WHISTLER, BC (March 17, 2011) – Marie-Pier Préfontaine doubled up at the Northwest Funds Coupe Nor-Am on Thursday, winning the ladies giant slalom race and clinching the overall discipline title.
With Thursday’s victory Préfontaine, of Saint-Sauveur, Que., has 480 points – more than 200 points ahead of second-placed Nadja Vogel of Switzerland – with only one giant slalom race left.
“It’s good to come here and win the title,” said Préfontaine. “There’s still one more race tomorrow, but I think I’ve pretty much locked up the Nor-Am giant slalom title for the year.”
Préfontaine, 23, crossed the finish line with a two-run combined time of one minute, 59.65 seconds. She was fastest in the first run by more than a second.
“My goal today was for sure to win by as much as I could,” said Préfontaine. “I’ve had a good season in World Cup and it’s too bad I missed the World Cup finals by just a couple of points. So I came here to ski well and to try to win both giant slalom races.
“I had a good first run today and I was ahead by a lot going into second run. I made a mistake and I had a pretty bad second run. I guess because I was still ahead by a lot of time in the first run, it was good enough to win the race.”
Prospect Group athlete Madison Irwin, of Collingwood, Ont., finished second with a two-run combined time of 1:59.97. She was also the fastest junior Thursday.
“The race was a lot of fun today,” said Irwin, 18. “What’s been working for me lately is just to get into a competitive headspace in the start and really just think of skiing because that’s really what we’re all out here to do. Skiing is what we all love and racing is just kind of the cherry on top.
“Every race is an opportunity to prove yourself. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m trying to take every opportunity I can and I’m taking these last few opportunities pretty seriously to see if I can prove myself at the next level.”
In the men’s slalom race, Brad Spence, of Calgary, Alta., finished third with a two-run combined time of 1:30.69.
“In the first run, the conditions were a little bit different than I am used to,” said Spence, 26. “It took a little bit of figuring out and I think everyone was in the same boat with this soft Whistler snow. In the second run I charged a little bit more. I can’t be really upset with third, even if my objective was to come here and win.
Patrick Biggs, of Orleans, Ont., finished fifth with a time of 1:31.41 but managed to clock the fastest time on the second run (42.08).
“I needed to make some time up in the second run because my first run was pretty slow,” said Biggs. “The course was pretty straight and actually really fast so the course held up pretty well. I really didn’t ski well in the first run. I started 20 and that probably didn’t help.”
The ladies will race another giant slalom Friday and the men will race slalom.
NOR-AM CUP FINALS
Giant Slalom, Ladies – Whistler, BC (Live Timing Unofficial Results)
Mar. 17, 2011
1 1 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier 1988 CAN 1:02.11 57.54 1:59.65
2 13 IRWIN Madison 1991 CAN 1:03.62 56.35 1:59.97
3 5 STAPLES Kiley 1989 USA 1:03.11 57.18 2:00.29
4 2 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA 1:03.56 57.14 2:00.70
5 11 GHENT Abby 1992 USA 1:03.84 57.59 2:01.43
6 9 ROUTHIER Eve 1988 CAN 1:03.33 58.14 2:01.47
7 20 MIELZYNSKI Erin 1990 CAN 1:04.66 57.04 2:01.70
8 17 HANAOKA Moe 1984 JPN 1:04.00 58.07 2:02.07
9 10 DELANEY Devin 1991 USA 1:03.65 58.51 2:02.16
10 35 PHELAN Brittany 1991 CAN 1:04.72 57.48 2:02.20
BC Results:
13 7 TERWIEL Elli 1989 CAN 1:03.99 58.45 2:02.44
39 48 RAMSDEN Jocelyn 1993 CAN 1:06.75 1:01.53 2:08.28
41 67 DARLINGTON Kailee 1994 CAN 1:08.17 1:00.58 2:08.75
Did not start 2nd run
40 FREEMAN Sarah 1992 CAN
Did not finish 1st run
63 YOUNG Mackensey 1992 CAN
53 RYTZ Celine 1992 CAN
33 ELLIOT Sarah 1992 CAN
Slalom, Men – Whistler, BC (Live Timing Unofficial Results)
Mar. 17, 2011
1 4 RIVAS Gabriel 1986 FRA 47.58 42.99 1:30.57
2 6 GRANSTROM Colby 1990 USA 47.77 42.83 1:30.60
3 10 SPENCE Brad 1984 CAN 48.24 42.45 1:30.69
4 13 WHITE Trevor 1984 CAN 48.07 43.15 1:31.22
5 20 BIGGS Patrick 1982 CAN 49.33 42.08 1:31.41
6 25 KELLEY Tim 1986 USA 48.89 42.58 1:31.47
6 7 BRENNA Petter 1986 NOR 48.32 43.15 1:31.47
8 9 ANKENY Michael 1991 USA 48.37 43.28 1:31.65
9 2 NORDBOTTEN Jonathan 1989 NOR 47.40 44.27 1:31.67
10 5 ZAITSOFF Sasha 1990 CAN 48.85 43.36 1:32.21
BC Results:
10 5 ZAITSOFF Sasha 1990 CAN 48.85 43.36 1:32.21
30 55 PRIDY Conrad 1988 CAN 49.83 45.15 1:34.98
41 79 THOMPSON Broderick 1994 CAN 51.19 45.89 1:37.08
Did not qualify 1st run
92 WERRY Tyler 1991 CAN
90 SWETTE Ford 1993 CAN
Did not finish 1st run
91 MOES Sebastian 1991 SWE
64 PRIDY Morgan 1990 CAN