Kananaskis Valley (AB), Canada – Marie-Michèle Gagnon gritted her teeth and turned on the jets last Wednesday to claim the Canadian national giant slalom title she coveted above all others at the GMC Canadian Championships at Nakiska Ski Area in Alberta.n“I really wanted this,” said Gagnon, of Lac-Etchemin, Quebec, who won the ladies’ giant slalom by nearly a second with a two-run combined time of one minute, 43.52 seconds. “I knew that the one who wanted it the most would win. It’s a tight, short course. I really tried to go for it.”
Gagnon, who won the super combined event earlier in the Championships and was third in the super G, won both the slalom and super combined titles at last year’s national championships.
“Giant slalom is my best event,” said Gagnon, who finished the season ranked 16th in the World Cup in the discipline. “But I have some good opponents here.”
Gagnon was fastest in both runs Wednesday after the race was delayed following an early morning snow slide. She took the win on a shortened course ahead of Britt Janyk, of Whistler, British Columbia, who had a combined time of 1:44.27.
“It was fun. It was a great race,” said Janyk, who earlier won the super G and downhill national titles. “I’m definitely happy to be on the podium. On this course you’ve really got to fight for every one-hundredth. I’m feeling tired but when you get into the gate, it’s fun and I’m happy to be here.”
Victoria Stevens, 21, of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, picked up her second third-place result of the week following her podium finish in the downhill. She crossed the line with a combined time of 1:44.70. The Prospect Group athlete, a member of the Quebec Ski Team, said the result was a pleasant surprise.
“My runs didn’t feel awesome, especially my second run,” said Stevens, who leads the Coupe GMC Cup points standings on the ladies’ side. “I didn’t ski it well so I’m a little disappointed. I really wasn’t expecting to be on the podium but it’s fun to be in there.”
Marie-Pier Préfontaine, of Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, was fourth in 1:44.97.
“I had a better first run but it was still not great,” said the Canadian Alpine Ski Team skier, who was third in the super-combined on the weekend but has been battling illness all week.
There was another great result for Madison McLeish, of Canmore, Alberta, who was fifth in Wednesday’s giant slalom – and the top junior – with a time of 1:45.01.
The Prospect Group athlete, a member of the Raymond James Alberta Ski Team, tied for first with Janyk in the super G on Monday. Watching McLeish’s run Wednesday in Nakiska was her dad Robin, who won the national downhill title in Lake Louise, Alberta, back in 1981.
Official Results
GMC Canadian Championships
Women’s Giant Slalom – March 30, 2011
Nakiska Ski Area, Alberta
(Rank, Bib, Name, Born, Nation, 1st run, 2nd run, Total)
1 5 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN 52.16 51.36 1:43.52
2 4 JANYK Britt 1980 CAN 52.45 51.82 1:44.27
3 3 STEVENS Victoria 1990 CAN 52.57 52.13 1:44.70
4 1 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier 1988 CAN 52.34 52.63 1:44.97
5 2 MCLEISH Madison 1992 CAN 52.66 52.35 1:45.01
6 11 TERWIEL Elli 1989 CAN 53.73 51.71 1:45.44
7 9 ROUTHIER Eve 1988 CAN 53.00 52.62 1:45.62
8 15 MIELZYNSKI Erin 1990 CAN 54.41 52.12 1:46.53
9 7 RYLEY Kate 1989 CAN 53.60 52.98 1:46.58
10 12 ROTH Julia 1993 CAN 54.52 53.51 1:48.03