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No medals but Canada confident for 2006

Grandi encouraged by depth, youth, passion of technical team

The 2005 FIS Alpine World Championships ended on a high note for the Canadian team last weekend. Although the Canucks couldn’t repeat the two medals earned in the 2003 world championships, the podium only tells part of the story.

In terms of consistent performances, top-15 finishes and overall aggressive skiing, the 2005 season is showing the depth and talent of Canada’s young skiers as well as the team’s relative inexperience – the average age of the 18-member team was just 22.7 years. If you take Thomas Grandi’s 32 years away from the big picture, the team average was just 22.2. In addition, eight of the Canadian skiers at Bormio, Italy were taking part in their first world championship event.

The Canadians have also been missing several skiers due to injury, including Vincent Lavoie, Jan Hudec and Julien Cousineau. Melanie Turgeon, the 2003 world downhill champion, also pulled out of competition this season to focus on training after missing the previous season with a back injury.

Still, all’s well that ends well.

In the men’s world championship slalom on Saturday the Canadians managed to put three athletes in the top-11, the team’s best showing in any slalom event.

Canmore’s Grandi put down two solid runs to finish sixth, 0.68 seconds back of third place. For Grandi, who was also fifth in the men’s giant slalom three days earlier, the result was all about experience.

"The snow softened up during the second run, which was good because I’m comfortable in such conditions," he said. "I’m one of the older guys and I remember racing in the days when there were ruts and organizers didn’t salt the course. This is why I still managed to ski well in the second run even though the temperature increased.

"Of course a medal would have been nice in slalom, but I tackled the day with the objective of skiing aggressively and skiing well and that’s what I did.

"I’ve confirmed I can have good results in both slalom and giant slalom. But for sure I want to win races again before the end of the season."

Finishing three spots back of Grandi in the slalom was Ontario’s Patrick Biggs, a national team rookie with two top-10 World Cup results this season. Biggs got off to a slow start, and was 23 rd after his first run. With nothing to lose in round two, Biggs laid down the fastest second run of the day to move up an incredible 14 positions.

"I turned it around in the second run and managed to ski the fastest run," he said. "We’ve been skiing fast courses lately and to have (Canadian coach) Dusan (Grasic) set the second course was definitely a strong point."

Whistler’s Michael Janyk, who has two top-30 results and a ninth place finish to his credit this season, finished a strong 11 th after moving up from 20 th place after the first run.

"I’m really happy," said Janyk. "I made a few mistakes in the second run but overall I’m happy with how I was able to release and let go. Dusan’s course was fast. The fastest guys were those who had the most guts and put it on the line.

"I was pretty nervous before the race. There is a bit more at stake at the world champs. It’s also nice to know that this race is broadcast back home. My family and friends don’t have many occasions to watch my slalom races so that adds to the excitement of the day."

Ryan Semple, the fourth Canadian in the contest, was 25 th in the first run but was knocked off course in his second run by the conditions.

Grandi had nothing but praise for his teammates, noting that slalom has been one of the areas where Canada has struggled in the past.

"We have an amazing slalom team," he said. "We have depth, youth, passion, and, most important, we have fun. I certainly wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my teammates who continuously push me."

The slalom win went to Austria’s Benjamin Raich, followed by his teammate Rainer Schoenfelder. With 50,000 screaming fans, Italy’s Giorgio Rocca finished third for the home team.

In the women’s slalom last Thursday, Anna Goodman was the lone bright spot for the Canadian team with a 25 th place result. Brigitte Acton went off course in her second run after an aggressive start.

Janica Kostelic of Croatia claimed her third gold medal of the world championships in the slalom, adding to her wins in the downhill and combined events.

Tanja Poutiainen of Finland was second and Sarka Zahrobska of Czech Republic third.

The last competition of the world championships was a new event, a team super G and slalom contest with four athletes representing each nation.

The Canadian Team finished in fifth, behind Germany, Austria, France and the U.S. The list of teams they beat included Switzerland, Sweden and Italy.

World Championship Roundup of Canadian results

Men’s Super G

13. Francois Bourque

19. Erik Guay

25. John Kucera

Women’s Super G

21. Emily Brydon

25. Kelly Vanderbeek

26. Genevieve Simard

Men’s Downhill

16. John Kucera

19. Manuel Osborne-Paradis

22. Erik Guay

30. Jeff Hume

Women’s Downhill

11. Emily Brydon

23. Kelly Vanderbeek

Men’s Combined

9. John Kucera

10. Francois Bourque

17. Manuel Osborne-Paradis

Women’s Combined

12. Brigitte Acton

13. Emily Brydon

16. Anna Goodman

Men’s Giant Slalom

5. Thomas Grandi

15. Ryan Semple

(Jean-Phillipe Roy was third after the first round but fell and injured his knee)

Women’s Giant Slalom

8. Genevieve Simard

19. Gail Kelly

Men’s Slalom

6. Thomas Grandi

9. Patrick Biggs

11. Michael Janyk

Women’s Slalom

25. Anna Goodman