Calgary, Alta. (December 17, 2016) – The Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team wasted no time picking up where they left off last season, right back on the podium. The team has raced a slalom and two giant slalom races in the past three days in Kuhtai (AUT), and has collected a ton of hardware to show for it. Over the past three days, the team has amassed two gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals. 

KUHTAI SLALOM 

In the first race of the World Cup season, Calgary’s Alana Ramsay captured a first-place finish in the standing category and the first win for the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team. Last season Ramsay landed on the podium for the first time in her career and went on to find the podium six more times after that. Ramsay, who competes in the women’s standing category, led by 1.35 seconds after an impressive first run, and finished the second run with a substantial lead of 0.94 seconds over the competition. Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team prospect athlete, Mel Pemble, finished this race in seventh-place in the women’s standing category. 

On the men’s side, the 2016 Crystal Globe downhill and super-G winner, Mac Marcoux, narrowly missed out on the podium finishing in fourth-place in the visually impaired category. This is Marcoux’s first World Cup race of the season with his new guide, Jack Leitch. 

Slalom 

Canadian women’s results

1 – Alana Ramsay (standing)

10- Erin Latimer (standing)

Canadian men’s results

4 – Mac Marcoux (visually impaired) 

6 – Kirk Schornstein (standing)

10 – Alexis Guidmond (standing)

10 – Kurt Oatway (sitting)

DNF – Braydon Luscombe

DNF – Alex Cairns

KUHTAI GIANT SLALOM – Race #1

As the team switched to giant slalom for the next two days of races, the podium finishes continued. 

Nineteen-year-old Mac Marcoux, who won the super-G and downhill Crystal Globes last year, proved he’s also got the chops to ski technical disciplines. In the first giant slalom race, Marcoux and his guide Jack Leitch, skied to a first-place finish. 

“It was a great day for Jack and I,” said Marcoux. “We’re building confidence every race together. Hopefully we can keep the momentum building as we go forward into the World Cup season.”

On the women’s side, Ramsay was back on the podium to finish in second-place and Toronto’s Erin Latimer landed her career-first World Cup podium. Latimer, 20, finished the first World Cup giant slalom of the season in third-place in the standing category. 

“It was a very exciting start to the World Cup season!” said Latimer. “I feel like I have been making a lot of positive changes on and off the snow throughout the pre season, and landing my first World Cup podium yesterday really reaffirmed those feelings. It was a very rewarding result and I am going into the race seasons hungry for more!”

Prospect athlete, Mel Pemble, wasn’t far off the pace finishing the race in fourth-place in the standing category. 

Giant Slalom – Race #1

Canadian women’s results

2 – Alana Ramsay (standing)

3 – Erin Latimer (standing)

4 – Mel Pemble (standing)

DNF – Frédérique Turgeon (standing)

Canadian men’s results

1 – Mac Marcoux (visually impaired)

9 – Braydon Luscombe (standing)

12 – Kirk Schornstein (standing)

16 – Alexis Cairns (sitting)

DNF – Alexis Guimond (standing)

DNF – Kurt Oatway (sitting)

KUHTAI GIANT SLALOM – Race #2

Ramsay and Latimer were back on the podium for the second of two giant slalom races in the first block of World Cup racing this season proving they will be podium contenders all season long. Ramsay finished in second-place again today with Latimer just behind her in third-place. 

"I had a blast the past couple of days," said Ramsay. "I am happy with how I finished I am looking forward to the next set of races!"

Mel Pemble, para-alpine prospect athlete, mirrored her success from the first giant slalom race and once again finished in fourth-place. 

On the men’s side, Marcoux and his guide Leitch, had the best Canadian men’s result of the day, finishing the second giant slalom in fifth-place. 

The team heads to St. Moritz (SUI) for the next block of races, which includes two giant slalom and two slalom races. 

Giant Slalom – Race #2

Canadian women’s results

2 – Alana Ramsay (standing)

3 – Erin Latimer (standing)

4 – Mel Pemble (standing)

DNF – Frédérique Turgeon

Canadian men’s results

5 – Mac Marcoux  (visually impaired)

10 – Kirk Schornstein (standing)

DNF – Alexis Guidmond

DNF – Braydon Luscombe

Full results here. 

ABOUT ALPINE CANADA

Alpine Canada is the national governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada. With the support of valued corporate partners along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, world championship and World Cup medallists to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community.

For further information or press inquiries, please contact Ashley Shantz at ashantz@alpinecanada.org or call (587) 226-3007.