Minsk, Belarus – Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Ashley Caldwell of Charleston, South Carolina, rebounded from her injury last week to finish second in the aerials World Cup finals Saturday in Minsk behind China’s World Champion, Shuang Cheng. It was the second podium of her young career.nHometown hero Anton Kushnir of Belarus won the men’s event. It was an especially important victory for Kushnir, the World Championship bronze medalist, taking the first World Cup ever held in his country of Belarus at an amazing new aerials facility near Minsk.
Caldwell, who did not compete last week in Moscow, Russia after a crash in training, came back strong for the final event of the season. She threw a full-full, followed by a full double full-full in the finals to score her second career World Cup podium having earned her first with a win in Lake Placid. Her jumps were clean and performed with technical precision, but her degree of difficulty was just below that of Cheng, allowing the Chinese aerialist to edge Caldwell for the win.
“Ashley was excited and she jumped great,” said U.S. Head Aerials Coach Todd Ossian. “This is a really great way to end the season and a great bounce back from Moscow.”
“This week was alot better than last week,” said Caldwell. “I didn’t end up competing, so I’m really happy to come back strong.”
Belmont, Mass.’s Emily Cook, coming off her second career World Cup victory in Moscow, jumped well in training. But in her qualification run she came off the jump a little bit forward, losing points and failing to make finals by one spot.
“It’s pretty unlike Emily to do that [miss a takeoff], but she is a great sport,” said Ossian about the veteran Cook. “She knows she had a very good season and has a lot to be proud of.”
Laval, Quebec’s Sabrina Guerin matched her personal best finish in fifth to lead the Canadian women. Queensville, Ontario’s Crystal Lee was ninth at 152.13.
“I was pretty happy with my jumping today,” said Guerin, “especially my second jump, a lay full, I was confident, I had a good line and a good landing and it was one of the best jumps I’ve ever performed.”
Dylan Ferguson, of Amesbury, Mass., ended 11th after a tough landing to a very clean final jump to lead U.S. men. Ferguson jumped well, but with slower takeoff speeds was unable to get the amplitude needed and he was forced to drag his hands on the landing. He was the only American man to qualify for Saturday’s finals. Tahoe City, Calif.’s Scotty Bahrke was 24th.
The Canadian men had a bit of an off day, with the exception of Red Deer, Alberta’s Jonathan Vellner, who earned his first World Cup finals spot and finished in 12th. World Champion Warren Shouldice, of Calgary, Alberta, landed in ninth position after slapping back on his second jump.
Canadian Travis Gerrits, who faltered slightly on his landing, was nonetheless honored with the FIS Aerials Rookie of the Year Award today.
“It’s definitely a step towards my ultimate goal of winning the Olympics,” said an excited Gerrits, who was sixth at the World Championships earlier this month. “I am feeling really good about my jumping technically and my [degree of difficulty] is improving. My goal for the season was to make one World Cup final, in fact I made four, including Worlds, so I far surpassed my expectations and I couldn’t be happier with my season.”
Ossian was likewise pleased with the U.S. team’s results this winter. “Our results were pretty spectacular this season. We are a pretty young team and we have a lot to build on this summer,” said Ossian. “We are all really motivated to train hard this summer.”
Saturday’s competition was the final World Cup aerials event of the season. Cook led the U.S. in the final standings in fifth with Caldwell eighth. Cheng topped the women’s standings while fellow countryman Guangpu Qi won the men’s.
The freestyle World Cup circuit resumes Feb. 26 in Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic for dual moguls.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
World Cup
Minsk, Belarus – Feb. 19, 2011
Aerials
Men
1. Anton Kushnir, Belarus, 256.31
2. Stanislav Kravchuk, Ukraine, 244.49
3. Denis Osipau, Belarus, 237.42
Women
1. Shuang Cheng, China, 187.87
2. Ashley Caldwell, Charleston, SC, 183.96
3. Fanyu Kong, China, 178.28