Canadians in hot medals pursuit
WINTER ROUNDUP Klassen, Groves reach podium at World Cup event Rocca braves poor conditions for first slalom win of year
Cindy Klassen raced to silver while Kristina Groves won bronze in the women’s 1,500 metres at a speed skating World Cup yesterday in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Then the pair helped Canada to silver in the team pursuit to boost Canada’s medal total to six on the fourth stop of the World Cup circuit.
Calgary’s Arne Dankers added a Canadian- record performance in finishing seventh in the men’s 10,000 metres. Germany’s Anni Friesinger earned the gold in 1: 54.66. Klassen finished in 1: 54.72. Groves, from Ottawa, took the bronze. CURLING: Randy Ferbey’s rink fell 9- 6 to Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador yesterday at the Canadian Olympic curling trials to fall to 1- 2. Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton beat Shawn Adams of Halifax 5- 4 in an extra end and Ontario’s Glenn Howard hit the win column with a 7- 3 victory over Jay Peachey of B. C. Sherry Middaugh won her third straight game on the women’s side for first place, after pounding Saskatchewan’s Sherry Anderson 8-5 in the only women’s draw of the day. MEN’S SLALOM:
Giorgio Rocca of Italy skied a clean second run in icy and snowy conditions yesterday in Beaver Creek, Colo., to win the World Cup season’s first slalom, and American Ted Ligety finished third.
Rocca completed two runs in a time of one minute, 51.72 seconds. Stephane Tissot of France, had the fastest second run and finished second in 1: 52.58. Patrick Biggs of Ottawa was 14th. WOMEN’S SUPER-G:
It was a special win for Alexandra Meissnitzer at yesterday’s World Cup super- G slalom race at Lake Louise, Alta. Meissnitzer led an Austrian sweep of the podium with a time of 1: 21.73.
It was the first time in 25 years of racing at Lake Louise any country had swept a women’s race. Andrea Fischbacher was second in 1: 21.83 while Michaela Dorfmeister was third in 1: 22.56. NORDIC COMBINED:
Hannu Manninen of Finland edged American Todd Lodwick by 0.4 seconds yesterday at Lillehammer, Norway, to win a World Cup Nordic combined sprint. Manninen covered the 7.5 kilometres in 19 minutes, 47.5 seconds. Ronny Ackermann of Germany, 0.8 behind, followed Lodwick in a crowded sprint. Ackermann said Manninen blocked him on purpose when he tried to pass the Finn on an uphill stretch just before the final straightaway. The German was upset and tried to hit Manninen with his ski pole after crossing the line. He later refused to shake hand with the Finn at the awards ceremony.