Calgary, AB – Lac Beauport, a hub for Canadian aerials and home to a strong group of national talent, delivered another thrilling weekend of World Cup action. One of the hometown favourites, Émile Nadeau delivered an outstanding performance to secure bronze in the men’s aerial competition at the second of two World Cup events held at this iconic venue. Nadeau led the field through qualifying and the first final, impressing with his back full-double full-full—a quadruple twisting triple flip—that showcased his skill and consistency.
Heading into the superfinal as the top-ranked skier, Nadeau had the advantage of being the last to jump. With the snow continuing to fall and the results of the five skiers before him in mind, he made a strategic decision to prioritize execution over difficulty. His back full-full-full, a triple twisting triple flip, earned him a score of 95.98, just enough to secure the bronze medal.
Reigning Olympic champion Guangpu Qi of China demonstrated his veteran precision, also opted for the lower degree of difficulty. His expertly executed back full-full-full earned 110.56 points and the gold medal. Fellow Chinese aerialist Xindi Wang claimed silver with a score of 105.88 for his back double full-full-full, completing a strong showing for Team China.
Thénault Returns to Finals in Women’s Event
Marion Thénault continued to showcase her impressive consistency on the women’s side, advancing to the superfinals and performing her first triple flips in competition. A bronze medalist at Lac-Beauport in 2024 and gold medalist in 2023, Marion has been training triple flips into water for two seasons. She landed her first triple flips on snow in Finland in December 2023 but stuck to her reliable double flips throughout the 2023-24 season.
With the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games just over a year away, Marion aimed to add triple flips to her repertoire to remain at the top of the sport heading into the Games. She and her coach, Jeff Bean, strategically chose this event—held in challenging conditions with shifting wind and steady snow—as the perfect opportunity to test her hardest tricks under pressure. This experience confirmed that she has both the skill and confidence to perform at her best, even in less-than-ideal conditions.
Marion finished sixth in a highly competitive field, adding another strong result to her already impressive résumé. Her performance, debuting triple flips in competition, marked an important step forward in her preparation for the 2026 Games.
Meanwhile, Laura Peel (AUS) dominated the weekend in Quebec, capturing gold for the second time in as many days. Karenna Elliott (USA), who secured her first World Cup victory at this event last year, continued her strong run at Lac-Beauport by earning silver, her second career podium finish. Airleigh Frigo of Australia rounded out the podium with a bronze medal, making it a standout day for the Australian team.
Canadian Contingent in Action
In addition to milestone performances by Thénault and Nadeau, Canadian and Quebec team athletes showcased their skills while gaining valuable elite-level experience. National Team skiers Miha Fontaine and Alexandre Duchaine represented the host nation in the final, finishing 10th and 11th, respectively.
Other Canadian team men included Anthony Noel (15th), Elliot Beauregard (19th), Lewis Irving (22nd), Gabriel Dion (23rd), Pierre-Olivier Côté (26th), and Victor Primeau (27th). Victor was joined in the hometown competition by his younger brother, Elliot Primeau (34th), who made his World cup debut this weekend.
On the women’s side, National Team skiers Charlie Fontaine (16th) and Alexandra Montminy (23rd) continued to gain experience. They were joined by Quebec Team athletes Sarah Faith (18th), Victoria Côté (20th), Isa-Frédérique Laurin (26th), and Alycia Hudon (28th), all making their World Cup debuts and showing great promise for advancing to the next level.
The event underscored the strength of Canada’s aerial program, with both seasoned veterans and up-and-coming athletes gaining valuable competition experience on home snow.
Looking Ahead
Canada hosts its second WC weekend of the season with mogul and dual mogul competitions taking place in Val St. Come, QC, January 31 and February 1.
The Canadian aerialists will stay in Lac-Beauport to train at the high-quality competition site before joining their mogul skiing teammates for the next World Cup competition in Deer Valley, Utah, from February 6–8.
