Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Lavoie posts personal bests to finish season

Four Canadians qualify to race in World Cup finals The last weekend of World Cup racing came and went for the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, and like a lot of weekends this season there was something for the young team to celebrate.

Four Canadians qualify to race in World Cup finals

The last weekend of World Cup racing came and went for the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, and like a lot of weekends this season there was something for the young team to celebrate.

This time is was Vincent Lavoie of Cap Rouge, Quebec who posted a career-best result in the super G and his second-best result in the downhill at Kvitfjell, Norway.

After a solid downhill training run, where he was clocked at almost 130 kilometres per hour, Lavoie had a solid race run that saw him finish 23 rd , just half a second out of the top-10 in a closely contested race. His previous best was a 22 nd place finish at Lake Louise in December.

"I had some sections that weren’t as fast as what I skied them in training," said Lavoie. "I definitely had bigger expectations for today, but this is still my second-best downhill result this season."

The race went to Austria’s Stephan Eberharter, who claimed the overall World Cup downhill title with his performance. He was followed by his teammate Fritz Strobl. Third place went to Antoine Deneriaz of France.

The only Canadian to participate in the last World Cup speed races of the season, Lavoie put in another solid performance in the super G on Sunday, finishing a career-best 20 th . He was poised to finish even better, but made a costly mistake in the middle section of the course that slowed him up just before a flat section.

Daron Rahlves of the U.S. took the super G gold medal, followed by Bjarne Solbakken of Norway and Austria’s Hermann Maier.

With the regular World Cup season wrapped up, four Canadians will be headed to Sestrieres, Italy for the World Cup finals. Only the top-25 in each discipline qualify for the finals, and injuries were costly to the Canadian team this year.

Canada will be represented by Canmore’s Thomas Grandi on the men’s side, and on the women’s side by Fernie’s Emily Brydon, Nanaimo’s Allison Forsyth and Val-Morin, Quebec’s Genevieve Simard.

Whistler’s Britt Janyk just missed the cut in the giant slalom, finishing 29 th in the final standings after making a comeback from knee surgery early in the season. Erik Guay of Mont Tremblant, who was second in a World Cup downhill this season, finished 28 th despite the fact that he was injured in December and hasn’t raced since then.

Simard also missed qualifying in the GS, finishing 28 th in that discipline. She will race in the super G final.

The discipline standings heading into the World Cup finals:

Men’s Downhill

1. Stephan Eberharter, Austria

2. Hermann Maier, Austria

3. Daron Rahlves, USA

No Canadians qualified.

Women’s Downhill

1. Renate Goetschl, Austria

2. Hilde Gerg, Germany

3. Carole Montillet, France

11. Emily Brydon, Fernie, B.C.

Men’s Super G

1. Hermann Maier, Austria

2. Daron Rahlves, USA

3. Bjarne Solbakken, Norway

Women’s Super G

1. Renate Goetschl, Austria

2. Carole Montillet, France

3. Hilde Gerg, Germany

10. Genevieve Simard, Val-Morin, QC

21. Emily Brydon, Fernie, B.C.

Men’s Giant Slalom

1. Bode Miller, USA

2. Kalle Palander, Finland

3. Massimiliano Blardone, Italy

13. Thomas Grandi, Canmore, AB

Women’s Giant Slalom

1. Anja Paerson, Sweden

2. Maria Jose Rienda Contreras, Spain

3. Denise Karbon, Italy

15. Allison Forsyth, Nanaimo, B.C.

Men’s Slalom

1. Rainer Schoenfelder, Austria

2. Kalle Palander, Finland

3. Benjamin Raich, Austria

10. Thomas Grandi, Canmore, AB

Women’s Slalom

1. Anja Paerson, Sweden

2. Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer, Germany

3. Marlies Schild, Austria