Canada Scores First Gold!!
Jennifer Heil from Spruce Grove, Alberta earned Canada's first Gold of the games by winning women's moguls on Saturday in Sauze d'Oulx, Italy while Norway and France logged Silver and Bronze respectively.
The Silver and Brozne medalsits were veteran Kari Traa of Norway, the 2002 Olympic champion (who will likely retire from competetive skiing), and a relative newcomer Sandra Laoura of France took bronze with a fast run.
The Japanese entry was the most acrobatic skiier pulling of a nutty flip and finishing fourth and the Swedish competitor landed a front flip for fifth (IIRC). Overall, 2-time world champion, Heil's run was smooth, fast and technically sound with decent, if unspectatular, jumps (top air 360 and backflip with crossed skiis).
Canadian teammates Kristi Richards (Summerland, B.C.), finished seventh, Audrey Robichaud (Val Belair, Que.), was eighth and Stephanie St. Pierre (Victoriaville, Que.), finished 12th.
