Weekend recap: Shiffrin crashes, Kingsbury soars

Alpine skiing: Shiffrin’s crash mars World Cup race

The alpine skiing world was left in shock on Saturday when American star Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a devastating crash during the giant slalom race at Killington resort in Vermont. Shiffrin, who was on the cusp of making history as the first alpine skier to reach 100 World Cup wins, lost control on her final run and collided with the safety netting lining the course. The U.S. ski team later confirmed that Shiffrin had sustained a deep puncture wound on her abdomen but thankfully escaped any major injuries.

In her social media post following the incident, Shiffrin expressed her disbelief, saying, \”Something stabbed me.\” While there is no set timeline for her return, the alpine skiing community is keeping a close eye on her recovery. The crash has also raised questions about the safety measures in place, especially with the new rule mandating airbag vests for downhill and super-G races, but not for giant slalom and slalom events.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Valerie Grenier made a triumphant return to the slopes, finishing ninth in the giant slalom after a serious crash prematurely ended her season last year. Laurence St-Germain also impressed with a seventh-place finish in Sunday’s slalom race.

Unfortunately, the women’s giant slaloms scheduled to take place at Quebec’s Mont-Tremblant this weekend were canceled due to a lack of snow. However, the men are gearing up for the first downhill and super-G races of the season at Colorado’s Beaver Creek.

Freestyle skiing: Kingsbury shines as a new dad

Mikaël Kingsbury, the king of moguls skiing, added another feather to his cap with a resounding victory at the World Cup season opener in Finland. The Canadian superstar, who already boasts an impressive record of 90 World Cup wins and multiple world titles, clinched the top spot on the podium in front of his three-month-old son Henrik. Kingsbury described the win as a “top three” moment in his career, highlighting the special significance of having his family present.

Kingsbury’s victory was even more satisfying as it came ahead of his rivals, including Sweden’s Walter Wallberg and Japan’s Ikuma Horishima. The win solidified Kingsbury’s status as the greatest mogul skier in history and set the tone for what promises to be an exciting season.

On the women’s side, Canada’s Maia Schwinghammer put on a stellar performance, finishing fourth in the moguls event and matching her career-best result. With Kingsbury leading the charge, the Canadian freestyle skiing team is poised for more success in the competitions to come.

Curling: Homan claims another Grand Slam title

Rachel Homan and her team continued their dominant run with a hard-fought 6-5 victory over Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg in the women’s final at the National. The win marked Homan’s second consecutive Grand Slam title and her record-extending 17th career trophy in the prestigious tournament. The reigning world champions have been virtually unstoppable this season, boasting an impressive winning streak of 23 games and a record of 40-2.

In the men’s final, Scotland’s Bruce Mouat emerged victorious over Canadian Brad Jacobs, further solidifying his team’s dominance in the Grand Slam events. With the Masters in Guelph on the horizon, the curling world is eagerly anticipating more thrilling matchups and standout performances from the top teams.

Speed skating: Mixed results for Canada in Beijing

Canada’s long track speed skaters faced a challenging weekend at the second World Cup stop in Beijing, with the team falling short of their usual high standards. Despite a few standout performances, including Isabelle Weidemann’s bronze in the women’s 3,000m and Valérie Maltais’ silver in the mass start, the overall medal count was lower than expected.

The Canadian squad had some tough breaks, with Ivanie Blondin being disqualified in the women’s mass start for illegal contact and the team narrowly missing the podium in the team sprints. As the World Cup tour continues in January at Calgary’s Olympic Oval, the Canadian speed skaters will be looking to bounce back and reclaim their winning form.

Other notable Canadian results from the weekend include freestyle skier Dylan Deschamps’ bronze in the big air event in Beijing and track cyclist Dylan Bibic maintaining his lead in the men’s endurance standings. With more competitions on the horizon, Canadian athletes are gearing up for another exciting season of world-class performances across various disciplines.