John Daniel Profitt - CAN - 1st Men SG PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Hair/Coastphoto.com
WHISTLER – John Daniel Profitt of Calgary won the gold medal in the men’s super-G on Thursday to open the Mackenzie Investments Whistler Cup alpine skiing competition.
Profitt clocked one minute and 06.67 seconds for the win. Ryder Sarchett of the U.S. and Vaclav Klein of Slovakia tied for second in 1:06.81.
The 16-year-old Profitt is currently in his first season with Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont and was previously with the Sunshine Ski Club in Alberta.
The 16-year-old Profitt is currently in his first season with Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont and was previously with the Sunshine Ski Club in Alberta.
‘’We had great weather and I was not expecting to win today,’’ said Profitt, competing for the fourth time at the event. ‘’I have worked really hard this year and that has paid off.’’
Ryder Sarchett of the U.S. and Vaclav Klein of Slovakia tied for second PHOTO CREDIT: Matthew Sylvestre/Coastphoto.com
In the women’s super-G, Delia Durrer of Switzerland was the winner in 1:07.16 with Arianne Forget of Prévost, Que., second in 1:08.72 and Caitlin McFarlane of France third in 1:08.81. Jade Bonneville of Prévost was fourth in 1:09.04 and Britt Richardson of Calgary 10th in 1:10.34.
Delia Durrer - Switzerland - 1st Ladies SG PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Hair/Coastphoto.com
Delia Durrer - Switzerland - 1st Ladies SG PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Hair/Coastphoto.com
‘’It really great day because the sun was shining and the course was very cool,’’ said Durrer,15. I felt very good because I like these conditions. I was able to show a good run and I’m very happy with this result at my first Whistler Cup.’’
The 14-year-old Forget continued to show promise.
‘’My race today was great I was going really fast so sometimes I was a little bit scared but it worked out okay,’’ she said ‘’I’m really happy with my run, no regrets at all with how I skied today.’’
Arianne Forget (left) of Prévost, Que., second in 1:08.72 and Caitlin McFarlane (right) of France third in 1:08.81.
McFarlane found the conditions somewhat tricky.
‘’The snow was definitely a bit different to what our standard racing conditions are like,’’ said the 16-year-old. ‘’But I had a lot of fun. It was hard snow but it was a good race. This is my first time at Whistler cup and it's great. I really, really like it.’’
Thursday’s super G results at the Mackenzie Investments Whistler Cup alpine skiing competition in Whistler:
Men: 1. John Daniel Profitt, Calgary,1:06.67; 2. Ryder Sarchett, USA 1:06.81; 2. Vaclav Klein, Slova 1:06.81; 4. Edouard Bastard, France, 1:06.97; 5. Takumi Nakamura, Japan, 1:07.25; 6. Silvano Gini, Switzerland, 1:07.44; 7. Nicolas Pirozzi, Chile, 1:08.00; 8. Aidan Robin, USA, 1:08.35; 9. Nicholas Czarnik, Poland, 1:08.36; 10.Tiziano Gravier, Argentina, 1:08.50.
Women: 1. Delia Durrer, Switzerland, 1:07.16; 2. Arianne Forget, Prevost, Quebec, 1:08.72; 3. Caitlin McFarlane, France, 1:08.81; 4. Jade Bonneville, Prevost, Quebec, 1:09.04; 5. Dasha Romanov, USA, 1:09.19; 6. Mary Bocock, USA, 1:09.24; 7. Noa Szollos, Israel, 1:09.65; 8. Amellie Klopfenstein, Switzerland, 1:09.78; 9. Sarah Zoller, Switzerland, 1:09.80; 10.Britt Richardson, Calgary, 1:10.34
Full results : WMSC-Timing | WMSC Timing
Whistler Cup has a history of showcasing future stars, including Americans Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso and Mikaela Shiffrin, as well as Slovenia’s Tina Maze, Italy’s Christof Innerhofer and Austria’s Nicole Hosp, Anna Fenninger and Mathias Meier. Many of Canada’s biggest stars have also competed on this stage, including Marielle Thompson, Kelsey Serwa, Jan Hudec, Erik Guay, Robbie Dixon, Britt and Michael Janyk and Manuel Osborne-Paradis.
“The Whistler Cup is an excellent opportunity to race in your own backyard against your peers at the international level,” explained World Cup star Manny Osborne-Paradis. “This race gives kids a chance to see the diverse competition that exists in Europe and other countries. Many have used this experience to help them move to the next level and have gone on to compete on the World Cup.”
The inaugural Whistler Cup was held in 1993 and is the brainchild of Max Meier, parent of a young racer at the time. Meier and co-founders Joze Sparovec and Jim Yeates were inspired by the famed Italian international juvenile race “Trofeo Topolino”. Whistler Cup has grown in stature and influence over its 25 years, and its successes are celebrated by Whistler Blackcomb and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club.
Competition continues through to Sunday.