NorAm Finals: Jitloff, Staples win; Jit nabs title
Tim Jitloff and Kiley Staples won races Wednesday as NorAm Finals got under way at Panorama Mountain Village. Jitloff clinched the giant slalom title and U.S. skiers took four of six podium spots, 15 of the top 20 places in the two events.
PANORAMA, B.C. — Tim Jitloff and Kiley Staples won races Wednesday as NorAm Finals got under way at Panorama Mountain Village. Jitloff clinched the giant slalom title and U.S. skiers took four of six podium spots, 15 of the top 20 places in the two events.
Jitloff, the 2005 junior worlds combined gold medalist who competed last month at the World Championships in Sweden, had a two-run time of 2:25.83 to finish just over a full second up on Patrick Biggs of Canada, a Dartmouth grad who also raced at worlds. Tim Kelley finished third (2:27.08), another hundredth of a second off the pace and U.S. men filled eight of the top 10 places.
By winning the NorAm Cup title, Jitloff assured himself of World Cup starts next season because the top two skiers in each discipline get automatic start rights for World Cups in the following season. The No. 2 spot in the men's GS standings will be decided Thursday in the last GS of the winter; also to be decided: women's GS and both men's and women's slalom.
In the women's slalom Wednesday, Staples — just back from Junior World Championships in Austria — had a total time of 1:42.92 with Shona Rubens of Canada (who also was at worlds) finishing second in 1:43.12; Hailey Duke completed the podium. U.S. skiers took seven of the top 10 places.
Thursday, the men run a final GS and the women's SL schedule comes to a close.
ALPINE NORAM CUP
NorAm Finals
Panorama, B.C. – March 14, 2007
Men's Giant Slalom-1
1. Tim Jitloff, Reno, NV, 2:25.83
2. Patrick Biggs, Canada, 2:26.87
3. Tim Kelley, Starksboro, VT, 2:27.08
4. Tom Rothrock, Cashmere, WA, 2:27.16
5. Erik Fisher, Middleton, ID, 2:27.27
—
Women's Slalom-1
1. Kiley Staples, Park City, UT, 1:42.92
2. Shona Rubens, Canada, 1:43.12
3. Hailey Duke, Boise, ID, 1:43.42
4. Anna Goodman, Canada, 1:43.49
5. Katie Hitchcock, Sacramento, CA, 1:43.58