LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Dec. 11, 2015) – After new snowfall hampered the first of two scheduled NorAm downhills at Lake Louise, the initial day of racing action kicked off at the Alberta resort on Thursday. Continental Cup athletes traded in their powder skis for the downhill boards and a chance to run the track utilized over the last two weeks by the men’s and women’s World Cup circuits.
NYSEF athlete and current Eastern Regional Team skier Cecily Decker, just 17 years old, made her career-first NorAm podium a victory after she outpaced Slovenian World Cupper Vanja Brodnik by 0.38 seconds and Canadian national team member Valerie Grenier by just over a half second. U.S. Ski Team D Team athlete Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) was fourth. Anna Marno (Steamboat Springs, CO), Abby Ghent (Edwards, CO – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail), Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA) and Francesca English (Squaw Valley Ski Team) all cracked the top 10, taking sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th, respectively.
In the men’s race, independent Canadian athlete Jeffrey Frisch claimed the win just 0.32 seconds ahead of the U.S. Ski Team’s Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY), who took 11th in last weekend’s Birds of Prey World Cup super G. Finland’s Andreas Romar, who is returning from a knee injury sustained last February at the Saalbach World Cup which led to a premature end to his 2014-15 season, rounded out the podium in third. Kipling Weisel (San Francisco, CA) grabbed a top-10 spot in ninth. Florian Szwebel (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) and Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA) were 11th and 12th, respectively. Rounding out the top 30, Drew Duffy (Warren, VT) and Sam DuPratt (Park City, UT) tied for 17th, Keith Moffat (Far West) 20th, Nick Krause (Northboro, MA) 24th, Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) 25th, Sam Morse (Carabassett Valley, ME) 28th and Patrick Kenney (Hingham, MA) 29th.
NorAm racing continues Friday at Lake Louise with a rescheduled downhill and super G for both the men and women.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Tommy Biesemeyer led the U.S., taking second in the Lake Louise NorAm downhill.
- It was Cecily Decker's third impresive downhill result this season, taking the win and her first NorAm podium. She is part of the Eastern Regional Training Group initiative.
- Florian Szwebel led the the U.S. Juniors ahead of Erik Arvidsson.
- NorAm racing continues on Friday at Lake Louise with a rescheduled downhill and super G for both the men and women.
QUOTES
Tommy Biesemeyer
I am having success early in the season, but it is how I have always envisioned my skiing. I think that is why I have been so focused on my recovery. My result in Beaver Creek was a perfect complement to my rehab. It may sound cliche, but who ever said, 'hard work pays off' was right and I feel that my start to the season is a product of that.
RESULTS
Men's NorAm downhill results
Women's NorAm downhill results
On-site reporting provided by Ski Racing.
