SKI CROSS: The final competition of the 2016/17 FIS Ski Cross World Cup season hits the slopes of Canada’s Blue Mountain resort this Sunday, where the best ski cross athletes in the world will be looking to end the tour on a high before heading back to Europe for the Sierra Nevada 2017 Freestyle World Ski Championships.
After thirteen competitions at eight different resorts in seven different countries across three continents, it all comes down to Sunday’s competition for OWIA skiers Sami Kennedy-Sim and Anton Grimus as only the top 16 ladies and 32 men are invited to the ski cross World Cup finals.
The race course in Blue Mountain is a difficult, snaking course, with the standout features being the dramatic start immediately followed by a tricky gliding section, which will be a tough test of rhythm, and a one-of-a-kind final jump.
“The course looks good with a very technical and difficult start section. Unfortunately, today was windy with snow and training was limited to only the start section and first 200 metres of the course. Tomorrow we hope for better weather and training,” said Australian coach Shawn Fleming.
There are no qualification rounds in Blue Mountain – just two training sessions and the heats according to World Cup rankings, which will be competed on Sunday in Canada (from 2.30am Monday morning AEDT).
Sami Kennedy-Sim is hoping to match or better her previous fifth place in Blue Mountain.
“The track looks really fun and the start section is very technical so I was happy to at least have a go on it today,” Kennedy-Sim said.
“We race on Sunday and I am really excited to race in Blue Mountain again. We raced here five years ago and I was fifth.
"Fingers crossed for a less blowy day tomorrow and that I can ski the way I have been and secure another great result.”
Grimus has had a difficult time after becoming injured early in the season and is fortunate to have made the top 32 men after the Russian and French teams decided to keep the majority of their squads in Europe ahead of the World Championships.
You can catch up with all the action at 8am on Monday 6 March on Eurosport.
OWIA
