MOGULS:

Heil 2nd to Uemura in Japan moguls, leads overall

March 7, 2010 — The Canadian Press         

►Photos: Jennifer Heil (Mike Ridewood, CFSA); below, Heil and Aiko Uemura share a laugh earlier in the season (MR)

Join the SRC fun on Facebook

INAWASHIRO, Japan — Moguls skier Jenn Heil of Spruce Grove, Alta., followed up her silver medal at the Olympic Games with a silver medal in Freestyle FIS World Cup action Sunday.

Weather conditions forced cancellation of the scheduled World Cup Saturday, and fog didn't make the situation much better unday for competitors and the overflow crowd of about 5,000.

The women completed a single-run final, without qualifications, despite fog delays.

The men's moguls event was canceled after about half the men completed their runs.

These included Olympic moguls champion Alex Bilodeau of Rosemere, Que., who was leading when the event was called due to heavy fog. Olympic silver medallist Dale Begg-Smith of Australia trailed Bilodeau, while one of the favourites, Guilbaut Colas of France, had yet to run.

Sunday's medal is Heil's sixth in her last six starts, after beginning the season with a fifth-place showing in Suomu, Finland last December. The silver medal also stops Heil's winning streak at four World Cups this season, but leaves her atop the women's overall moguls standings, and in contention for her fifth overall World Cup title.

She has 565 points, while Heather McPhie of the U.S. is second with 466.

Heil also won the title in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, then did not compete in the 2007-08 season. Last season she was second overall.

Heil scored 22.73 points for second place Sunday. The winner was Japan's Aiko Uemura, fourth at the recent Olympics, with a score of 23.00. Olympic bronze medallist Shannon Bahrke of the U.S. was third in 22.20. Olympic champ Hannah Kearney of the U.S. was not competing.

"It was a great run," Heil said of Sunday's performance. "It was very clean on such a challenging course. Aiko's run was aggressive with many errors. Mine was a little cleaner, but a second slower."

Heil's time was 30.54, compared to Uemura's leading time of 28.99.

"It's the hardest course in the world by far, so I just kept it simple and did a technically strong run," she said.

The Canadian superstar said it was nice to be back on the slopes, but the 2010 Olympic experience in Vancouver still resonates.

"Obviously, the Olympics were such an amazing moment," said Heil. "Competing at home (in Canada) was the most rich experience I've had in my career. For many Canadians it was such a special time."

Other Canadians in Sunday's women's moguls were Chloe Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal in 10th, sister Maxime Dufour-Lapointe, also of Montreal, 12th, Kristi Richards of Summerland, B.C., 17th, and Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City 19th.

The World Cup circuit resumes with moguls events Friday and Saturday in Are, Sweden.  SRC

Inawashiro women’s World Cup moguls results