Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

VanderBeek adds another alpine medal

If they weren’t good friends, it would almost appear as if the members of the Canada’s women’s speed team were trying to outdo each other every week. First, Britt Janyk started off the season with two medals.

If they weren’t good friends, it would almost appear as if the members of the Canada’s women’s speed team were trying to outdo each other every week.

First, Britt Janyk started off the season with two medals. Then Kelly VanderBeek got on the board with her first medal. Then Emily Brydon went on a tear and won three medals in as many weeks.

This past weekend, racing the 2006 Olympic tracks at Sestriere, Italy, Vanderbeek evened up the score with a second place finish in the downhill. Together, the three racers account for seven of the 10 medals picked up by the team this year. Jan Hudec has two medals and Manuel Osborne-Paradis one medal on the men’s side.

According to VanderBeek, it’s always a team victory.

“We are celebrating every podium and every victory, whether it is mine individually or someone else’s,” she said. “It’s such a positive environment to be around. The coaches, the physios, and all the rest of the staff are really working well together and everyone is doing their job really well right now.”

The win went to Lindsay Vonn of the U.S., her fourth downhill victory of the season, while Nadia Fanchini of Italy picked up the bronze medal.

Whistler’s Britt Janyk had a solid race to place seventh overall, 0.28 seconds back of the podium, while Emily Brydon skied to 17 th .

In the super G the following day, Britt Janyk placed 12 th overall, while VanderBeek ended her day in 18 th .

The next stop for the team is Whistler, as the resort hosts its first World Cup events in 10 years starting Feb. 18.