Calgary (AB), Canada – There will be no shortage of exciting freestyle skiing competition to watch when the FIS World Cup stops at Calgary’s Olympic Park for its annual moguls event this Saturday.
A total of 19 Canadians will be competing (10 men and nine women). Leading the way for the men will be Mikael Kingsbury, of Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, who will be entering the competition as the Calgary tour stop’s four-time defending champion.
“Calgary has always been a special place for me to ski,” said Kingsbury, the Olympic silver medalist. “I have had great success in the past and look forward to continuing my streak of wins. It’s always fun competing in Canada and I feel like it gives me an extra boost. I hope we can put on a good show for everyone watching and our team can grab a few spots on the podium.”
At last season’s Calgary World Cup, Justine Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal grabbed first place on the podium and sister Chloe finished in third. Not far off were Andi Naude (Penticton, B.C.) in fourth and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe (Montreal, Quebec) in fifth. Justine’s win marked her second consecutive victory in Calgary and her third podium overall.
“I think this will be a great test for us. It’s the first single moguls World Cup of the season,” said Justine Dufour-Lapointe, the Olympic gold medalist. “I’ve been able to win the last two World Cups here and finish in second another time. I definitely enjoy the atmosphere and the hills here in Calgary. I am excited to get back out there and defend my title in my home country.”
Canada will also have the current FIS World Cup points leader competing in Philippe Marquis of Quebec City, who earned the yellow bib with his dual moguls World Cup win in Ruka, Finland December 13.
“The goal is to compete. I think a win is a great way to start the season,” said Marquis. “Now that I am the World Cup leader, I definitely want to try hold on to that and stay at the top of the leaderboard as much as I can. I want to be on as many podiums as possible and hold on to the yellow bib as long as possible. I am lucky and the team is lucky to be able to compete in Calgary. It’s going to be a special moment to represent Canada on home soil.”
Members of Canada’s moguls team will be available on skis to meet with members of the general public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park. Athletes will be interacting with fans, giving out autographs and posing for pictures.