from www.canski.org
LE MASSIF, QC (March 22, 2009) Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC) won her 11th career Pontiac GMC Canadian championship today, taking the ladies super-G on a sunny day in Le Massif, QC.
Janyk accomplished it as her brother Michael celebrated his 27th birthday by winning the Pontiac GMC Canadian mens slalom championships in nearly Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC.
It feels good to come out and put into the race what I have been doing in training. Its a great hill here, its got a steep pitch its got a jump and a lot of terrain. Its right up there with a World Cup level super-G, said Janyk, who finished in a time of one minute 11.56 seconds.
I havent been here for a couple years. Its a beautiful spot and they put on great races, she said.
The race was actually delayed a couple hours at the beginning of the day as high winds made getting underway challenging. The winds eventually died down by mid-afternoon.
Larisa Yurkiw (Owen Sound, ON) placed second in the SG finishing in 1:12.84 with Marie-Pier Prfontaine (St-Sauveur, QC) third in 1:13.19.
However, it was Marie-Michle Gagnon (Lac-Etchemin, QC), who sat seventh after the super-G, who would ski away with todays Pontiac GMC Canadian super combined championship.
“I am happy with this result. I didn’t expect the super combined title this week. It’s not really what I came to achieve. I was actually pretty disappointed with my super-G run so I gave it all I had in my slalom run and it worked out,” said the 19-year-old Gagnon.
She finished with a two-run combined time of 1:55.29.
“I was risking everything in the slalom run and when you do that there is always the chance that you fall,” said Gagnon.
“I am happy to say that I am a national champion, it feels really good, but I still want to win the GS (on Tuesday),” said Gagnon of her first career Pontiac GMC Canadian Championship title.
Yurkiw placed second for the second time today, finishing in 1:55.29 followed by Emilie Desforges (Montral, QC) in 1:56.44.
In other Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships news, the Alberta team won the provincial dual under the lights in Mont-Sainte-Anne last night. The winning team was made up of Trevor White (Calgary, AB), Michael Mackie (Canmore, AB), Shona Rubens (Canmore, AB), Stephanie Irwin (Calgary, AB), Erik Read (Calgary, AB), Trevor Philp (Calgary, AB), Tatum Monod (Banff, AB), Victoria Michalik (Calgary, AB). The team was presented with the first place trophy by world downhill champion, and proud Albertan, John Kucera (Calgary, AB).
The ladies wrap up the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships with a giant slalom race on Tuesday.