INNICHEN/SAN CANDIDO, ITALY (Dec. 17, 2011) – Canada made a golden start to the 2011-12 ski cross World Cup season Saturday, winning the men’s and women’s races in Innichen/San Candido, Italy, and putting four racers in total on the podium.
Brady Leman, of Calgary, Alta, celebrated his comeback from a long injury layoff by winning the men’s race – his first career ski cross World Cup podium – while teammate Dave Duncan, of London, Ont., was third.
World champion Kelsey Serwa, of Kelowna, B.C., continued her winning ways from last season to take the women’s race, with teammate Marielle Thompson, of Whistler, B.C., placing third to record her first career World Cup podium.
“I’m thrilled and a little bit shocked still,” said Leman, 25, who broke his right tibia in 2009 and then suffered another heart-breaking injury just before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. “I can’t believe I won my first race back.
“There’s been a lot of hard work over the past few years and it’s finally paid off. It’s a big relief. I’m super pumped.”
Duncan, a national-team veteran, has been skiing well in training and recorded his third career ski cross World Cup podium Saturday. He won his quarter- and semi-final heats before finishing third behind Leman and Russia’s Egor Korotkov – who was second – in the men’s final.
“Once you are in the final you have a chance,” said Leman, who led virtually from start to finish in the final. “I had my best start of the day and took the win. I was side by side with Egor into the first turn but I had position. I just tried to stay calm and ski to the finish.”
World champion Chris Del Bosco, of Montreal, Que., got into what he described as a “slight tangle” in the quarter-finals and didn’t make it through, finishing ninth overall. Davey Barr, of Whistler, B.C., and Brian Bennett, of Quesnel, B.C., were eliminated in the first heats and placed 18th and 30th, respectively.
In the women’s races, Thompson and Serwa finished 1-2 in the semi-final and found themselves at the front of the pack once again in the final.
“It was just Marielle and I and she was right on my butt,” Serwa said. “On the second-last turn her ski popped off. I didn’t see it but she did kind of a front flip and hiked up before skiing down to finish third.”
Serwa had a breakthrough 2010-11 season, winning both X Games and world championship gold. Victory in her first race sends a clear message to her rivals that she will be one of the racers to beat in 2011-12.
“I couldn’t really ask for more,” said Serwa, who was also fastest in qualification. “I qualified fast and kind of took that into the racing. Thanks to the techs, the skis took off as soon as they hit the snow today.”
Switzerland’s Sanna Luedi was second in the women’s final. Georgia Simmerling, of West Vancouver, B.C., made her ski cross World Cup debut Saturday but she had a tough draw and was eliminated at the quarter-final stage, finishing 13th.
The action continues Sunday in Innichen/San Candido with a qualification round and a second set of men’s and women’s races.
“It was awesome to see some new faces on the podium,” said a delighted Eric Archer, head coach of Canada’s ski cross team. “We know Del Bosco will be back and will do his thing all year. Now we’ve got some new guys up there as well.”
| Dec. 17 – FIS Freestyle World Cup – Innichen/San Candido – Men’s finals | ||||
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation |
| 1 | 3 | LEMAN Brady | 1986 | CAN |
| 2 | 19 | KOROTKOV Egor | 1986 | RUS |
| 3 | 4 | DUNCAN David | 1982 | CAN |
| 4 | 25 | MIAILLIER Sylvain | 1986 | FRA |
| 5 | 9 | KRAUS Tomas | 1974 | CZE |
| 6 | 26 | KOLLER Patrick | 1983 | AUT |
| 7 | 18 | BOVOLENTA Arnaud | 1988 | FRA |
| 8 | 13 | MATT Andreas | 1982 | AUT |
| *** | ||||
| 9 | 1 | DELBOSCO Chris | 1982 | CAN |
| 18 | 14 | BARR Davey | 1977 | CAN |
| 30 | 29 | BENNETT Brian | 1980 | CAN |
| Dec. 17 – FIS Freestyle World Cup – Innichen/San Candido – Women’s finals | ||||
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation |
| 1 | 1 | SERWA Kelsey | 1989 | CAN |
| 2 | 14 | LUEDI Sanna | 1986 | SUI |
| 3 | 4 | THOMPSON Marielle | 1992 | CAN |
| 4 | 2 | SMITH Fanny | 1992 | SUI |
| 5 | 5 | OFNER Katrin | 1990 | AUT |
| 6 | 11 | LIMBACHER Andrea | 1989 | AUT |
| 7 | 10 | BERGER SABBATEL Marielle | 1990 | FRA |
| 8 | 9 | WOERNER Anna | 1989 | GER |
| 9 | 3 | DAVID Ophelie | 1976 | FRA |
| 10 | 7 | MUELLER Katrin | 1989 | SUI |
| 11 | 13 | BARON Alizee | 1992 | FRA |
| 12 | 16 | FARIC Sasa | 1984 | SLO |
| 13 | 6 | SIMMERLING Georgia | 1989 | CAN |
| 14 | 8 | ZACHER Heidi | 1988 | GER |
| 15 | 12 | HOEIE GJEFSEN Marte | 1989 | NOR |
| 16 | 15 | RIEMEN Karolina | 1988 | POL |