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Ontario racer earns first snowboard podium

Lone Canadian third

In his first season with the national team, Ontario’s Matthew Morison hung in with the top racers in the world in heat after heat to place third in World Cup parallel slalom at Nendaz, Switzerland on Jan. 28.

Morison, 19, was the lone Canadian to qualify for the top-16, placing 10 th in the second qualifier. In the first round he bested Rolan Fischnaller, moving on to the quarter finals against Heinz Inniger. With another win he went to the semi-finals to face perennial champion Mathieu Bozzetto of France, coming close in the first run then making a critical error in run two to be relegated to the small final. There Morison took on Austria’s Siegfried Grabner and won in two decisive rounds to pick up the bronze medal. Simon Schoch of Switzerland edged out Bozzetto for the gold.

Previously, Morison’s best result was a fifth place finish in parallel giant slalom.

“Today is the biggest day in my life,” he said. “It’s the best result I have ever had. It’s just an awesome day. I didn’t expect this at all.”

Mont Tremblant’s Jasey-Jay Anderson placed 21 st .

On the women’s side the top Canadian was Caroline Calve in 16 th , with Kimiko Zakreski cracking the top-20 in 19 th .

The win went to Selina Joerg of Germany, followed by Heidi Neururer and Doresia Krings of Austria.

The next World Cup event is a parallel giant slalom and halfpipe at Bardonecchia, Italy.