ALPINE:

Quebec’s Quezel rules K2 giant slalom

March 24, 2011 — Alpine Canada  

COLLINGWOOD, Ontario — Quebec skier Lambert Quezel, grabbed his second podium of the week in Thursday's giant slalom race at the President's Choice K2 Canadian Championships.

Quezel, of Saint-Sauveur, Que., clocked a combined time of 1 minute, 25.34 seconds to win the race, after finishing third in Tuesday's super-combined event.

"I'm really happy," said Quezel. "My strength lies in the giant slalom event and I regained confidence after the super-combined race on Tuesday.

"My first run was clean, but I took more risks in the second run because I wanted the victory. I have enough confidence in my skiing right now, and I think I can be on the podium again tomorrow in the slalom."

Second place went to Jake Gougeon of the Georgian Peaks Club, who finished with a two-run combined time of 1:25.50.

"My day was great, I was just hoping I would ski as well as I knew I could," said Gougeon.

The podium was rounded out by Gregory Kofman, another Ontario skier from the Craigleith Ski Club.

"I'm pretty happy with how the day went," said Kofman. "My second run was a little bit sketchy, especially at the bottom of the course, but I managed to pull it off and not fall.

"The first course was pretty straight, not very technical. It wasn't typically my kind of course, but it still went well and I finished fourth. The second run was more technical overall, and even with the mistake I made at the end it still went pretty well."

Kofman finished 11th in Monday's super-G and fifth in Tuesday's super-combined.

"It hasn't been as good of a week as I thought it would be," added Kofman. "I didn't have a great super-G and my super-combined was OK. Slalom is my best event so I am looking forward to Friday's event."

The conditions were perfect for ski racing in Thursday's giant slalom race, with the course holding up from the first to the last racer.

The action now moves to Craigleith, with the slalom races scheduled for Friday.