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Begg-Smith misses podium, but moves closer to world number two

 

Begg-Smith misses podium, but moves closer to world number two

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AOC

Dale Begg-Smith has posted his sixth straight top ten placing, but missed the podium in the moguls World Cup in Sauze d’Oulx, Italy.

Dale Begg-Smith has posted his sixth straight top ten placing, but missed the podium in the moguls World Cup in Sauze d’Oulx, Italy.

Competing under lights on the Torino 2006 Olympic site, Begg-Smith qualified in sixth place on 25.50 points, then went on to post what seemed like an underscored 24.78 points in the final to finish in eighth position.

US skier Jeremy Bloom won the event with 27.02 points, his sixth consecutive World Cup victory. His compatriot Travis Mayer took the silver, with 2003 World Champion Mikko Ronkainen of Finland in third place.

Bloom, who had already wrapped up the World Cup crown before Sauze d’Oulx, now has 740 points for season.

With current world number two Nathan Roberts of the United States finishing back in 12th place for a season total of 444 World Cup points, Begg-Smith has moved to within 11 points of World Cup runner-up status on 433 points, with just one event to go for the season.

But the Australian is in turn under threat from the fourth-placed Mayer, now just 14 points further back on 419 points.

The other four Australian men in the Sauze d’Oulx field missed the 16-man final. Michael Robertson finished in 35th place on 21.23 points, Jason Begg-Smith in 38th on 20.85 and Nick Fisher in 55th place after falling on the final air.

Making his World Cup debut, NSW Institute of Sport Development Squad skier Ramone Cooper produced a very creditable 46th place, made all the more impressive by the fact that he was the last starter of the 66-man field, and had to ski in difficult light conditions after the sun had gone down and before the course lights had kicked in properly.

In the women’s event, Manuela Berchtold missed a place in the finals by two spots, finishing 18th on 21.81 points.

Kari Traa of Norway won the women’s gold medal, with runaway World Cup leader Jennifer Heil back in 11th place, her worst result of the season.
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