ALPINE:

Halbert secures World Cup spot, Cook nabs Nor-Am downhill win

Feb. 17, 2011 — Alpine Canada  

ASPEN, Colorado ― Canada's Kelby Halbert secured a World Cup spot with a fifth-place result at the final Nor-Am Cup downhill race of the season Tuesday, but there was heartbreak for Georgia Simmerling, who did not finish and missed out by a single point.



Halbert, of Bradford, Ont., clocked a time of 1 minute, 40.12 seconds, to finish fifth on the day and second overall in the 2011 Nor-Am downhill standings with 247 points. The overall downhill title and the other World Cup spot went to the USA's Wiley Maple, who didn't finish Tuesday's race but had already accumulated 250 points.

The top two in the overall downhill standings are awarded World Cup spots in that discipline for next season.

"I'm pretty excited. I knew I had to put down a good run to get that spot," said Halbert, who was 12th in Monday's downhill. "It's a relief more than anything. This was my goal for the year and I'm super-stoked to have done it.

"For the rest of the season I can just focus on skiing and skiing fast and I've got the World Cup to look forward to for next season."

Dustin Cook of Lac Sainte Marie, Que., won Tuesday's downhill in a time of 1:39.28, ahead of the USA's Erik Fisher (1:39.55) and Thomas Biesemeyer (1:39.64).

There was a second-consecutive fourth-place finish for Whistler's Conrad Pridy, a B.C. Ski Team member, who clocked a time of 1:39.94. World Cup veteran Jan Hudec of Calgary, Alta., was seventh (1:40.33) and Raymond James Alberta Ski Team member Andy Trow of Canmore, Alta., was Canada's top junior with an eighth-place finish (1:40.47).

"We were all really impressed with Dustin," said men's coach Kip Harrington of Cook, who was 11th in Monday's downhill. "Coming back from a less than stellar day to win was great.

"Conrad has had the results of his life and Andy did well as a junior. As a team we had a much better day. We are on the right track."

On the women’s side, there was disappointment for 21-year-old Simmerling, who won Monday's downhill ― her first career Nor-Am Cup race ― and had started the day leading the overall downhill standings.

The Vancouver, B.C., skier fell and did not finish, leaving her stuck on 225 points. She was taken to hospital after suffering a suspected concussion and a knee injury. Further tests will be conducted in the coming days to determine the exact nature of her injuries.

Julia Ford of the USA won Tuesday's downhill race in a time of 1:42.78 to claim the overall downhill title with 310 points. Her USA teammate Kiley Staples finished fifth in 1:44.90 to give her 226 points and second place overall in the downhill standings, a single point ahead of Simmerling. The results mean both USA skiers have secured World Cup downhill spots for next season.

Quebec Team skier Victoria Stevens of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was second in Tuesday's downhill, with a time of 1:44.33. Stevens, a member of the Prospect Group, won her first career Nor-Am race when she took last Friday's super-G event in Aspen, but she didn't finish Monday's downhill. Stevens ended up fourth in the overall downhill standings with 220 points following Tuesday's race.

Tess Davies, of Canmore, Alta., a member of the Raymond James Alberta Ski Team, was third in Tuesday's downhill after clocking a time of 1:44.58. Sarah Freeman was fourth in 1:44.59.

"Victoria was quite disappointed after missing a gate yesterday but she did a pretty good job today," said coach Jean-Sébastien Labrie. "We had good results overall in the last two days and our young girls did well. We just had a bit of bad luck with the totals in the downhill (standings), which is pretty disappointing."

Next up for the Canadian team in Aspen is the men's super-G and super-combined on Thursday.