European venue plays to Guay’s strengths
Decorated Canadian skier earns World Cup bronze on Italian slopes
CALGARY The 2016-17 World Cup speed season hardly opened according to script for Erik Guay.
First, the International Ski Federation scrubbed the World Cup opener in Lake Louise, Alta. for the first time in 29 years due to lack of snow.
Then, for the same reason, competition was moved to Val d’Isere, France for the second race of the year, originally scheduled for Beaver Creek, Colo.
Not one for political correctness, Guay worried out loud about climate change and the potential disaster it could create for his sport.
But on Friday, Guay’s focus was back on the snow-capped mountain before him, this time in Val Gardena, Italy. Already the most decorated Canadian skier of all time, Guay graced the World Cup podium for the first time this season and the 24th time in his career with bronze in the super-G.
Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud claimed gold in one minute, 31.93 seconds. His countryman Aleksander Kilde finished second in 1:31.99.
Guay, of Mont Tremblant, Que., stopped the clock at 1:32.06.
“It’s the kind of hill that really suits my style,” said Guay, who is known as a cautious, technical skier.
“There’s a lot of changing terrain on the way down, lots of movement along the way, lots of big jumps.”
Truth be told, Guay loves competing at the only Canadian stop on the World Cup circuit, but Lake Louise doesn’t traditionally love him back.
“I tend, for whatever reason, to prefer the skiing on European snow,” said Guay, 35. “So I was happy with the start of the season in Val d’Isere, and I’m happy to be here.”
Elated is more like it, given Guay waited until March to win his first medal of the 2015-16 season as he battled back from the sixth knee surgery of his career.
“To be honest, I didn’t think Erik skied all that well last year,” said his teammate, Dustin Cook. “I thought he was a little bit off. But I think this year he is back. He is skiing with confidence.”
A confident Guay is a dominant Guay. Despite three near misses of the Olympic podium in 2006 and 2010, he won the 2011 world downhill championship and the 2010 World Cup overall title in super- G.
“I know the reality is whether I bring an Olympic medal back or not, I’m going to be satisfied with my career,” Guay said earlier this fall.
“I think I’ve had a very good, long career.”
Cook, 27, was coming off a career season in 2014-15 when his right knee buckled last October during a routine training run. The Ottawa native had reconstructive surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament.
Thirteen months after the operation, Cook blazed across the line in sixth place Friday to announce to the world he is back as a contender.
“Everybody keeps saying that it’s so soon after the surgery, but I never thought about it like that,” said Cook, a silver medallist in super- G at the 2015 world championships. “I just wanted to jump right back to where I was. Maybe I was a bit unrealistic. But this is my first top10 that wasn’t a podium.
“I’m pretty fired up to be back this quickly. I’m really stoked.”
He is even more stoked because he smacked into the fence at high speeds during an ill-fated training run on Thursday.
This time, unlike last October, he got back up.
“Just a normal crash,” he said. “I just have a little bruise on my shin. I took some painkillers today and it obviously didn’t affect anything.
“The guys had told me, ‘You’re going to be hesitant until you’ve had your first crash. But once you have it, you realize that not every crash is going to destroy you. You’re going to be just fine.’
“It’s good to get that one out of the way.”
Manny Osborne-Paradis, of Invermere, B.C., finished 26th. Calgary’s Erik Read came in 57th.
To be honest, I didn’t think Erik skied all that well last year. I thought he was a little bit off. But I think this year he is back. DUSTIN COOK, Guay’s teammate