Kingsbury denied record in moguls
Canadian not upset to end season in tie for first all-time with Grospiron
Canadian Mikael Kingsbury isn’t letting his surprise elimination from the men’s dual moguls event Sunday tarnish a season that saw him capture a fourth straight crystal globe.
Kingsbury, 22, was chasing a record 29th moguls title Sunday, which would have broken the career mark of France’s Edgar Grospiron. But Kingsbury was eliminated in the quarter-finals after falling hard in his race against American Bryon Wilson. “I had a good start, but Wilson had a better one,” said Kingsbury, who finished eighth. “I had to try to catch up and I had a little bad luck along the way.
Grospiron set the record in 1995, needing 80 World Cup starts to achieve the feat. By comparison, Kingsbury has registered 28 victories after just 60 races but says he wasn’t feeling any pressure to break the mark.
“Not at all. I know I’ll break Edgar’s record next season, so I didn’t put any pressure on myself for the 29th victory,” he said. “Today, I just wanted to have fun on the course because I knew I’d already won the crystal globe. Anyways, I never would’ve thought I’d reach 28 victories already this season.”
The native of Deux-Montagnes, Que., won eight gold medals this season, including a record seven straight. While Kingsbury would have liked to achieve the milestone this year, he plans to use Sunday’s defeat as motivation for next season.
France’s Anthony Benna finished first in his last competition on the Haute-Savoie run, ahead of American Thomas Rowley and Russia’s Alexandr Smyshlyaev.
In women’s action, Montreal’s Chloe Dufour-Lapointe claimed the silver medal after American veteran Hannah Kearney finished first in the final in what was likely her last race. Dufour-Lapointe marked her fifth podium finish this season, solidifying her thirdplace finish in the World Cup overall standings. Her sister Justine Dufour-Lapointe was third, her third podium effort of the season, to finish second overall.
MALTAIS, HILL MEDALS
Canadian Dominique Maltais captured a women’s World Cup snowcross event Sunday in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, while Kevin Hill finished third in the men’s event.
Maltais, the Olympic silver medallist from Petite-Riviere-StFrancois, Que., won her qualifying round before emerging victorious in the big final. The Canadian was followed by French racers Nelly Moenne Loccoz and Chloe Trespeuch.
Moenne Loccoz leads the World Cup standings ahead of Maltais heading into the final event next weekend at La Molina, Spain.
HAMELIN NABS SILVER
Canadian Charles Hamelin captured a silver medal in the men’s 1,000-metre event Sunday at the short-track speedskating world championships in Moscow.
The native of Sainte-Julie, Que., posted a time of one minute 25.189 second to finish behind South Korea’s Park Se Yeong (1:25.155). China’s Shi Jingnan was third in 1:25.225.