December 21, 2024 – Calgary,AB
Canadian freestyle skiers made waves on the international stage this weekend with standout performances in both halfpipe and dual moguls competitions.
Sharpe Shines in Return to Podium
Cassie Sharpe claimed her first World Cup medal since becoming a mother, earning bronze in the women’s halfpipe event at Copper Mountain, USA. Sharpe’s impressive run, which earned her 89.00 points, put her on the podium alongside China’s Eileen Gu, who secured gold, and Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin, who claimed silver.
Sharpe continues to be one of Gu’s closest rivals in halfpipe competition. With eight World Cup halfpipe victories to Gu’s 14, the pair once again showed why they remain at the top of the discipline.
Two other Canadians joined Sharpe in the women’s final. Amy Fraser and Rachael Karker finished 6th and 7th respectively, while Dillan Glennie narrowly missed the cut, finishing 9th in qualifiers.
Mackay Claims Silver for Men’s Halfpipe
On the men’s side, Brendan Mackay delivered a stellar second run, scoring 91.25 points to claim silver in Copper Mountain. This marked Mackay’s second podium of the season following his victory in Cardrona earlier this year.
Other Canadian men faced stiff competition in the halfpipe, with Dylan Marineau finishing 14th, Quincy Barr 22nd, Steven Kahnert 25th, Benjamin Lynch 29th, Noah Bowman 34th, and Evan Marineau 37th.
Freestyle Canada’s Halfpipe team will now prepare for their next challenge at the Aspen World Cup taking place from January 31 to February 2, 2025.
Dual Moguls Highlights in Bakuriani
In Bakuriani, Georgia, Maia Schwinghammer continued her strong season with a 4th-place finish in the women’s dual moguls. Schwinghammer narrowly missed the podium after falling to France’s Perrine Laffont in the small final.
Jessica Linton and Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert were eliminated in the 1/16 finals, finishing 21st and 24th respectively.
On the men’s side, Mikaël Kingsbury finished 8th after pulling out of his second jump due to technical difficulties. Sam Cordell and Julien Viel made it to the 1/8 finals, finishing 13th and 14th respectively, while Gabriel Dufresne (21st), Elliot Vaillancourt (23rd), Samuel Goodison (26th), and Charles Beaulieu (32nd) bowed out in the 1/16 finals.
Looking Ahead
Freestyle Canada’s Moguls team will take a short break for the holidays before resuming competition in the new year in Waterville Valley on January 24-25, 2025.
As the season progresses, Canada’s athletes will look to build on their momentum, with high hopes for more podium finishes in the final stretch before the FIS Freestyle and Freeski World Championships 2025 in St. Moritz Engadin, SUI from March 16th-30th.
