Calgary (AB), Canada – The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team qualified four men and four women Thursday into Saturday’s World Cup moguls final in Calgary. Olympic champion Hannah Kearney, of Norwich, Vt., led the charge headlining a one-two-three quails sweep for the American women.nJoe Discoe, of Ridgway, Colo., led the men, qualifying fourth. Also making the top 12 cut were Jeremy Cota and Dave DiGravio, both of Maine, and Park City, Utah’s Nate Roberts. The men’s race for the final spots on the World Championships Team is especially hotly contested. World Champion Patrick Deneen, of Cle Elum, Wash., and Butte, Mont.’s Bryon Wilson are taking the weekend off to prepare for World Championships at the Center of Excellence in Park City.
Kearney who has won four straight individual moguls events, will be joined in the finals by Olympian Heather McPhie of Bozeman, Mont., who qualified third, Steamboat Springs, Colo.’s Eliza Outtrim fourth, and last year’s FIS Rookie of the Year, Heidi Kloser of Vail, Colo., ninth.
Saturday’s event will serve as the final qualifier for the FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships Feb. 2-5 at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. The U.S. World Championship Team will be announced at a press conference Monday at Deer Valley.
Kearney has dominated the World Cup this season. Her winning performances extend back over a year. Of the last 10 individual moguls competitions, she has won nine, including an Olympic gold medal.
The men’s and women’s moguls finals will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. MT in the Olympic host city of Calgary where freestyle made its debut as a demonstration event in 1988.