ALPINE:

Czech Republic takes team event at World Cup Finals

March 14, 2010 — SRC Staff Report   

►Photos: Manny Osborne-Paradis tries his hand at slalom (Agence Zoom); bottom, the winning Czech team (AZ)

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GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — The Czech Republic edged Switzerland on Sunday to win the Nations Team Event at World Cup Finals.

The competition involved four skiers from each nation — two men and two women — who competed individually against each other in a parallel slalom format. Each win is worth one point. The fastest time is used as a tiebreaker.

The Czechs and Swiss were 2-2 in the final and the Czechs won on Ondrej Bank's fastest time. Bank was undefeated in all his heats.

Austria took third place over Croatia, with Marcel Hirscher having the fastest time to break a 2-2 tie.

After beating ninth-ranked Slovenia, Canada's team of Erik Guay, Manny Osborne-Paradis, Brigitte Acton and Britt Janyk was eliminated by top-seeded Austria.

The team event concluded World Cup Finals and ended the alpine season.

Members of the Canadian Alpine Ski Teams now return to Canada to participate in Nor-Am Cup Finals this week at Burke/Waterville Valley, USA, or the GMC Canadian Championships later this month at Nakiska, Alberta.

The GMC March of Champions, a unique celebration of amateur sport involving alpine, freestyle and ski cross competitors, will bring the season unofficially to an end March 27 at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.  SRC

— The Canadian Press and Alpine Canada contributed to this report