Canada’s 2018 Olympic medalists in ski cross made a triumphant return from injury to racing on the World Cup stage Saturday at Secret Garden in China.
Competing for the first time since he broke his leg and tore his MCL last February, Brady Leman of Calgary tackled the course built for the 2022 Beijing Olympics and the 35-year-old reigning Olympic champion claimed the silver medal in a photo-finish with gold-medalist Sergey Ridzik of France.
“It was pretty crazy… It feels like it’s been a long time since I got to step on the podium, so it’s an amazing way to cap off a comeback,” Leman told Alpine Canada. “Super stoked to put down a great race, especially on the Olympic test course. It’s been cool to see all the infrastructure going into the Games, and it got the vibes going early in what was a big event. I’m stoked that I could step up.”
In the women’s race, 2018 silver medalist Brittany Phelan of Mont-Tremblant, Que., 29, won the small final to finish fifth overall. It was her first race since suffering a knee injury in a race in France in February 2020. Bastien Midol of France took bronze.
“Fifth place really feels like a first place today,” said Phelan. ”It's been almost two years since I've been in a world cup start gate, it’s been a long hard recovery, and so I couldn’t be happier about today.
“I am stoked for Brady too, who is also coming back from injury and getting on the podium with a photo finish in second place, I'm just really excited to get this thing going.”
Tiana Gairns of Prince George also advanced to the small final and finished eighth. The 23-year-old former Prince George Alpine Ski Team member began the season ranked 24th in the world.
Gavin Rowell of Prince George placed 52nd in the men’s event. Ranked 52nd in the world, the 22-year-old joined the national team in 2018 and this is his second season competing at the World Cup level.
Sandra Naeslund of Sweden topped the women’s medal[TC1] podium, edging Fanny Smith of Switzerland for gold. Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France won bronze.
In other Canadian women’s results, Hannah Schmidt of Ottawa was 14th, while Zoe Chore of Cranbrook placed 21st out of 25 racers.
In the men’s race, Kristofor Mahler of Canmore was 14th, Chris Del Bosco of Montreal was 27th, Kevin Drury of Toronto was 31st, Jared Schmidt of Ottawa was 39th and Carson Cook of Edmonton was 46th. The race drew 58 starters.
The World Cup ski cross tour resumes Dec. 9-12 in Val Thorens, France.
Snowboarders race Sunday in China
Prince George will be well-represented Sunday on the Chinese course at Secret Garden when the World Cup snowboard cross circuit stages its season-opening race.
Meryeta O’Dine of Prince George qualified 17th Friday in the women’s event and will be among 33 racers vying for the medal podium on Sunday.
Colby Graham of Prince George qualified 44th and Evan Bichon of Prince George was 46th in Friday’s single-run men’s qualifier.
Eliot Grondin of St. Marie de Beace, Que.,set the pace for the 58-racer men’s field with a time of 1:20.43. He ended up 0.88 seconds ahead of Martin Noerl of Germany and 0.90 ahead of third-place Omar Visintin of Italy.
Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic posted the quickest time in women’s qualifying (1:25:09), crossing the line 1:55 ahead of second-place Chloe Trespeuch of France and 2:31 in front of Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain.
In other Canadian qualifying results, Tess Critchlow of Kelowna was 10th, Audrey McManiman of St. Ambrose de Kildare, Que., was 12th and Zoe Bergerman of Erin, Ont., was 19th. In the men’s event, Liam Moffatt of Truro, N.S. was 12th.
