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After a season of stiff competition between Collingwood's Jesse Shepherd (Ontario Ski Team) and Ottawa's Dustin Cook (Mont Ste. Marie, Quebec) today in the first of four days of racing at Georgian Peaks in the Mars Junior National Championships both athletes can celebrate victory. Clocking in a combined time of 1.43.67 both Shepherd and Cook will receive gold medals with Mathieu Routhier of Sherbrooke, Quebec taking the bronze. Routhier's time was .45 seconds back with a combined time of 1.43.92.
With nine of the first 13 racers not finishing, rain at the top and high winds coming directly off Georgian Bay the course appeared to be tough for the men's second run. For Shepherd it didn't seem to be a problem in comparison to his morning run that put him in 5th position.
“The course was fine, not that rough at all. I found the morning course really turny but this one was fun.” Shepherd attributed today's success to his strong results (2nd both days in the J1 category) at the Pontiac GMC Cup GS races earlier this week on the exact same run.
Dustin Cook despite winning was not happy, “I know it sounds bad to say because I won but it's the worst skiing for me in a long time. Luckily I didn't panic when I was extremely late and almost missed the last five gates. I'm skiing so well in training but not feeling great in my races.”
Dustin ranks 1st in Giant Slalom in Canada for his age group, Shepherd is 4th.
Mathieu Routhier (Sherbrooke, Quebec) is the only one of the three born in 1990. It is his first year FIS compared with Shepherd and Cook who are in their second year. He is currently ranked first in his age group for GS and SL. His teammates are certain this young hotshot is headed for the Quebec Ski Team.
“The course was very rough, I passed late going way wide on a gate but it worked out.” Routhier has been on the J1 Podium at least six times already this season and comes from the Estrie Zone team based in the Eastern Townships. He trains at Orford, Sutton and Bromont. “It has been a great season for me so far.” He is in Collingwood along with eight others from his team.
In the women's GS it was the western Canada women all dressed in black downhill suits that took the podium. Edmonton's Andrea Bliss took 1st spot with a combined time of 1.39.76, B.C's Kelsey Serwa (Kelowna) was second with a combined time of 1.41.33 and B.C's (Heffley Lake) Elli Terweil (Heffley Lake) was third finishing in 1.41.89.
Only Elli who skies with B.C's Okanagan Zone Team appeared to be disappointed with the results. “I felt prepared but I didn't move enough in the second run, I couldn't see with the rain, it didn't come together perfectly for me. I definitely made mistakes and the one who makes the fewest mistakes gets to the bottom 1st. I know I can pick it up for tomorrow.” Elli has had a great season so far having attended the Alpine Canada Alpine J1 Rising Star European Camp in January along with five other top J1 racers from across the country.
Alberta's Andrea Bliss from the Edmonton Alpine Sports Academy (EASA) just won the overall western Canada Pontiac GMC Cup standings where she would have competed against older, more experienced racers all winter long. She was selected to the join the Alberta Development team last spring but declined due to school, travel and being so young. She will certainly go next year if selected.
“I'm really happy, I didn't ski a clean run because of the rain, I couldn't see and my body was static, but it turned out well. This is my first time ever skiing in Eastern Canada