SKI CROSS:

Ski cross: McIvor wins, Hayer, Murray secure 2nd places

Jan. 10, 2010 — The Canadian Press         

►Photos: Ashleigh McIvor, above; Stanley Hayer, below right; women's podium, below left (Agence Zoom)

LES CONTAMINES, France — Canada’s Ashleigh McIvor held off teammate Julia Murray for the victory at a World Cup skicross event Sunday, while Canada's Stanley Hayer took second place in the men's event.

"What was nice about today's win was I didn't advance because someone crashed," McIvor said. "It was all good strong starts and good strong skiing.

"It was really nice to come back to Les Contamines and finally race some air and some off camber doubles with good terrain and good flow; it's one of those courses that when you get to the bottom, you want to go do it again."

With the victory, McIvor rose to second in the overall standings with 247 points. Six-time overall World Cup champ Ophelie David of France was fourth to retain the overall lead with 290 points.

"I was kind of in shock when my teammate and I were in first and second," Murray said. "I was really excited."

McIvor and Murray are from Whistler, B.C.

Hayer, of Calgary, fell to Xavier Kuhn of France in the men's final. It was Kuhn's second career victory. He moved into second place in the standings with 225 points.

"My previous victory was six years ago," Kuhn said. "It's really pleasing one month away from the Olympics."

Hayer said the Canadian team's mood is good heading into the Vancouver Games.

"It's a heavy weight on the shoulders but the mood on the team isn't too bad," he said. "We're racing against each other but we're also racing against the other freestyle disciplines and everyone is so good.

"This second place helps me huge in securing a spot."

Chris Del Bosco of Sudbury, Ont., was sixth while Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, B.C., was ninth.

Michael Schmid of Switzerland was eliminated in the semifinals but kept the overall lead with 295 points.

The next World Cup skicross event will be held Wednesday in Alpe d'Huez, France. There will be races the following week in Collingwood, Ont., at Blue Mountain, and then at Lake Placid, N.Y.

Ski cross, which features a mass start and head-to-head racing on a course with turns, bumps, jumps and rolls, will make its Olympic debut next month at the Vancouver Games.Ashleigh McIvor of Canada and Xavier Kuhn of France won World Cup ski cross races on Sunday.