AERIALS:

Aerials crystal globe winner to be crowned at Canada Post Grand Prix

Jan. 28, 2010 — Canadian Freestyle Ski Association          ►Photo: Veronika Bauer trains at Gabriel (Mike Ridewood, CFSA)

While the selection is complete for the Olympic freestyle team, the world’s greatest aerialists have one final opportunity to perfect their spectacular twists and turns this Saturday at the Canada Post Freestyle Grand Prix at Ski Mont Gabriel.

The World Cup, presented by Ernst & Young on Jan. 30, is the last aerials stop on this season’s FIS tour. At the conclusion of the event, the crystal globe will be presented to the best male and female aerialists from the 2009-2010 season and to the Rookies of the Year.

Anton Kushnir of Belarus is poised to clam the overall aerials title, leading the rankings with 440 points. Chinese aerialists Zongyang Jia and Guangpu Qi follow, with Canadian Warren Shouldice sixth.

The women’s race is tighter, with Chinese athletes holding the top three rankings. Nina Li leads with 336 points, followed by Xinxin Guo and Mengtao Xu, with Amber Peterson, 10th, the top Canadian.

The Mont Gabriel stop will feature many athletes who progressed through the Jump 2010 program led by coach Nicolas Fontaine. Gymnasts and trampolinists from across the country were recruited and taught to translate their high-flying tricks from the gym to the snow. The program has already produced top-calibre athletes who have moved to the World Cup team, such as Olivier Rochon from Gatineau, Que., who is ranked 11th in the world, and Sabrina Guérin, from Laval, Que., ranked 14th. Rochon and Guérin will be joined at Ski Mont Gabriel by many of their teammates who are climbing the ranks and who will also be forerunning the aerials events at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Gabriel will also welcome four-time World Cup aerials overall winner and Vancouver 2010 Olympic team member Steve Omischl.

“I always love jumping at Gabriel,” said Omischl. “The fans in Quebec are amazingly supportive of freestyle — there’s really nothing like it anywhere else in Canada — so I’m really happy that my last performance before the Games will be in front of a cheering hometown crowd.”  SRC

Canadian athletes competing at Ski Mont Gabriel this weekend:

Steve Omischl, North Bay, Ont.
Olivier Rochon, Gatineau, Que.
Rémi Belanger, Mascouche, Que.
Travis Gerrits, Milton, Ont.
Jon Vellner, Red Deer, Alta.
Veronika Bauer, Toronto, Ont.
Sabrina Guérin, Laval, Que.
Geneviève Tougas, St-Hubert, Que.
Crystal Lee, Newmarket, Ont.
Laurence Allard-Riendeau, Montreal, Que.