Sport Shorts: McIvor, Gough, Rush, Shouldice, Whitten, Bell & More!
Olympic Champion Keeps Rolling: Ashleigh McIvor, the first women’s Olympic champion in the sport of ski cross, took to the podium again at a World Cup in Italy on Sunday. The Whistler native, also defending world champion, won the silver medal. One day earlier, her teammate Kelsey Serwa (Kelowna, B.C.) started the season with a silver medal herself. Two silver, two races for Canada.
Guay Takes Bronze: Erik Guay (Mont-Tremblant) won bronze in a World Cup super-G race in Italy on Friday. He is the reigning World Cup super-G champion.
Gough Makes More History: Luger Alex Gough of Calgary won bronze on Friday at a World Cup in Park City, Utah. Along with a second bronze this season, the 23-year-old is the first Canadian ever to win two World Cup medals in luge.
Rush & Upperton: Canadian bobsledders nabbed a medal on Sunday when the four-man led by Lyndon Rush won bronze in Lake Placid. At a World Cup there, Rush (Humboldt, Sask.), Justin Wilkinson (Calgary), Cody Sorenson (Ottawa) and Neville Wright (Edmonton) steered the Canada 1 to 3rd overall on one of the world’s toughest tracks. On Saturday, Helen Upperton (Calgary) and Shelley-Ann Brown (Pickering, Ont.) won bronze in women’s bobsleigh. One day before, they were denied bronze by 0.14 of a second.
Shouldice: At the opening freestyle aerials World Cup in China, Calgary’s Warren Shouldice won a silver medal. In difficult conditions with swirling winds and snow, he then finished 4th in the next event on Sunday as Canada’s sole entry.
Whitten & Bell: Sounds like the name of a law firm when you write it like that, but in fact Tara Whitten and Zach Bell make up a potent track cycling duo. At a World Cup in Cali, Columbia, Bell (North Vancouver) won a bronze medal in the omnium event. Then, Edmonton’s Whitten won silver in this same event. Omnium is slated to run at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Dufour-Lapointe: In only her second World Cup start, 16-year-old Justine Dufour-Lapointe won bronze in dual moguls last Wednesday. The Montreal native topped the likes of such Canadian veterans as Jenn Heil (6th) and Kristi Richards (10th).
Swimmers in Dubai: Congratulations to the Canadian contingent who competed at the world short course swimming championships in Dubai. There were many notable results. Vancouver’s Martha McCabe was 5th in 200-metre breaststroke. Jack Tapp (Langely, B.C.) set national records in the 200-metre backstroke and 100-metre individual medley. Montreal’s Victoria Poon was 5th in the 100-metre freestyle, setting a new Canadian record, and also set a new national record in the 50-metre freestyle final. In the women’s 4×100-metre freestyle relay, Canada was 6th.
Water Polo Strikers: Vancouver’s Monika Eggens and Montreal’s Dominique Perreault potted four goals each on Sunday as Canada’s women’s water polo team captured bronze at the Canada Cup tournament. They beat Italy 16-9. Rosanna Tomiuk (Beaconsfield, Que.) had a hat trick.
Women’s Soccer: Canadian player of the year Christine Sinclair scored with less than 10 minutes to go to tie the score at 2-2 when Canada played Brazil in the Torneio Internacional Cidade de São Paulo. Canada won the Four Nations tournament at +6 in goal differential while Brazil with an equal record was +4.
Biathlon in Slovenia: In a mixed relay event in Pokljuaka, Slovenia, Canadian biathletes Megan Imrie (Falcon Lake, Man.), Zina Kocher (Red Deer, Alta.), Scott Perras (Regina) and Brendan Green (Hay River, Man.) finished 13th.
Kershaw and Company: The Canadian men’s cross-country ski finished 9th in team relay at a World Cup in France on Sunday. They are: Devon Kershaw (Sudbury, Ont.), Ivan Babikov (Canmore, Alta.), Alex Harvey (St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.), and Len Valjas (Toronto). next up: the Tour de Ski, which comprises eight races over 10 days at five venues. It starts Dec. 31.
Ellis Leads Juniors: Defenceman Ryan Ellis (Freelton, Ont.) is captain of the Canadian men’s hockey team that will go for gold at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships. They run Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Buffalo. For a full schedule, visit: www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/150628/la_id/1.htm.