Park City, UT – The seemingly unstoppable Hannah Kearney, of Norwich, Vt., has been stopped at the FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships by Canada’s retiring moguls queen, Jenn Heil. France’s Guilbaut Colas took home gold for the men.nIn frigid temperatures on one of the world’s longest and steepest mogul courses, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team proved its fortitude by winning four medals at the FIS World Championships single mogul event held at Deer Valley Resort in Park City on Wednesday, including Heil’s gold in the women’s competition.

Heil, of Spruce Grove, Alberta but now living in Montreal, added the title of World Champion in single moguls to her impressive résumé with a score of 24.35. Kearney, who has won every moguls World Cup thus far this season, was second at 24.31 and Summerland, British Columbia, Canada’s Kristi Richards took the bronze medal at 23.71.

Heil, who announced last week that this will be her last competitive season, said, “I just tried to focus on coming out here and skiing, I love to ski and knowing it was one of my last runs this year I just tried to ski with all my heart, that’s what I really tried to focus on all day. Hearing Hannah’s (Kearney’s) score just before I went really motivated me to push it more and again, just to ski with all my heart.”

“I missed the grab. My finger touched it, but I didn’t grab it,” Kearney exclaimed.

That little mistake made all the difference for the judges, awarding Heil a score of 24.35 to Kearney’s 24.31. “It’s still a silver medal, with a mistake, which leaves room for improvement and it keeps things exciting,” said an upbeat Kearney of her first loss in six consecutive individual moguls events. “A dual between the two of us [Heil] might now have more meaning!”

Dual moguls are set for Saturday and will be the final event of the 2011 FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships.

Heil’s win makes her the first mogul skier to win the “grand slam” of freestyle titles, including: Olympic Champion; World Champion Single Moguls; World Champion Dual Moguls; World Cup Mogul Champion; World Cup Overall Freestyle Champion; and, FIS Rookie of the Year.

Richards said her accomplishment Wednesday in bitter cold temperatures fulfilled a dream. “My goal was to stand on the podium at Worlds, so here I am, mission accomplished, I can go home happy,” she said, adding that she’s looking forward to Saturday evening’s Dual Moguls event: “I’m excited for duals, I’m ready to open it up and go a little faster and take the technicalities out of the equation.”

For other Canadian women, Quebec City’s Audrey Robichaud finished finals in 10th position at 20.34. Chloe Dufour-Lapointe fell in her qualification run and ended the day in 22nd spot. For the Americans, Steamboat Springs, Colo.’s Eliza Outtrim and Westminster College student Heather McPhie, of Bozeman, Mont., also made finals finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.

“I was really psyched to throw the D-spin up top and push myself,” said McPhie after her finals run. “I am really excited for duals on Saturday.”

On the men’s side, a small error on his second jump put Olympic Champion Alex Bilodeau of Canada into silver position at 25.66, with Colas leading at 26.26. Eighteen-year-old Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, of Deux Montagnes, Quebec, won bronze at 25.57.

“I wanted to have nice speed control for my top air and have it clean and then open the machine a little in the middle section … on my bottom air unfortunately I did a little mistake because my skis bounced together instead of crossing and that cost me,” acknowledged Bilodeau, who hails from Montreal, Quebec. Nevertheless, he was thrilled to be on the podium with the current leaders in the World Cup standings.

For his part, Kingsbury was over the moon. “I’m so happy, I can’t believe I can be on the podium. Being third in World Championships, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I have dreamed of this since I was like 12 years old, so it’s pretty big. Next World Championships, the goal will be to win it.”

Jeremy Cota, of Carrabassett Valley, Maine, finished fourth just shy of the podium to lead American men who placed three in the top 10.

“I was happy with the way I skied,” said Cota. “I’m excited about the way my skiing is coming. I have spent a lot of time working on my technical skiing.”

Reigning World Champion Patrick Deneen, of Cle Elum, Wash., finished sixth while Maine’s David DiGravio wrapped up his run in ninth and Joe Discoe, of Telluride, Colo., came in 13th.

Two other Canadian men also made finals. Cedric Rochon, of Saint Sauveur, Quebec, finished the day in 7th at 23.72. Drummondville, Quebec’s PA Rousseau, who has said this will be his last World Championships event, finished in 10th spot at 23.14.

With individual moguls in the record books, World Championship competition heads over to neighboring Park City Mountain Resort for Thursday’s slopestyle finals, where recent Winter X Games 15 gold medalist Sammy Carlson, of Hood River, Ore., was the top American man and West Dover, Vt.’s Devin Logan led the women after qualification Wednesday. Three Canadians move on to Thursday’s 10-woman finals. Kim LaMarre from Lac Beauport, Quebec, qualified in second position, Kaya Turski from Montreal qualified third and Jessica Warll from Collingwood, Ontario, qualified 7th.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships
Deer Valley Resort, Park City, UT – Feb. 2, 2011
Moguls

Men
Gold: Guilbaut Colas, France, 26.26
Silver: Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada, 25.66
Bronze: Mikael Kingsbury, Canada, 25.57

Women
Gold: Jennifer Heil, Canada, 24.35
Silver: Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT, 24.31
Bronze: Kristi Richards, Canada, 23.71