Courchevel/Meribel, FRA (March 19, 2022) – Technical events got underway at the 2021-2022 Alpine World Cup Finals held at Courchevel/Meribel, France on Saturday, with women competing in the slalom and men racing in the giant slalom.

CANADA PUTS ALL FOUR WOMEN IN TOP 15

In the first run of the final World Cup slalom race of the season, the women’s Canadian team saw Laurence St-Germain (Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC), Amelia Smart (Invermere, BC), Ali Nullmeyer (Toronto, ON) and Erin Mielzynski (Collingwood, ON) cross the finish line in 13, 14, 15 and 19th places respectively.

All four turned on the heat in the second run with Nullmeyer moving up by nine spots after winning that leg. She finished 6th overall with a combined time of 1:37.81, good for her third top 6 result of the season in the discipline.

“I’m really happy with my end result today.  My first run was a little relaxed, so to end the season with a top 10 feels incredible” reported Nullmeyer at the conclusion of only her third season on the World Cup circuit.  
The momentum this team has been building is not lost on them this season, being the largest women’s team that has qualified for World Cup Finals.  “I’m proud of these girls and what we have accomplished together this year and I’m looking forward to bringing it into next season” continued Nullmeyer.

Smart, who had the third fastest time of the afternoon, improved her first run position by 5 places, skiing into 9th place overall with a total time of 1:38.10.

“I’m really happy with today, it was a great way to end the season with 4 of us in the top 15.  This team has a lot of speed and we are showing it now and we will continue to build on it next year” said Smart of the day. 

St-Germain improved her ranking by two spots, finishing 11th overall with a time of 1:38.48.

Team veteran, Mielzynski, also moved up by four spots, wrapping the day in 15th place with a time of 1:38.72.

The final slalom of the season was won by Slovenia’s Andreja Slokar with a time of 1:36.54. She was followed by first run leader, Lena Duerr from Germany, who concluded the day 0.48 behind. Petra Vlhova from Slovakia wrapped the podium 0.81 off Slokar’s winning pace.

Vlhova is the discipline winner for the season and took home a prized crystal globe. Nullmeyer concludes the season as the top Canadian in the slalom standings in 11th place, a big improvement from her 29th place in the standings last season. St-Germain finishes the season ranked 15th, Smart is 21st and Mielzynski is 22nd.

Valérie Grenier from Mont-Tremblant, QC will be the only Canadian competing in the final giant slalom if the season on Sunday. She sits in 13th place in the discipline in the standings.

READ AND PHILP CONCLUDE CAREER BEST GS SEASONS

In the men’s giant slalom, Erik Read from Canmore, AB, skied into 12th position in the first run. A clean but slightly conservative second run put him into 13th place overall with a combined time of 2:11.97, good for the best North American time of the day.

“Trevor and I both had good first runs, and it was nice to get into the top 15 as this both our first times scoring at Finals.  Conditions were tricky with how soft the snow was, requiring a bit more precision than power” said Read.

In addition to his 13th place result in the discipline at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Read has consistently scored points in all eight World Cup GS races this winter. He concludes this season ranked 16th in the GS World Cup standings which represents his career best standing in the discipline following last year’s 20th position.

“This is my best GS season, which showed some great consistency.  I will be taking the time to reflect on how to reach the next level.”

Trevor Philp from Calgary, AB, was sitting 10th after the first run. A few mistakes in the top section of the second course cost him valuable time and he was pushed back to 15th overall with a cumulative time of 2:12.15.

Philp closes this season with five top 20 World Cup GS results, putting him into 21st in the overall discipline standings. This represents his career best standing result and an improvement from his 30th place last season.

Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt concluded his dream World Cup season with a fifth victory with a time of 2:10.40, ahead of Norway’s Lucas Braathen by 0.49 and of teammate Loic Meillard by 0.63.

Today marked the end of the World Cup season for the men’s team. James Crawford from Toronto, ON, was the top man in the overall standings with a 14th place, highlighted by a 5th place in the super G standings. Erik Read is the second ranked Canadian in the overall standings with a 33rd place.

For more information or media inquiries please contact:   
Kylie Robertson 
krobertson@alpinecanada.org I 403-777-3204 

About Alpine Canada   
Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine, and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance, and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration, and growth in the ski community.