OWN LUNCH AND SNACKS —You need to avoid processed, packaged andsingle-serving foods so it may be a bit morework initially to make your own sandwiches,soups or salads, but the effort will save youbig bucks. In addition, nutritionally, you cancontrol your meal ingredients. • LIMIT PRE-PACKAGED SPORT FOODS —Sport bars and beverages may be convenientand nutrient-dense, but they are expensiveand can be easily made from scratch. Lookonline for low-fat energy bar recipes. • HOMEMADE SNACKS — Make your ownsnacks with mixed nuts, dry cereals, raisin-sand dried fruits. SRC

Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, formerlya sport dietitian with the U.S. Olympic Commit-tee, is now a sports nutrition consultant.

A

TIME-SAVING COOKING TIPSORGANIZE YOUR KITCHENKnowing where items, supplies andequipment are located in your kitchencan save precious preparation time.Keep a “running” grocery list to limit thenumber of times you have to go to thegrocery store.

COOK IN BULKCook in batches. Pasta and rice can beeasily reheated by pouring boiling wateron top. One-pot dishes like stirfries, soups,stews and casseroles are inexpensivemeals that go a long way. Portion infreezer safe containers for quick reheatedmeals on the go. You can prepare amonth’s worth of meals in one weekend.

INVEST IN REUSABLE FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERSPurchase quality, reusable food storagecontainers in different sizes and shapesthat are microwave-safe and easy to pack.Packing leftovers the night before ormaking several lunches at once will savetime and ensure your meals are portable.

TIME-SAVING KITCHEN MUST-HAVESCrockpot – Arrive home to a hot meal bythrowing in a few ingredients in themorning, such as veggies, beans andcubes of meat, for quick one-dish meals.Microwave – For quickly cooking pota-toes, chicken and fish in a flash.Blender – For cost-saving smoothies torefuel and rehydrate.Cookware – Microwave egg cookers andvegetable steamers will save you time!

ATHLETES: EAT RIGHT ... AND SAVE MONEY


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