Kananaskis Valley (AB), Canada – Whistler, British Columbia’s Michael Janyk became the only winner from last season to repeat at the 2010 GMC Canadian Championships by taking Saturday’s men’s slalom at Nakiska Ski Area on the final day of the Canadian national alpine ski racing championships. In the women’s slalom, Marie-Michèle Gagnon, of Lac-Etchemin, Quebec, was able to achieve her goal of winning more than one national championship at the 2010 event by finishing with the top time in Saturday’s final race.nAnd the GMC Cup race series now also has its 2010 champions, with Toronto Ski Club’s Kelby Halbert (Bradford, Ontario) the men’s winner and Mont Tremblant’s Victoria Stevens (Ottawa, Ontario) the women’s winner.
Janyk, now a four-time men’s slalom champ including most recently in 2009 in Quebec, won Saturday’s race in a two-run combined time of 1:29.54.
“This is pretty good. I have to try to keep up with my sister,” Janyk said laughing, after his older sister Britt picked up the 13th GMC Canadian Championship title of her career in Friday’s women’s giant slalom. “It’s always a good way to end the season. You’re in Canada, competing against your teammates and the younger guys. It’s fun and we really get a chance to enjoy competition that is a little less intense and you can just ski for fun.”
It wasn’t an easy day for the men’s slalom skiers, however, as just 27 of the 85 racers were able to cross the finish line in both runs.
For Gagnon, she said it was her mission to win Saturday’s race after finishing a disappointing fourth in Friday’s GS.
“I was going for three titles this week. I took revenge today because yesterday was the GS, my favorite discipline and I did not do so well. So I just wanted to come out today and get my revenge and I’m glad that I did,” said Gagnon, who said it’s been a great week of celebrating the sport at Nakiska Ski Area, west of Calgary.
“It’s awesome. I really like speed skiing. There’s no pressure, we are just out here having fun,” she added. Gagnon won the super combined earlier in the week.
Halbert led the overall men’s GMC Cup points race coming into Saturday’s race and held on for the title after placing seventh in the men’s slalom.
“It went pretty well,” said the 20-year-old Halbert of his week in Nakiska. “The icing on the cake was definitely finishing second (overall) in the downhill. That brought me up and it’s great to be the overall GMC Cup champion.”
For Stevens, the GMC Cup championship was even sweeter after just missing out on the title last season.
“I am really excited to win the GMC Cup. Last year I was close, second or third I think. So to win it this year, it means a lot to come back strong,” said the 20-year-old Stevens. “I wasn’t leading coming to the nationals so I am happy with my results here and winning.”
The GMC Cup alpine ski series is the brain-child of Olympic champion Nancy Greene Raine, who approached GMC more than four decades ago with the concept of creating a strong domestic ski racing series for up-and-coming Canadian alpine racers.
Several current members of Canada’s Alpine Ski Team are also GMC Cup alumni including past GMC Cup overall winners Michael Janyk (2004), Brigitte Acton (2002, 2003), Shona Rubens (2005), Marie-Michèle Gagnon (2007) and Erin Mielzynski (2008).
The GMC March of Champions also brought Canada’s top slalom skiers to Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park on Saturday night for a dual slalom event including several 2010 Olympians.