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Richmond's Ben Chaddock of the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, starting 21st landed in top spot on the men's podium. Chaddock, 18, in his first Canada Games competition was quite happy with his first place finish. ” It was a great day,” said Chaddock on the cell from Mont Restigouche, QC. “The course layout was fairly simple with not many difficult parts.” When asked about his strategy for the day and the flat course, he replied, “I got into my tuck early and stayed there.” Chaddock is intent on building on today's win and is looking ahead to the slalom and giant slalom races later this week.
Also on the men's side, North Vancouver's Marcus Waring (Mount Seymour Ski Club) was fifth, Robbie Dixon, also of North Vancouver and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club was seventh and Dustin Fraser of Quathiaski Cove and the Mount Washington Ski Club was 12th overall.
For the women, Kayla Benbow of Whistler and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club finished in third place behind Ontario's Lauren Lattimer and Alberta's Emily Hamill. “I'm quite excited finishing third today,” said an elated Benbow. “It was a bit windy at the top of the course and it was a bit of a tiny pitch – a glider's course.” Benbow, 19, tried to go as straight as possible and just as her teammate Ben Chaddock, staying in her tuck position from start to finish.
“This was a very unique race because of the wind gusts and the flat terrain,” said Team Manager Gordie Bowles. ” The best skiers had to be precise and soft on their edges. Our team was competitive with the best in the country.”
Wednesday is a turn-around day for the skiers featuring slalom training. Slalom is set for Thursday followed by GS on Friday. Stay tuned for all the news as it arrives.