SKI CROSS:

McIvor snags 2nd at Rockstar Ski Cross Grand Prix, Leman 5th

Jan. 20, 2010          ►Photo: Blue Mountain ski cross action, above; Ashleigh McIvor, below (SRC)

BLUE MOUNTAIN, Ontario — With each stop on the World Cup circuit, Canadian freestyle skier Ashleigh McIvor is cementing her status as a medal contender at the Vancouver Olympics.

Her latest podium appearance came Wednesday as she won silver in the women's ski cross at Blue Mountain. It was the third medal of the month for the 26-year-old skier from Whistler, B.C., who won gold and bronze at recent events in France.

"I'm happy with my result here," McIvor said. "I like winning but being on the podium is always a good thing."

Brady Leman of Calgary finished fifth, a career best, in the men's race later in the day. Click here for videos from the event, including the Leman interview with SRC.

McIvor finished behind Marte Hoeie Gjefsen of Norway in front of several hundred enthusiastic spectators on a sunny afternoon. Sasa Faric of Slovenia won the bronze.

McIvor found herself in third place after she was elbowed near the start of the four-woman final. She clawed her way back to second and hung on for the silver. McIvor said she wasn't surprised by the intensity of the race.

"That's girls for you," McIvor said. "The guys on my team are always saying that the girls are way nastier than the men. Pulling and pushing and screaming, but that's how it goes."

Head coach Eric Archer was impressed with McIvor's focus.

"When she gets in that start gate, it's all business," Archer said. "She didn't have that attitude when she started on this team a few years back. She's started to begin to realize what she can do with this sport. She's putting in the work and it's paying off."

McIvor has already locked up a spot on the Olympic team. However, for most of her teammates every result is critical as there is just one more event at Lake Placid this weekend before the freestyle roster is named Monday.

Winnipeg native Danielle Poleschuk finished sixth, Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, B.C., was ninth, Julia Murray of Whistler was 10th and Aleisha Cline was 21st.

The Canadians were shut out of the men's final. Andreas Matt of Austria won gold, Lars Lewen of Sweden took the silver and Patrick Koller of Austria won bronze.

Leman was one of four Canadian men to crack the top 10. Stanley Hayer of Calgary was seventh, David Duncan of Golden, B.C., finished ninth and Christopher Del Bosco of Sudbury, Ont., was 10th.

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. The Canadian team is strong and has a good shot at winning some medals.

"If luck just happens to be on your side one day, you get a day like we had in Cypress last year," Archer said of Canada's five-medal effort in West Vancouver last February.

The depth of the team was evident Wednesday when nine of the 10 Canadian skiers who qualified made it to the quarterfinals. But anything can happen in the rough-and-tumble sport.

"You're like excited, it's going great and then boom, the hammer falls," Archer said. "You start having the bad luck creep in and you've got the ones that are fighting through. We had some career-best finishes today with Poleschuk and Leman. Those guys stepped up and fought hard today."

With potential Olympic spots on the line, McIvor said you can see the tension on her teammates' faces.

"Of course there's some stress but I think as a whole, we work pretty well together," she said. "The team dynamics are pretty killer. I think that's why we've been the number one nation. We're all supporting each other and we'll get through it together."

McIvor's early nomination has helped calm the nerves and let her focus on getting results.

"I think that it's better for me," she said. "I do better when I'm focused on the fun side of it with no pressure. So hopefully I do all right with the pressure of the Olympics. We'll see."

Archer said McIvor's success comes down to confidence.

"She's really believing in herself," he said. "She put in the work in the off-season. That's a key part of this sport is just believing that you're the one to beat out there. She gets in that start gate, no matter how nervous or scared she says she is, she knows that 'I've got good starts, I've got fast skis and I'm helluva a good skier.'

"She just believes it and it works."

Europeans control the top of the men’s World Cup standings, with Austrian Michael Schmid atop the pack (32.50 points), followed by France’s Xavier Kuhn, Austria’s Matt and Norway’s Audun Groenvold. Del Bosco ranks fifth, Hayer eighth and Duncan ninth.

On the women’s side, Canada is faring a bit better. France’s Ophelie David leads with 34.58 points, with Canadians McIvor and  Murray in second and third, respectively. Serwa ranks fifth and Poleschuk 11th.  SRC

— The Canadian Press contributed to this report

Blue Mountain women's World Cup ski cross results

Blue Mountain men's World Cup ski cross results