The Junior World Championships are being hosted in Serre Chevalier, France with speed and technical events March 4-8, 2003. Lustenberger and Osborne Paradis, both of the BC Ski Team, are the only two athletes selected that are not on Canada's National Development squad.
Christina Lustenberger of Invermere surprised everyone but herself and her coach Monday to win the women's super G at the Pontiac GMC Canadian Junior Championships alpine skiing competition.
Lustenberger, 18, was the second to last skier down the course but took home the gold and a spot on the Canadian team for the upcoming world junior championships clocking 1:25.85.
It has an awfully nice ring to it – Christina Lustenberger – Canadian Junior Super-G Champion! Wearing bib 42, with 43 girls in the field, BC Ski Team veteran Christina Lustenberger came up big, really big, winning the women's super-G in Le Massif, QC Monday.
“I feel good,” said a surprised Lustenberger on the cell with head coach Nancy-Jo O'Neill. O'Neill and Lustenberger are both walking on air, “Christina has bone from Mt. Washington to Aspen to Massif and is running on pure adrenalin and determination. I am really, really, really proud of what she has accomplished. She's worked so hard for this and she deserves it.”
Tuesday's competition features a women's GS which Lustenberger is looking forward to. “I've been training speed for a while now,” said Lustenberger. “I'm looking forward to getting back on the short boards.”
Stay tuned!
LE MASSIF DE LA PETITE-RIVIERE-ST-FRAN
Janica Kostelic of Croatia captured her second gold medal and was crowned the 2003 women's slalom World Champion at St. Moritz on Saturday.
Kostelic, who won the women's combined event on Monday, was cheered on by the Croatian fans who proudly waved their flags and lit red-coloured flares to greet the 22-year-old as she crossed the finish line with a total time of one minute, 39.55. Austrians Marlies Schild and Nicole Hosp rounded out the podium, finishing second and third respectively.
The strong favourites for the women's slalom were Kostelic and Sweden's Anja Paerson, who took home the gold in the women's giant slalom on Thursday. Paerson struggled a bit in the first run, and though she was able to put together a solid second run, she was forced to settle for fourth place.
Emily Brydon, of Fernie, B.C., was the top Canadian in Saturday's race, finishing 20th in a time of 1:42.38.
“Today was a good day for me, especially because I haven't been able to put it together this season, especially in the slalom,” said Brydon, as she prepared to fly to Spain to meet up with the Canadian women's speed team, who will be competing in the downhill in Sierra Nevada next weekend. “I had nothing to lose