Calgarian saves best slalom performance of season for Nationals

Mont-Édouard, Que. (March 26, 2019) – Jeffrey Read (Calgary/Banff Alpine Racers) skied to his first Canadian title, capturing gold in the men’s slalom at Nationals with a two-run time of one minute, 35.15 seconds.

The 21-year-old Calgarian had only a handful of slalom starts this season, and saved his best performance in the discipline for Nationals.

“Slalom has not been a huge priority for me this year, since I’ve been focusing on speed (events), but I’ve been trying to keep up with it,” said Read, who was second in slalom at the 2018 Canadian Alpine Nationals.

Joining Read on the podium were fellow national program athletes Simon Fournier (Montreal/Club de ski Mont-Tremblant), who was .37 seconds behind Read to claim silver, and Declan McCormack (Osler Bluff Ski Club), who raced to bronze.

A FIS ladies’ giant slalom race was also held, and won by Canadian World Cup racer Laurence St-Germain (St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que./Club de ski Mont Ste-Anne) who was more than 1.5 seconds ahead of the pack. Brianna MacDonald (Osler Bluff Ski Club) finished second, while this year’s ladies’ super-G champion Beatrix Lever (Club de courses Mont Cascades) rounded out the top-three. 

Nationals resume on Wednesday as racers aim to top the podium in the ladies’ slalom and the men’s super-G. Organizers have invited Canadian Alpine Ski Team alumnus Erik Guay to join the celebrations on Wednesday and Thursday.

Audi 2019 Canadian Ski Racing Awards presented by Helly Hansen

From now until April 15, Alpine Canada and partners Audi Canada and Helly Hansen are accepting nominations and votes to determine the winners of the Audi 2019 Canadian Ski Racing Awards presented by Helly Hansen. Media, fans, and members of the Canadian ski community are invited to help celebrate the nation’s vibrant ski racing community by recognizing the athletes, coaches, volunteers, and ski resorts that have made a positive mark this season. Visit AlpineCanada.org/Awards for more details.