ALPINE:

Janyk, McLeish dead even for super-G gold

March 28, 2011 — Alpine Canada    

♦ Photos: Madison McLeish, top, tied for the gold medal in the super-G; Julia Roth, here after Sunday's super-combi, was seventh Monday in the super-G (Michel Painchaud) 

NAKISKA, Alberta ― Britt Janyk picked up her 15th national title at the GMC Canadian Championships on Monday, but she'll have to share it with a young gun.

Janyk, of Whistler, B.C., finished the super-G in a time of 1 minute, 4.47 seconds, which looked good enough to secure another win.

But 18-year-old Madison McLeish of Canmore, Alta., looked on in disbelief when she got to the bottom of the course and was told she had clocked an identical time of 1:04.47 ― good for a tie for first with one of her mentors.

"I wasn't expecting this when I came through the finishing line. I'm stoked," said McLeish, a member of the Raymond James Alberta Ski Team and part of the Prospect Group.

"It's very cool. Britt is a World Cup winner ― she's a fantastic skier. It feels really great to share the podium with her."

For her part, Janyk was happy to share the title with a talented young skier.

"It was good ― a really fun super-G," said Janyk, who praised the crew and volunteers who cleared the course amid heavy snowfall in the morning. "Madi is definitely a hard worker. She's with the Prospect team and it's really good to see someone right up top."

Hugues Ansermoz, head coach of the women’s team, was impressed with McLeish's skiing.

"I think it's a great result for Madi," he said. "Britt skied well and had a great run. When I saw her coming down I thought she was going to win, but Madi showed that she has the potential to go very fast.

"Britt is better with really tough, icy courses, but she skied well. The level has been high here. The girls are attacking."

Marie-Michèle Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., followed up her win in Sunday's super-combined with third place in the super-G after clocking a time of 1:04.67.

"It was generally OK," said Gagnon, a hugely talented technical skier. "It was really fun today. I'm here to work on things ― it was nice and solid."