Katya Crema and Jenny Owens will be looking to emulate the performance of Scott Kneller when they compete at Cypress Mountain tomorrow.

The ski cross duo have their eyes on places in the finals like their Jindabyne team-mate, and if they can go anywhere near his top 12 qualifying spot they will be very happy.

Owens goes into the event with better credentials than Kneller did, having made three World Cup podiums during her career.

But the knee injury that has limited her performance during the season was aggravated in a training mishap late last week, with further damage to the meniscus one of the outcomes.

She will compete in a brace and with heavy strapping, but whether the knee can stand up to the challenge of a ski cross course, let alone several journeys through the testing series of jumps, Wu-Tangs and banked turns, remains to be seen.

Crema has completely recovered from the knee injury she suffered in March 2008, re-joining the World Cup circuit at the beginning of this season.

The 21-year-old Melbourne skier comes to the Games with her confidence up after her first top ten result, a tenth placing in Lake Placid in late-January.

She will be keen to show that the New York state result was not a fluke.

Australian ski cross team coach Matt Lyons said both athletes were raring to go.

“This afternoon’s session was very good for both of them,” said Lyons.

“Jen’s knee held up very well and she did two complete runs, the first one standing up a bit and the second at full pace.”

“So she’s come away with a great deal more confidence.”

“And Katya skied very well.”

In the wake of rising media focus on the success or failure of Canada’s Own the Podium program, the local skiers will be under particular pressure tomorrow, penciled in as they surely were in the men for at least one medal.

Ashley McIvor, Kelsey Serwa and Julia Murray are ranked two, three and four - though a recent knee injury to Murray has a question mark over her hopes – while the fourth member of the team, Danielle Poleschuk, is number 8.

Sweden’s Anna Holmlund is another to win this season, taking consecutive victories in the opening two events, though she has faded post-Christmas.

But if the sporting gods have any sense of justice, the first Olympic gold medal to be won by a woman will go to French skier Ophelie David.

David is far and away the outstanding figure in the sport, having won six straight World Cup titles and one World Championship crown.

Though she has made the top of the podium just once this season, she again leads the standings, and Olympic gold would round out a brilliant career for the 33-year-old.

Barry White
AOC-Cypress Mountain