Kiera Leung Duals 2 NorAm Silver

Steep course and challenging competition left Kiera Leung Canada’s only NorAm medalist here this week in moguls. For Coquitlam, B.C.’s Leung the medal today was just icing on the cake of being back on snow.

After three years out due to a knee injury, Leung is back in action with her second consecutive dual moguls NorAm podium. A second place qualification let Leung pick her lines until her final against USA’s Keaton McCargo, who placed first. In third place was Lane Stoltzner of the USA.

Quebec Team’s Andre-Anne Gagnon of Terrebonne was fourth for the day. Christel Hamel of Montreal placed 10^th while Miriam Leclerc of Pierrefonds, Que. was 22nd and Beatrice Bilodeau of Rosemere, Que. was 25^th..

On the men’s side, Canada’s top Canadian in duals was Calgary Luke Ulsifer, who took 6^th. “I’m not used to skiing so fast,” said Ulsifer, who found the steep course challenging.

It was a US sweep for the men’s podium, with Jay Panther, Tempel Cody and Cronin Brandon taking first, second and third, respectively. Kerrian Chunlaud of Sainte-Foy placed 9^th while teammate Hugo Blanchette of Saint-Laurent-de-l’Île-d’Orléans was 13^th.

Friday’s single mogul competition left no Canadians on the podium. After making it to super finals, Blanchette landed Canada’s best placing in fourth with a score of 21.72.

Quebec Team athletes Julien Dufresne of Lorraine and Laurent Dumais of Quebec City were fith and sixth, with scores of 18.00 and 12.34.Ulsifer placed eighth with a score of 22.50; Repentigny, Que.’s Simon Lemieux placed 16^th scoring 20.50. Chunlaud placed 17^th.

On the women’s side, Bilodeau was Canada’s top skier placing fifth (5^th) with a score of 16.03 in the super final.
Hamel and Leung were close behind placing 7^th and 9^th with scores of 20.78 and  20.20, respectively. Leclerc was 17^th with a score of 16.98.NorAm mogul action continues next week in Stratton, VT.