The Canadian men香蕉视频直播檚 downhill ski team opens an important racing season intent on making a multi-pronged push for the podium.
Their World Cup speed season kicks off in Beaver Creek, Colo., with Friday香蕉视频直播檚 downhill and Saturday香蕉视频直播檚 super-G.
Like the 香蕉视频直播淐razy Canucks香蕉视频直播� of the last century and the 香蕉视频直播淐anadian Cowboys香蕉视频直播� earlier this century, Alpine Canada香蕉视频直播檚 downhillers boast more than one man capable of winning races and challenging for the season香蕉视频直播檚 overall crystal globes 香蕉视频直播� provided they can stay on their skis and away from the crash nets in a high-speed sport.
香蕉视频直播淥ur goals are to keep them healthy, first and foremost, and every weekend we want to go out and we want to challenge for podiums, world championship medals and Olympic medals,香蕉视频直播� said head coach John Kucera, the 2009 world men香蕉视频直播檚 downhill champion with the Canadian Cowboys.
香蕉视频直播淭he ultimate goal for some athletes in this group is to put themselves in a position to be consistent enough to compete for globes. They香蕉视频直播檙e in elite company, a number of them.
香蕉视频直播淔or me, what香蕉视频直播檚 important is that we just keep pushing to bring the consistency necessary to be threats every weekend.香蕉视频直播�
Led by reigning world super-G champion James (Jack) Crawford of Toronto and 2023 world downhill bronze medallist Cam Alexander of North Vancouver, B.C., the men embark on the last full season of World Cup racing before the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
This is a season in which they can punch their Olympic tickets with the right combination of results at the world championship and on the World Cup circuit.
Calgary香蕉视频直播檚 Jeff Read, son of Crazy Canuck Ken Read, earned his first World Cup medal with a super-G silver in February.
Brodie Seger of North Vancouver, B.C., has been a top-10 finisher in world championship and Olympic Games. He香蕉视频直播檚 worked his way back from a knee injury at the 2023 world championship.
Crawford香蕉视频直播檚 alpine combined Olympic bronze medal in 2022 in Beijing was Canada香蕉视频直播檚 first medal in men香蕉视频直播檚 alpine skiing since Jan Hudec香蕉视频直播檚 super-G bronze in 2014.
Broderick Thompson of Whistler, B.C., isn香蕉视频直播檛 expected to race this season, Kucera said.
Thompson, the brother of Olympic champion ski cross racer Marielle Thompson, is still recovering from a training-run crash last year at Beaver Creek where he suffered a brain injury and broken bones.
香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 for sure not racing this year. We香蕉视频直播檒l assess where we香蕉视频直播檙e at come spring,香蕉视频直播� Kucera said. 香蕉视频直播淭his is one of those things. It香蕉视频直播檚 just going to take some time.香蕉视频直播�
The world alpine ski championships Feb. 4-16 in Saalbach, Austria, and the World Cup on the men香蕉视频直播檚 Olympic course Dec. 26-29 in Bormio are of interest this season.
But Kucera cautions that Bormio in December is not Bormio in February, when the Olympic Games will be held in 2026.
香蕉视频直播淭he one thing that is interesting about Bormio is it is a much easier mountain to ski in February than it is in December,香蕉视频直播� Kucera said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 in the sun in February, whereas in December it香蕉视频直播檚 one of the darkest places to race.
香蕉视频直播淚t is one of the iciest and bumpiest tracks. With the dark light, it香蕉视频直播檚 incredibly demanding.香蕉视频直播�
Alexander was third in downhill last year in Bormio and Crawford second in 2022.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a hill these guys have had quite a few years on,香蕉视频直播� Kucera said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not a one-off event. It香蕉视频直播檚 a race we hit every year and it香蕉视频直播檚 a race these guys enjoy. They enjoy how difficult it is. They enjoy the challenge of it.香蕉视频直播�
February香蕉视频直播檚 world championship in Austria will be a performance-on-demand dress rehearsal for 2026, Kucera said.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 another opportunity for these guys to keep figuring out what it takes to put it together when it matters,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hose are the kinds of skills and experiences that香蕉视频直播檚 required to then show up to an Olympic Games every four years and get it done on that day.香蕉视频直播�
The men香蕉视频直播檚 alpine team has a pair of slalom racers under its umbrella 香蕉视频直播� Asher Jordan of North Vancouver, B.C. and Liam Wallace of Banff, Alta.
香蕉视频直播淒ue to the injuries that the guys unfortunately had to battle through, they香蕉视频直播檙e in a bit of a rebuild so they香蕉视频直播檙e with our developmental group targeting Nor Am races at the start of the year just to get their points and their rankings back to where they need to be,香蕉视频直播� Kucera said.
Two-time Olympian Erik Read wasn香蕉视频直播檛 named to the alpine team for this season, so the 33-year-old Calgarian is self-funding his World Cup season.
Erik has yet to qualify for a second run after a pair of slalom races and one giant slalom. A GS race is scheduled for Sunday in Beaver Creek following the speed events.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
