Weekend Roundup: Season crossover results in two trophies and 12 medals
Amongst the wrap-up of World competitions, birthday celebrations and the start of new international events, Team Canada witnessed top podium achievements across the globe to finish off an exciting weekend.
Check out the details below.
Freestyle Skiing
READ: Mikaël Kingsbury and Justine Dufour-Lapointe reach the podium in Kazakhstan
As the last World Cup of the season, Team Canada achieved the top position of the FIS Standings to receive the Nations Cup in Shymbulak, Kazakhstan.
Mikaël Kingsbury also clinched the most points to earn the Crystal Globe for the eighth time in his career beating Japan’s Ikuma Horishima 825-517.
Earlier in the competition, Kingsbury claimed a silver medal and Justine Dufour-Lapointe earned the bronze medal.
This was the first time this season that Kingsbury was not the top podium finisher. Kingsbury earned 79.37 points, placing him behind rival competitor, Horishima (81.72). Sweden’s Walter Wallberg trailed Kingsbury with 78.67 points.
Dufour-Lapointe totalled 76.64 points to earn her second podium of the season. Kazakhstan’s Yulia Galysheva won gold (76.69), and Perrine Laffont of France claimed the silver medal (79.11).
Team Canada returns to Val St-Come, Quebec on March 21-24 for the national freestyle moguls championships.
Snowboard
READ: Snowboard cross bronze for Kevin Hill in Baqueira Beret
For the first time this season, Kevin Hill will be taking home a World Cup medal after winning bronze in Baqueira Beret, Spain.
Hill finished behind Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria and Australia’s Adam Lambert.
Diving
READ: Canada takes home synchro silver and bronze at FINA Diving World Series
READ: Meaghan Benfeito claims 10m silver at the FINA World Diving Series
READ: Two medals for Canada at the FINA World Diving Series in Sagamihara
Team Canada saw five medals from the FINA World Diving Series in Sagamihara, Japan.
Meaghan Benfeito celebrated her birthday with a 10m silver on Saturday. With five dives, Benfeito totalled 385.10 points to reach the podium. Chinese diver Jiaqi Zhang (393.30) took home gold, and the bronze was claimed by China’s Qian Ren (371.40).
Benfeito claimed the 10m synchro bronze with Caeli McKay the day before.
Jennifer Abel and François Imbeau-Dulac earned the 3m mixed synchro silver. Abel and Imbeau-Dulac totalled 327.93 points in front of Great Britain’s Grace Reid and Tom Daley (312.24). Yani Chang and Hao Yang of China claimed gold with 330.63 points.
Abel also seized a bronze medal in the women’s 3m springboard event. After holding fifth place throughout the competition, Abel was able to jump to third place for her final dive
Tingmao Shi received gold (382.05) and Han Wang (378.90) took home silver for China.
Earlier on, Abel and Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu won silver in the 3m synchronized springboard.
The FINA Diving World Series will make its way to Montreal from April 26-28.
Bobsleigh
READ: Silver for Kripps and Stones at the IBSF World Championship in Whistler
READ: de Bruin and Bujnowski win first career World Championship medal
Canada achieved three medals on home soil during the IBSF World Championships in Whistler, B.C.
Justin Kripps and Cam Stones achieved silver during the two-man bobsleigh event.
The duo timed 3:25.13 during their four runs, 0.59 seconds behind Franceso Friedrich and Thorsten Margis of Germany. Notably, Kripps and Alex Kopacz tied them at PyeongChang 2018 for Olympic gold. Germany’s Nico Walther and Paul Krenz also made it to the podium with a time of 3:25.43 to obtain third.
Notably, this was Kripps second straight World Championship medal.
Christine de Bruin celebrated her 30th birthday with a bronze medal to record her first career World Championship alongside teammate Kristen Bujnowski.
The partners scored a time of 3:31.25 for their four runs. Germany’s teams of Mariama Jamanka and Annika Drazek (3:30.08) and Stephanie Schneider and Ann-Christin Strack (3:31.14) claimed the top positions.
The team event took place on Sunday, which only happens once a year at the World Championships. The medals are decided by the total times of two-man bobsleigh, two-woman bobsleigh, men’s skeleton, and women’s skeleton.
Canada earned second place, trailing 0.15 seconds behind Team 2 of Germany, yet advanced past USA Team 2 by 0.64 seconds.
Canada’s team consisted of: De Bruin, Bujnowski, Dave Greszczyszyn, Mirela Rahneva, Nick Poloniato, and Keefer Joyce.
Gymnastics
Ellie Black tied for third at her first international competition of the season during the 2019 American Cup in Greensboro, North Carolina. Black tied Mai Murakami of Japan (55.732). Leanne Wong of Team USA took gold and Grace McCallum claimed silver.
Black came out strong on the uneven bars for the second highest score totalling a 14.266. She tied Murakami on the vault for third, recording a score of 14.433. Black saw third place again on the beam with a 13.800. She then tied for fourth with Germany’s Kim Bui during the floor competition for a 13.233.
