Freestyle Canada – Mikaël Kingsbury captures third straight gold at home and reclaims yellow bib

Saint-Côme, QC – Second time round is just as sweet for Freestyle Canada’s Women’s Moguls team, who were successful in defending their sweep of the podium in the first Canadian-hosted 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup in Val Saint-Côme, Quebec.

With four Canadian skiers qualifying to the super final, top qualifier Justine Dufour- Lapointe was the last skier down the course. With three Canadians already on the podium, she knew she needed a great run to be part of the sweep. Her fluid, aggressive skiing combined with excellent technique vaulted her to the top of the podium, with teammates Andi Naude finishing second and older sister Chloé Dufour-Lapointe claiming third place.

“I wanted to ski for my fans and my family and I wanted to make them proud,” claimed Justine Dufour-Lapointe. “I was in the start gate and I could hear the announcer say we had the sweep. In that moment I felt some pressure, but then I said to myself, I’m not going to let that stop me – I’m going to defend my title.”

Teammate Andi Naude captured her first podium of the 2016/2017 season, after a scary moment earlier in the week.

“I had a big crash here in training, so I’m over the moon to be on the podium today with my teammates” said Naude. “I think the key to my success this season is to stick with the process: if I can keep putting down runs day after day, that are consistent, I’m confident more great results will come.”

Chloé Dufour-Lapointe was solid top to bottom in her runs today and rounds out the women’s podium with a third place finish. Team veteran Audrey Robichaud finished in fourth place.

King of the Moguls Mikaël Kingsbury reigned supreme again today, capturing his second World Cup of the season and reclaimed the yellow bib on the FIS World Cup Tour.

Following qualifications, the Canadian Men’s team held three of the top four spots, with Philippe Marquis and Simon Pouliot-Cavanagh joining Kingsbury in the super final.

Kingsbury was also faced with the chance to continue a winning streak of his own – and he did not disappoint the home crowd, capturing his third straight gold medal in Val Saint-Côme.

“It’s always great to compete here at home, we don’t get the chance to compete in front of so many family, friends and fans” claimed Kingsbury. “It’s so special when you hear your name at the top of the course and you hear everyone cheering – it definitely helped me compete at my best today.”

Although Simon Pouliot-Cavanagh didn’t make the podium this week, he recorded his best finish of the season, coming back from a back injury that left him sidelined for the majority of last season.

For complete results from today’s event, please visit: http://www.fis-ski.com/freestyle- skiing/moguls-aerials/.

The FIS World Cup Tour continues next weekend, with both Moguls teams heading to WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta. The competition is on Saturday January 28th, 2017 and will be broadcast live on CBC Sports and TVA. For competition schedule and broadcast times, please visit: http://www.freestylecanada.ski/en/events/wc/calgary/

Open Moguls Day

The athletes and coaches of the national ski team will meet & greet fans of all ages on Sunday, January 22 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at the base of the Vas-y Molo run in Val Saint-Côme. The team will be on hand to answer questions, sign autographs, pose for pictures and even demonstrate how to ski moguls. The event is free and open to skiers of all ages.

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Upcoming Events in February 

• XGames – January 26 to 29 – Aspen – Halfpipe/Slopestyle
• FIS World Cup – January 28 – Calgary – Moguls

For more information and media inquiries please contact: 

Jenn Johnson, Director, Communications & Partnership
Cell: 403.797.3248
Email: jenn@freestylecanada.ski

Dominique Ladouceur, Manager, Athlete Relations
Cell: 514.576.2379
Email: dominique@freestylecanada.ski

Freestyle Canada is the governing body in Canada for the sport of Freestyle Skiing. With the support of its valued corporate sponsors along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium, FC develops Olympic and world champions in all disciplines of the sport. For more information about FC, please visit www.freestylecanada.ski