ALPINE:

Halbert, Stevens 2nd in Nor-Am downhills

Dec. 8, 2010 — Alpine Canada 

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta — Kelby Halbert and Victoria Stevens, two 20-year-olds who are both reigning GMC Cup overall champions, got the Northwest Funds Nor-Am Cup speed season started by both finishing in second place in their respective races Wednesday. For both it was also the first Nor-Am podium result of their careers.

Halbert finished second in the opening men's Nor-Am downhill, crossing the line in a time of 1 minute, 28.72 seconds.

"I was really shooting for a podium today. This is my first (Nor-Am podium) so I feel good about that. In training I would ski sections well but I was hoping to put a complete run together today," said Halbert, a Toronto Ski Club alumni in his first season with the national team.

Canadians placed three skiers in the top four spots in the men's race with Benjamin Thomsen finishing third followed by Dustin Cook in fourth. Wiley Maple of the USA won the race in 1:28.59.

"Wiley and I have been friends for a while. He's a bit of a speedster," Halbert said. "When I came down I led by something like four tenths (of a second) and then he came down right after me and snatched it away."

"Like everyone my goal is to get one of the two World Cup spots that are available at the end of the season. I also think that if I can continue to get good Nor-Am results, I will get more opportunities to race World Cup this season, so that is what I am trying to do," Halbert added.

On the women's side it was American Kiley Staples earning the win, just the third Nor-Am win of her young career and her first in downhill. Racing on the same mountain that staged World Cup events last week, Staples finished in 1:33.38.

Stevens, a member of the national prospect team, was 0.59 back in second place, to earn the first Nor-Am podium of her career. Julia Ford of the USA was third.

The Northwest Funds Nor-Am Cup presented by Continental Tire continues Thursday with another men's and women's downhill followed by a super-G on Friday.  S-Magazine