Calgary, AB – Freestyle Canada’s Aerial team made an impressive season debut this weekend in Lake Placid, USA, with Marion Thénault leading the charge and claiming a bronze medal. Thénault’s score of 90.94 earned her third place on the podium, marking a strong start to the 2025 Aerial World Cup season.
Tricky wind conditions during the qualifiers added an extra layer of difficulty to the competition, unsettling even some of the most experienced athletes and causing notable names to miss out on a spot in the finals. Despite the challenges, Thénault delivered a composed performance, showcasing her skill and resilience.
Strong Performances Across the Team
Alexandra Montminy made her World Cup final debut, finishing 11th and demonstrating promise for future competitions. Meanwhile, Charlie Fontaine secured a 25th-place finish in the women’s competition.
On the men’s side, Alexandre Duchaine led the Canadian contingent with an 8th-place finish, narrowly missing the super finals. Émile Nadeau also came close to advancing, finishing 13th. Other Canadian results included:
- Pierre-Olivier Côté: 22nd
- Lewis Irving: 23rd
- Elliott Beauregard: 26th
- Miha Fontaine: 28th
- Victor Primeau: 32nd
Lake Placid Aerial Team Event
Freestyle Canada had two teams participating in the Aerial’s Team event: Canada-1, consisting of Charlie Fontaine, Lewis Irving, and Emile Nadeau, and Canada-2, composed of Alexandra Montminy, Miha Fontaine, and Alexandre Duchaine. Both teams delivered solid performances to qualify for the superfinal in first and second place. Miha Fontaine executed a strong back full-double full-full, earning him a score of 121.68 and one of the night’s standout performances.
In the superfinal, the teams were not able to execute to the same degree, but Alexandre Duchaine pulled through on the last jump, pushing his team just ahead of the Australians for a second-place finish with a score of 289.17. This accomplishment marks the first World Cup medals for Miha Fontaine and Alexandra Montminy. Canada-1 finished in 4th place, scoring 233.78.
Looking Ahead
With this strong opening performance, the Freestyle Canada team is poised for an exciting season. The results in Lake Placid underline the team’s depth and potential as they continue to refine their routines and adapt to the season’s challenges.
As the circuit progresses to its next World Cup stop at home in Lac Beauport, QC, from January 25-26, all eyes will remain on Thénault and her teammates as they aim to build on this momentum and bring home more hardware for Canada.
