Austrian Maria Holaus had the fastest time in today’s training on a sun-soaked day at Lake Louise Ski Area prior to Friday’s ladies Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart downhill. Holaus finished in a time of one minute 54.16 seconds while Emily Brydon (Fernie, BC) led the Canadians, crossing the finish line in 12th spot in 1:55.85.
Brydon said she felt fresh for today’s training and this weekend’s races, thanks to some time off earlier this month.
“I took four days off before coming here and I just really relaxed and really though about what I needed to do to have a good season. You have to have fun. if there is no smile on your face, you won’t have good results,” said Brydon. “I feel great right now and I think our team is a little of anxious to get started and everyone is happy to be here.”
Defending Lake Louise DH champion Lindsay Vonn of the USA was 8th, although she let up well before the finish line. Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC) finished 20th in 1:56.42 with teammate Kelly VanderBeek (Kitchener, ON) finishing 25th.
“I always like the first training,” said Janyk. “Each year the races are a little bit different from each other and it’s a very competitive feeling.”
“I think what’s important is knowing that you are skiing your best. Every day I go out there I’m totally connected to the moment and skiing to my potential.
As for the other Canadians Georgia Simmerling (West Vancouver, BC) ended up 37th with Shona Rubens (Canmore, AB) 38th, Larisa Yurkiw (Owen Sound, ON) 41st and Victoria Whitney (Whistler, BC) 54th.
“Today the conditions were awesome, it’s an awesome track,” said Simmerling, who is preparing to compete in just the third World Cup event of her career. “I need to clean up my technique a little bit before Friday’s race. My expectations are to continue to improve each day.”
The second training run takes place tomorrow with the opening ladies World Cup downhill race of the season scheduled for Friday.
The race will be aired live on www.cbcsports.ca or CBC cable channel bold.
LAKE LOUISE, AB – DEC1, 2009 – DH TR #1 - LADIES
| RK | BIB | NAME | YR | NAT | TIME |
| 1 | 23 | HOLAUS Maria | 1983 | AUT | 1:54.16 |
| 2 | 33 | FANCHINI Elena | 1985 | ITA | 1:54.34 |
| 3 | 24 | STYGER Nadia | 1978 | SUI | 1:54.58 |
| 4 | 51 | MCKENNIS Alice | 1989 | USA | 1:54.74 |
| 5 | 20 | MANCUSO Julia | 1984 | USA | 1:54.80 |
| 6 | 15 | FISCHBACHER Andrea | 1985 | AUT | 1:54.90 |
| 7 | 7 | GOERGL Elisabeth | 1981 | AUT | 1:55.05 |
| 8 | 12 | VONN Lindsey | 1984 | USA | 1:55.10 |
| 9 | 40 | COOK Stacey | 1984 | USA | 1:55.33 |
| 10 | 44 | MARSHALL Chelsea | 1986 | USA | 1:55.41 |
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| 12 | 5 | BRYDON Emily | 1980 | CAN | 1:55.58 |
| 20 | 28 | JANYK Britt | 1980 | CAN | 1:56.42 |
| 25 | 17 | VANDERBEEK Kelly | 1983 | CAN | 1:56.64 |
| 37 | 47 | SIMMERLING Georgia | 1989 | CAN | 1:57.32 |
| 38 | 61 | RUBENS Shona | 1986 | CAN | 1:57.34 |
| 41 | 34 | YURKIW Larisa | 1988 | CAN | 1:57.50 |
| 54 | 58 | WHITNEY Victoria | 1990 | CAN | 1:58.84 |
COMPLETE RESULTS
QUOTES FROM DOWNHILL TRAINING #1
Emily Brydon CAN (12th place)
On her run:
“I had so much fun. But every race I’m still nervous. I tell myself I’m good I’m good, and then it’s I’m nervous I’m nervous. And when the race start, the gates are easy and I’m in control.”
On the “Olympic season:”
“I’ve never really been a trainer so every year I guess it’s a little bit harder to do a lot of training. The anxiousness started this season. There is a lot of riding on that this season for our team and for me personally everything started this week-end. I think there is a lot of potential in the team and when there’s potential there’s expectation.”
“We learned a lot from our past. We are ready to grow and to be good. We are really excited and I was going crazy this month for waiting. I’m really happy to be there at this moment.”
Britt Janyk (20th place)
On the team:
It’s really nice I think the energy is really good and we will just have some fun this week. I think that’s important having fun and racing fast it’s a beautiful sunny day today it’s great the way we kick-off the season for the speed.
When we came out of last year, no matter if you’re having a good or a bad day you remerber and laughs keep trying and ski well and ski your best. We have a lot of fun, we joke a lot and it’s really important to keep that spirit.
You want more trying so well trying hard and we all want to have great results. It’s just one day at a time in race. Have some fun and enjoy the day and the ski will be great.
About the Olympics :
It’s an opportunity like no other. I’m a local Whistler girl and you just can embrace it and that is what I want to do. I want to be in the moment, to be there and I’m really excited about it and it’s going to be great and that’s what I trained for and why I worked so hard.
Kelly VanderBeek CAN (25th place)
On her performance:
“It’s awesome, I feel really healthy and I had a really good training run and I get really strong it’s just the final tuning in action. On race day anything can happen so every day is a new day and I love it.”
“It was a solid run, it was just sort of a nice and easy run with no big mistakes. It’s so cold, you could physically feel it but it was a nice track I’m in pretty good shape and I’m happy to be here.”
On the venue:
“I love it. It’s just a nice way to kick-off the season and being home is so exciting to be part of that.”
“Every year I feel a little bit stronger a little bit more balance and I get a little bit more power. I’m feeling better now than when I was 18 for sure.”
On the Olympics:
“You have to embrace the Olympics. Personally, it gets passion in me and it’s just exciting. If you actually believe it, physically it’s just another race and it is just an other day on your skis. For me I actually embrace the Olympics because I ski better when I’m excited and with a lot of passion. I definitely feel hungry for a medal for sure.”
Other countries:
Lindsay Vonn (USA) 8th place
On Lake Louise
“It’s really good to be back skiing downhill and Lake Louise is a great place to start, so I’m really happy and had a lot of fun today.”
“I feel really comfortable here, I love the hill the mountains here. It’s a beautiful place to be so I’m definitely happy to be back.”
“I know the hill, I know the terrain. I think by doing well each year here I’ve built some confidence and I come here every year knowing that I’ve done well so it gives me so much more confidence when I’m at the start.”
On the speed season that is starting
“So far I’ve done a lot of giant slalom and slalom training and racing, so it’s good to be back in downhill and finally get some speed races going. I’m really looking forward to the week-end.”
On her training run
“The first training run was really fun and it was a solid run for me. I made a few mistakes but I definitely had a smile on my face the whole way down.”
Anja Paerson (SWE) 11th place
On her training run:
“It was a perfect day to start for me because I haven’t done a lot of speed training this summer and the snow was pretty slow so I kept it cool and rode the line and I tried to just have fun out there.”
“I loved it. I wouldn’t mind doing this run a couple of times again. I still have in mind last weekend’s races in Aspen where it was so icy. Here in Lake Louise it’s very soft, the sun is shining so I love every moment.”
On the weekend races:
“I’m trying to have as much fun as possible and to stay happy. This weekend is really important for me and I have to make sure that I get good points and try to get to the podium a few times. It’s a very important year for me. So I’m trying to have fun while being serious at the same time.”
On her past performances
“It’s hard for me to keep up the aggressiveness that I had when I was younger.”
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