AERIALS:

Tougas 3rd in Nor-Am aerials, Gerrits 9th on men’s side

Feb. 7, 2010 — Canadian Freestyle Ski Association          ►Photo: Travis Gerrits (Mike Ridewood, CFSA)

STE-ADÈLE, Que. — Geneviève Tougas of Saint Hubert, Que., secured a third-place finish at Sunday’s eight-nation Nor-Am freestyle ski competition at Ski Mont Gabriel. The 22-year-old aerialist was preparing to pack away her skis and watch the medal ceremony when she learned she’d reached the podium.

“I didn’t know until they called my name because I really don’t watch the scores when I’m competing,” said Tougas, who was coming off a sixth-place finish here Saturday.

“I really liked this Nor-Am because there was so much competition,” added Tougas, whose World Cup career best is 11th. “It wasn’t just Americans and Canadians. It didn’t feel like a Nor-Am, it felt more like a little World Cup.”

She didn’t try her more difficult double-twisting double flip, which she has struggled with lately. But she scored 153.50 points with two easier jumps, a lay tuck and lay full. That left Olympians Tanja Schaerer of Switzerland second at 163.79 and Elizabeth Gardner of Australia the winner at 175.56.

Sabrina Guérin of Laval, Que., nearly landed her second jump, then fell, en route to placing fourth in 147.98. Australian Lydia Lassila, who has won two World Cups this season, fell on her two jumps to finish sixth.

Inspired by a star-studded men’s aerials field, national development team skier Travis Gerrits of Milton, Ont., produced a career-best score of 191.00 to place ninth. He was recruited into freestyle skiing’s Jump 2010 program a few years ago after a history in trampoline, gymnastics and alpine skiing. He aspires to shine at the 2014 Olympics.

On Saturday, while jumping against some of the world’s best aerialists, Gerrits said he just wanted to land two clean triples and produce a personal-best score. He did just that with a single-twisting triple flip and a double-twisting triple.

Nicolas Fontaine, a four-time World Cup overall champion and head aerials coach for Canada’s national development squad, said of Gerrits, “He’s a good skier, a good acrobat and he’s got talent.”

The winner was Anton Kushnir of Belarus, winner of four World Cups this season, with a score of 249.48. It was a Belarus medal sweep as Dmitri Dashinski took second in 248.73 and Alexei Grishin third in 246.93.

Gerrits’ development squad teammate, Jonathan Vellner of Red Deer, Alta., was 13th in 170.04.  SRC