Halbert, 38th in training, finishes fourth in the downhill in France
REGION MONT BLANC, FRA (February 4, 2010) – Toronto Ski Club’s Kelby Halbert (Bradford, ON) is a FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships medalist, after an impressive downhill performance boosted him to third place in the combined.
Halbert finished fourth, just 0.1s off the podium in today’s downhill in Megeve, FRA. However, the performance vaulted Halbert to third in the combined, which is an official event combining the time of today’s race with the giant slalom and slalom events from earlier in the week.
“It’s pretty awesome actually. We only had the one training for the downhill and I wasn’t super fast in that so I knew I had to risk it,” said Halbert about his downhill performance. He was 38th in training yesterday.
Organizers pushed up the race one day because weather predictions for tomorrow may have jeopardized the downhill race.
Halbert said he went to today’s awards ceremony with no idea he had finished third in the combined.
“I hadn’t even thought about it. I saw they had a Canadian flag for the podium, so I was wondering who that was for,” Halbert said laughing. “And then they called my name. I was blown away.”
“It was awesome. It was a complete surprise. That was my goal to be on the podium,” he added.
The last Canadian to podium at the World Juniors was current national team member Larisa Yurkiw (Owen Sound, ON), who finished second, also in the combined, in Formigal, SPA in 2008.
Halbert finished today’s DH in 1:19.55, just 0.1s behind Slovenian Bostjan Kline’s third place performance. Mattia Casse of Italy won the race in 1:19.32, just ahead of Frederic Berthold of Austria.
“He lost the (downhill) gold medal in one turn unfortunately,” said Peter Rybarik, the Head Coach of Canada’s World Junior’s Men’s Team. “He lost his speed in one turn in the middle section. He came into in too direct and that was it.”
“It was a great effort, an exciting day. Kelby was right there,” he added, also acknowledging the efforts of Sebastien Auer, the serviceman responsible for preparing Halbert’s skis.
American Colby Granstrom finished on top of the podium in the combined with Jacopo Di Ronco of Italy in second.
The ladies downhill was another win for the host nation as Jeromine Geroudet of France took the gold in 1:20.89. Jessica Depauli of Austria finished almost a second back with Lotte Smiseth Sejersted of Norway third.
Catherine Morel (Québec, QC), out of (Stoneham Ski Club), was the top Canadian in 30th.
The 2010 FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships wrap up tomorrow with the ladies GS as well as the ladies combined results.
NOTE: Media seeking photo of men’s combined podium are asked to contact kmarr@canski.org.
MEGEVE, FRA – FEB. 4, 2010 – DOWNHILL – MEN’S
|
1
|
15
|
CASSE Mattia
|
1990
|
ITA
|
1:19.32
|
|
2
|
36
|
BERTHOLD Frederic
|
1991
|
AUT
|
1:19.43
|
|
3
|
25
|
KLINE Bostjan
|
1991
|
SLO
|
1:19.45
|
|
4
|
23
|
HALBERT Kelby
|
1990
|
CAN
|
1:19.55
|
|
5
|
26
|
WIESER Manuel
|
1990
|
AUT
|
1:19.72
|
|
6
|
37
|
BRANDNER Klaus
|
1990
|
GER
|
1:19.86
|
|
7
|
32
|
KYLLINGSTAD Christoffer
|
1991
|
NOR
|
1:19.91
|
|
8
|
3
|
MUZATON Maxence
|
1990
|
FRA
|
1:19.97
|
|
9
|
19
|
MAPLE Wiley
|
1990
|
USA
|
1:19.99
|
|
10
|
30
|
MAYER Matthias
|
1990
|
AUT
|
1:20.04
|
|
***
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26
|
48
|
BROWN Philip
|
1991
|
CAN
|
1:20.70
|
|
31
|
39
|
TROW Andy
|
1991
|
CAN
|
1:20.94
|
|
40
|
29
|
WERRY Tyler
|
1991
|
CAN
|
1:21.41
|
|
41
|
12
|
READ Erik
|
1991
|
CAN
|
1:21.46
|
Did not finish 1st run: ZAITSOFF Sasha (CAN)
COMPLETE RESULTS
REGION MONT BLANC, FRA – FEB. 4, 2010 – COMBINED – MEN’S
|
1
|
GRANSTROM Colby
|
1990
|
USA
|
|
2
|
DI RONCO Jacopo
|
1990
|
ITA
|
|
3
|
HALBERT Kelby
|
1990
|
CAN
|
MEGEVE, FRA – FEB. 4, 2010 – DOWNHILL - LADIES
|
1
|
5
|
GEROUDET Jeromine
|
1990
|
FRA
|
1:20.89
|
|
2
|
28
|
DEPAULI Jessica
|
1991
|
AUT
|
1:21.88
|
|
3
|
17
|
SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth
|
1991
|
NOR
|
1:22.05
|
|
4
|
15
|
STIEPEL Isabelle
|
1990
|
GER
|
1:22.06
|
|
5
|
13
|
HOLDENER Wendy
|
1993
|
SUI
|
1:22.15
|
|
6
|
36
|
GOGGIA Sofia
|
1992
|
ITA
|
1:22.23
|
|
7
|
3
|
BAILET Margot
|
1990
|
FRA
|
1:22.26
|
|
8
|
29
|
THUERLER Andrea
|
1993
|
SUI
|
1:22.32
|
|
9
|
10
|
CURTONI Elena
|
1991
|
ITA
|
1:22.34
|
|
10
|
20
|
ROTHMUND Jasmin
|
1991
|
SUI
|
1:22.42
|
|
***
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30
|
1
|
MOREL Catherine
|
1990
|
CAN
|
1:23.85
|
|
33
|
19
|
IRWIN Stephanie
|
1990
|
CAN
|
1:24.22
|
|
38
|
39
|
ROTH Julia
|
1993
|
CAN
|
1:24.79
|
|
42
|
23
|
STEVENS Victoria
|
1990
|
CAN
|
1:25.30
|
COMPLETE RESULTS
ABOUT ALPINE CANADA ALPIN
Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) is the governing body for alpine ski racing in Canada with more than 50,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteer members and over 200,000 supporting members. ACA manages the high performance programs for the athletes of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team who represent Canada throughout the world. For more information on Alpine Canada Alpin, visit www.canski.org.
Follow Canada’s Alpine Ski Teams on Facebook and Twitter.
"Relentlessly Pursuing Excellence"
- 30 -
INFORMATION:
Kyle Marr
Director of PR & Media /
Directeur, RP et médias
Alpine Canada Alpin
Tel: (403) 777-3204
TELUS: (403) 860-0665
kmarr@canski.org