Britt Janyk takes first Canadian national downhill title at Whistler

By Published On: March 23rd, 2006Comments Off on Britt Janyk takes first Canadian national downhill title at Whistler

Britt Janyk takes first Canadian national downhill title at Whistler{mosimage}Whistler, BC Nearly 72 hours after their first and only downhill training run on Monday, Canada’s best female racers traded their powder skis for their long boards as the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships resumed Thursday on Whistler’s Dave Murray downhill course. Britt Janyk, a technical specialist who surprised everyone by clocking the fastest time in Monday’s training, confirmed her training-run finish was no fluke, taking gold in 1:10.82.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Janyk after claiming her first national title in downhill and her sixth career title following three wins in giant slalom, two in slalom and one in super G from 2002 to 2004. “I know this hill like the back of my hand and I feel very confident every time I ski here, said Janyk, who hails from Whistler. “I attacked from the first gate and the result is very exciting.”

“My mom was on course working and my brother and father cheered me on from the finish area, which was wonderful. This gives a big boost for next season,” added Janyk, whose brother Mike recently achieved a fourth-place finish in slalom on the World Cup.

Janyk was joined on the podium by Canmore’s Shona Rubens, who skied the course in 1:11.58 and Calgary’s Danielle Poleschuk who completed her race in 1:12.02.

Poleschuk, who finished seventh in downhill at the 2006 Junior World Championships in Quebec earlier this month, far surpassed her previous best result at the national championships 29th in downhill in 2002 on the same hill.

“It’s so exciting to be on the podium with World Cup racers,” exclaimed Poleschuk. “My goal has been to qualify for the national team so hopefully this result will help me seal the deal! This is my last year as a junior and I wanted to give it [my] all.”

World Cup racer Kelly VanderBeek, who skied out of the course, said the conditions were difficult.

“The conditions were getting slushy and because I took a more aggressive line, I was unable to complete the course,” admitted Vanderbeek. “I’m now shifting my focus to the super G, which is my best discipline.”

Of the 40 skiers competing on the proposed 2010 Winter Olympic downhill course was Whistler’s Julia Murray daughter of the late Dave Murray who the course was named for. The young skier, who was racing in her first national championships, was acclaimed as she crossed the finish line.

“I’m very proud to be racing here on this track,” said Murray. “Having grown up skiing here, I know the hill very well. It’s an honor to be racing here.’

The women’s downhill race started at the women’s super G due to fog. This did not prevent the racers to reach speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour.

‘The Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships are an important milestone for both the provincial athletes and coaches’ said Max Gartner, Chief Athletic Officer, who was on site to catch the racing action. ‘This event is among the few occasions where Canada’s top provincial and club athletes get to measure their progress against that of our World Cup skiers. The race is also a unique opportunity for National Team coaches to evaluate the system’s depth and to scout out future talents.’

Pending anticipated snow precipitations, race action is expected to resume Friday with the men’s super G. The schedule for Friday will be confirmed at the captain’s meeting at 5 p.m.

Women’s downhill
Canadian national championships
March 23, 2006
Whistler, British Columbia

1. JANYK, Britt 1:10.82
2. RUBENS, Shona 1:11.58
3. POLESCHUK, Danielle 1:12.02
4. LAWRENCE, Sherry 1:12.24
5. KRAFT, Lindsay 1:12.61
6. GAGNON, Marie-Michele 1:12.63
7. ARCHAMBAULT-LEGER, Veronique 1:12.65
8. ROUTHIER, Eve 1:12.75
9. BELANGER-TIMOTHY, Marie-Mich 1:13.36
10. BIRDGENEAU, Kayla 1:13.46 (10)

For complete results: https://canski.live-timing.org/

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About the Author: Pete Rugh