features
Dale Takes Silver - France Back On Top Of World Cup Mogul Podium
Jan 19, 2010 / 09:08:43 AM
On day two of the mogul World Cup in Deer Valley, ten-year French mogul veteran Guilbaut Colas takes his first World Cup win this season scoring a 26.8. Guibault has been a long standing force within men's mogul skiing finishing second in the World Cup standings for the past three years. Guilbaut has made it to the top of the World Cup podium only six times and three times have been at Deer Valley. Guilbault was quoted in Ski Racing as saying "I love this course, it stays the same - perfect. It's a long course, very steep and physically I think it's difficult and I have a good physique so it's good for me. For me all the World Cups are just training before the Olympic Games and I'm going to work on my speed and my jumps, I'm not ready yet, I'll be ready in three weeks," continued Colas. This win would be particularly pleasing for the Frenchmen as it ended Australian Dale Begg-Smith's three event winning streak. Beg-Smith qualified in sixth position and, dropping over two seconds off his qualifying times, was able to climb to second with a total score of 26.21.
Dale's silver medal run. Watch other runs from the day at skidebosses.com
The US women packed quite a punch taking out second through fifth, although Canada's 10 year veteran and current Olympic gold medal holder Jen Heil who qualified first had no problem maintaining her lead to win the Deer Valley event scoring a 25.59. Heather McPhie from the USA who tied with Heil on the first day of competition in Deer Valley placed second with 24.93. USA's 16 year World Cup veteran Michelle Roark placed third with a 24.91.
If you count Heil's first place tie with American Heather McPhie on the first event in Deer Valley Heil has won that last four World Cup events and this is the type of momentum she'd like to carry through to Vancouver.
This week the World Cup tour goes to Blue Mountain, Ontario and then to Lake Placid for the final event prior to the Olympics. Foe some athletes these events will prove crucial as they try to qualify for Vancouver.
Words:: Don St Pierre
Photo:: Peter Hogg
Matt Graham 27th
Sam Hall 35th
David Graham 38th
Hugh Norton 53rd
Britteny Cox 29th
Nicole Parks 33rd
Taylah-Paige Oneill 42nd
tags: olympic, photo, photos, features, feature, world, cup, dale, begg-smith, deer, valley, freestyle, moguls, video, videos
