Kearney’s Year Long Win Streak at 10
MONT GABRIEL, PQ (Jan. 14) – Olympic champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) captured her first victory at Mont Gabriel, extending her FIS Freestyle World Cup win streak to 10 consecutive. Jeremy Cota (Carrabassett Valley, ME) joined Kearney on the podium with a career best second behind winner Mikael Kingsbury of Canada. Action continues Sunday with the opening aerials event of the season before the World Cup swings to Lake Placid.
HIGHLIGHTS
· Hannah Kearney won her third FIS Freestyle World Cup of the season, retaining her top overall ranking.
· Kearney extended her World Cup win streak to 10, undefeated in the last year, earning her first career World Cup win on the slopes of Mont Gabriel.
· Jermey Cota finished second, a career high and first podium of the season.
· Sho Kashima (S. Lake Tahoe, CA) was fourth. Eliza Outtrim (Hamden, CT) and Heather McPhie (Bozeman, MT) were 5th and 7th. It was Kashima’s first time off the podium this season.
· The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team qualified four men and four women into the finals.
· U.S. carries strong momentum in moguls into next week’s USANA World Cup in Lake Placid, the first stop on home slopes.
QUOTES
Hannah Kearney
I had a wonderful season last year and it’s been really satisfying to have such a good, productive off-season really pay off.
To come away with a victory is a nice improvement over last year. (Kearney was knocked out of the dual moguls in the quarterfinals) I’ve skied here a lot and never won, I even had a season ender here a few years ago.
This is a great event because I have a lot of family and friends come out. I know a lot of people in the area, and it is makes it more memorable to have them here.
Jeremy Cota
This is the best result thus far in my career. I am happy with the way that I am skiing. I have skied well these last few events and today it really came together. I’m really excited.
Scott Rawles, Moguls Head Coach
We had four men and four women qualify for the finals, which was really good. Traditionally our results here have been a bit of a mixed bag, so today’s results were very good.
Cook Second in World Cup Aerials Opener
MONT GABRIEL, PQ (Jan. 15) – In only her fourth day on snow this season, two-time Olympian Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) stood second on the podium Sunday at Mont Gabriel in the FIS Freestyle World Cup aerials opener. Olga Volkova of the Ukraine finished first edging out Cook, while Russia’s Pavel Krotov took the men’s top spot. Cook showcased her jumping prowess in the debut of the new World Cup aerials format – where athletes compete in up to three individually scored rounds, culminating with the top four jumping in a Superfinal for podium placement. The World Cup now heads to Lake Placid for the USANA Freestyle Cup.
HIGHLIGHTS
· Emily Cook finished second, showcasing a new World Cup aerials competition format.
· It was only Cook’s fourth day on snow this season, after being out all fall nursing a knee injury.
· Cook landed a Full-Double-Full (two flips, three twists) in the Superfinals.
· Four other U.S. Ski Team athletes had career best finishes.
· Jonathan Lillis (Rochester, NY) finished a career best eighth throwing a Full-Full-Full for the first time in competition (three flips, three twists).
· Allison Lee (Manchester, CT) also scored a career best ninth.
· Nevin Brown (Streetsboro, OH) was 11th and Hans Gardner (Orchard Park, NY) 13th – both personal bests.
· The finals podium was comprised of athletes from six different counties.
· Russia had its first aerials podium in aerials in nine years, with Japan getting its first in more than a decade.
· New competition format consists of a qualifying jump to cut to top 12 with a second jump to make the top four known as the Superfinals. A third jump determines the podium placement.
QUOTES
Emily Cook
The old format really rewarded consistency, but I love how this is a new start on every jump. It’s a cool opportunity and it really fits my style. My success today was really due to my experience and being able to put it down when it matters.
I’ve been recovering from sore knees, so was pretty excited to get a lot of jumps off today. I hadn’t gotten to my full degree of difficulty until today.
Todd Ossian, Aerials Head Coach
The new format is exciting – it’s really good for the sport and for our team.
We had a lot of personal bests today. I’m really happy with how we performed.
Ferguson Leads Strong U.S. Finish
PARK CITY, UT (Dec. 22) – The U.S. Ski Team’s Dylan Ferguson (Amesbury, MA) soared to a strong win Thursday capping a two-day aerials opener to the International Ski Federation NorAm Cup at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. Ferguson posted an impressive 121.94 to win over Russian Timoflei Slivets, Wednesday’s champion. Madison Olsen (Park City, UT) and Kiley McKinnon (Lake Placid, NY) took wins for the women over the two-day competition which also showcased a rising talent pool of U.S. development aerialists.
HIGHLIGHTS
· Dylan Ferguson’s NorAm win in the season-opening series was a good indicator for the World Cup season which opens in Mont Gabriel, PQ in three weeks, before heading to Lake Placid, NY.
· Scotty Bahrke (Squaw Valley, CA) was second in the opener which was dominated by the Russian Freestyle Team.
· Wind and blizzard conditions hampered the opening day event with women limited to a one-jump single flip only comp and men limited to doubles. Thursday’s competition ran through qualifying down to fields of 12, then cut to four for the men’s and women’s finals.
· FLY Freestyle’s Madison Olsen and Elite Air Development Program (EADP) athlete Kiley McKinnon took women’s wins. World Champion Ryan St. Onge is now coaching FLY Freestyle with Olympic Champion Eric Bergoust coaching the EADP program. It was McKinnon’s first FIS event after being recruited last spring at the Marriott Junior Championships.
· EADP athlete Mac Bohonnon (Lake Placid, NY) was third on Thursday.
· Olympian Ashley Caldwell crashed onto the knoll in her finals jump on Thursday. She was being evaluated for injuries.
QUOTES
Dylan Ferguson
I’m super stoked to start out the season with some solid jumps. It’s also really cool seeing the development team kill it the last few weeks. U.S. aerials is slaying it! Right now I’m hyped to start the World Cup tour with momentum.
Todd Schirman, Freestyle Director
One of the big things we saw in the competition and in the camp the last few weeks is that we’ve doubled the number of athletes at this level compared to last year. We’re seeing very quick progression by gymnastic and trampoline athletes coming into the sport through our Elite Air Development Program and with strong coaching in programs like FLY Freestyle.
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