X GAMES:

Good pain: Serwa edges David for X Games skier X gold

Jan. 30, 2011     ♦ Photos: B.C.'s Kelsey Serwa endures a tough fall (bottom), but reaps the golden rewards

ASPEN, Colorado ― Canadian Kelsey Serwa survived a bruising women's final to claim gold in the Winter X Games skier X competition Sunday at Buttermilk Mountain.

Kelowna, B.C.'s Serwa, 21, took the lead midway through the final and held it going into the massive final kicker. She launched huge air, lost her balance and somersaulted across the finish line, suffering facial abrasions, but edged France's four-time defending champ, Ophelie David, for the gold.

David also wiped out off the final jump and suffered wrist and other injuries, but she earned silver. Swiss 18-year-old Fanny Smith took bronze.

Canada’s Danielle Poleschuk was just off the podium in fourth, with Julia Murray ninth.

In the hard-fought women's final, Serwa ― who won bronze last year ― entered the last section in front and launched herself off the final jump. She landed awkwardly on her back and crossed the line in 1 minute, 28.83 seconds before flipping onto her front.

"I just went for it," said Serwa, who was left with a bloody nose and a sore back following the crash.

France's David also fell after the final jump but took silver in 1:29:16 and Smith finished close behind in the bronze-medal position (1:31.70).

"Ophelie has dominated here but Kelsey was able to put an end to her streak in spectacular fashion," said Eric Archer, Canada's head coach.

After the awards ceremony, Serwa headed to the medical centre for tests on her sore back. Team officials are still awaiting the results.

In a scintillating men's final, Canadian Chris Del Bosco, a resident of the nearby Vail Valley, was edged by less than half a ski length for gold by American upstart John Teller.

Del Bosco, the defending champ, led for the first three-quarters of the race, but Mammoth Lake, California's Teller, 27, pulled off a nifty pass on a tight turn and skied flawlessly down the stretch.

Aspen's Casey Puckett took bronze.

Canada placed three other racers in the top 10, with Stan Rey fourth, Brian Bennett sixth, Davey Barr seventh, Nick Zoricic 12th, Stanley Hayer 21st and Dave Duncan 23rd.

“In the run just before this in the semis, I stayed behind Del the whole way,” Teller said in the finish area. “He's been so fast every time we come to X Games. With the slipstream, anybody's able to stay with him … I somehow got through there. Still can't believe it.”

Teller was a relative unknown on the ski cross circuit until he became the first U.S. racer to win a World Cup ski cross race, in St. Johann, Austria, earlier this month. He works as a part-time auto mechanic to help fund his ski cross ambitions.

“It just shows that hard work in life, doesn't matter what you do, it always pays off,” an exultant Teller said.

Teller's time was 1:21.16, just ahead of Del Bosco (1:21.19) and Puckett (1:21.97).

"I knew I had a chance on the last triple but I just kind of ran out of room," said Del Bosco, who was happy to be back on the podium after winning last year. "Sometimes that's the way it goes. There's not much you can do about it." S-Magazine

— Canada Ski Cross contributed to this report