FREESTYLE: Australian aerial skiers go to their first World Cup event of the 2013/2014 season in Beida Lake, China, this weekend with the strength of four athletes ranked in the top 10.
FREESTYLE: Australian aerial skiers go to their first World Cup event of the 2013/2014 season in Beida Lake, China, this weekend with the strength of four athletes ranked in the top 10.
With a world ranking of three, Lydia Lassila, the reigning Olympic champion, is the highest ranked Australian woman with Laura Peel, ranked fourth, and Danielle Scott, ranked eighth, adding to the Aussie fire power this season.
In the men’s event David Morris, who became the first Australian male to win an aerial World Cup event last February, starts the season as the world number two.
Along with Sam Wells and Renee McElduff, the Australian squad has been in Ruka, Finland, since mid-November, preparing for the five World Cup events this season.
However, the squad is the first to realise that the rankings are based on last season’s results and as of Sunday, everything is back to scratch and the race for results is on again.
Scott goes to China boosted by a Europa Cup win last week in Ruka. Morris, Peel, Wells and McElduff also carry forward the confidence they gained in the Europa Cup with second, third, fourth and 13th places respectively.
Beida Lake is expected to attract a strong contingent of Chinese, American and European athletes who will compete in the qualification session on Sunday before the field is trimmed back to 12 athletes in the first final, then eight, with the top four progressing to the super final where the medals are determined - all on the same day.
