ALPINE:

Guay out, but young guns, veterans find speed in Nakiska training

March 25, 2011 — Alpine Canada  

NAKISKA, Alberta — Britt Janyk and Marie-Michèle Gagnon added some firepower to the women’s field at the GMC Canadian Championships Friday, but two young guns set the pace in the final training run.

Prospect Group member Madison Irwin of Toronto, Ont., clocked a time of 1 minute, 0.68 seconds to lead the way Friday, five-hundredths ahead of Laurence Vallerand of Verdun, Que., and Gagnon, of Lac-Etchemin, Que. (1:00.77).

Both Gagnon and Janyk, of Whistler, B.C., who was eighth fastest in a time of 1:01.44, were running the course for the first time after returning to Canada following last week's World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

"I'm having fun. I feel good," said Irwin, 19, a member of the Craigleith Ski Club in Collingwood, Ont. "You can always ski better but I think I cleaned up a lot of the mistakes I made yesterday and I hope I will do the same tomorrow.

"It would be amazing to win here. It would be so much fun."

Gagnon, a talented technical skier and the defending slalom and super-combined champion, said she's looking forward to working on a few things this week.

"It's fun to be here," she said. "I'm working on my gliding and getting used to the course."

Janyk has won 13 Canadian titles and is the defending downhill and giant slalom champion.

"I was 15 (years old) for my first one and I'm 30 now," she said of the annual end-of-season championships. "It's a good opportunity for the younger racers to compete against me and just see where they stand."

Vallerand was thrilled to post the second-fastest time Friday and is hoping for big things in Saturday's downhill race.

"I'm really happy," said Vallerand, 18. "I was pretty focused on what I had to do. I had to adjust a few things technically but the line was there. Can I get on the podium? Why not? It would be kind of a surprise but my hopes are up."

On the men's side, Ottawa resident Dustin Cook was again the fastest skier Friday, with a time of 57.59 seconds, but Kelby Halbert served notice that he'll be in the mix by finishing second in 57.81.

The Nakiska course seems well suited to Halbert's 6-foot-8 frame, and the Bradford, Ont., skier has been runner-up in the downhill the past two years.

"I want to win this downhill tomorrow," said Halbert. "It's about time for me to step up my game."

With world downhill champion Erik Guay ruled out due to the recurrence of a back injury, Halbert will be battling with the likes of Cook and Jan Hudec, who rested Friday but plans to race Saturday.

"I tried to push it a little more than yesterday and it worked out really well," said Cook. "It's an easy track so you have to find those tiny things that allow you to have that little extra bit of speed."

Erik Guay, who has been battling back issues for several months, won't race at the GMC Canadian Championships, which run through March 31.  

The 29-year-old, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., met with doctors this week and didn't receive clearance to race.

"I'm disappointed that I can't be there to help the younger generation but getting my back better has to take priority," said Guay, who eclipsed Crazy Canuck Ken Read's mark of 14 podiums with No. 15 in Kvitfjell, Norway, earlier this month.

Team physician Dr. Chris Irving noted that Guay’s back is getting better but still needs time to heal following the conclusion of the World Cup season.

"He's still having symptoms and we are doing further evaluation and further testing," said Irving. "He's not cleared to race right now because of his back. It's improving but it's still not there. He needs ongoing treatment."