ALPINE:

Brydon retires with third-best Canadian female World Cup win total

March 25, 2010 — Alpine Canada          ►Photo: Emily Brydon (Agence Zoom)

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Emily Brydon is retiring from the Canadian Alpine Ski Team as one of the most successful female alpine ski racers in Canadian history, Alpine Canada announced Thursday.



Brydon's career was celebrated during a ceremony at Delta Lodge at Kananaskis at Nakiska, Alberta, as part of the GMC Canadian Championships Wednesday night, along with Geneviève Simard, who announced her retirement in January.

"I can't believe that 13 years have past," said Brydon, a member of the national team since 1997, at last night's reception. She encouraged other young skiers in the audience to pursue their dreams in ski racing.

"Standing in the start the last couple days has been an interesting experience," said Brydon, who announced at the World Cup Finals at Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, this month that she would be retiring at the end of the season. "Ski racing is not just about the results, it's about the friendships that you make and relationships that you build. The people that have come into my life over the past 13 years have made it better and helped me achieve my goals. They will be forever a part of my life."

Brydon retires with nine career World Cup podium results, placing her in a tie for third all-time with Betsy Clifford among Canadian women. She won a World Cup super-G in St. Moritz in 2008 and earlier this season she capped off her World Cup career with podium results on consecutive days at the Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart.

Brydon currently has 10 career GMC Canadian Championships titles to her credit, including a win in the super-G on Wednesday. In 2005, Brydon won the downhill, super-G, slalom and super-combined national titles.

She was ACA's Female Athlete of the Year in 2007, finishing on the podium in a downhill at Tarvisio, Italy. Prior to her World Cup career, Brydon dominated the Nor-Am Cup series in the 1998 season, taking the title in downhill, super-G and earning the overall title.

Brydon finished ninth in the super-G at the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 and seventh in the combined at the 2001 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at St. Anton, Austria.

She intends to compete in the GMC Canadian Championships giant slalom and slalom later this week.

"It's hard to imagine the Canadian Alpine Ski Team without Emily Brydon and Gen Simard. These two athletes have been unbelievable representatives of the ski team for many years internationally. They have done it with class and leadership," said ACA Chief Athletics Officer Max Gartner.

"Through their career, they have also inspired many young skiers to become ski racers," he added.

Simard, who retired in January after 14 years with the ski team, is in Nakiska in an advisory role with the Quebec provincial team.

"I was on the team 14 years, almost half of my life," Simard said last night. "This sport has given me a lot and I have only great memories to take with me. If I can keep giving back and stay involved with the sport I will be lucky."

Several volunteers and ski coaches were also in attendance at the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis last night to receive their TELUS Awards of Excellence, honouring their contribution to the sport of ski racing in Canada in the past year.  SRC