Sweden wins world juniors Nations Cup Dual finale (and a little spending money)

By Published On: March 9th, 2006Comments Off on Sweden wins world juniors Nations Cup Dual finale (and a little spending money)

Sweden wins world juniors Nations Cup Dual finale (and a little spending money){mosimage}LE RELAIS, Quebec – The Nations Cup Dual on the final day of action at the Junior World Championships had the feel of a Bernard Knauss-era U.S. Pro Tour event. The event was replete with side-by-side modified GS courses, dual-action barge-door starting gates and pro jumps along the way.

When all was said and done, the Swedes were triumphant, Italy was the runner-up and Switzerland brought home bronze.

Each of these nations brought home a little dough, too. The winning team was awarded C$5,000 (U.S. $4,326), silver earned C$3,000 (U.S. $2,595) and third place claimed a C$2,000 (U.S. $1,730) reward.

The money was presumeably put in place to inspire participation. After a long week of racing, a little inspiration was needed, and Alpine Canada said it hopes the event (and the purse) will carry over into future championships.

“The Organizing Committee would like the Coupe des Nations to become a key event for the athletes and also a classic event for future FIS World Junior Championships,” reads an entry on the official Web site of the series (www.mondiauxjuniorsalpinsquebec2006.ca).

Each nation picked its two best male and female racers to compete. These four racers then raced the courses in a preliminary round, and the aggregate time for the top three times from each team decided the four finalist nations.

Team USA – comprised of Megan McJames, Chelsea Marshall, Andrew Weibrecht and Tim Kelley – failed to make the final four. McJames had the fastest time among the Americans, and while her pace was respectable compared the other competitors’ times, the remainder of the U.S. team failed to put down stellar runs.

At the end of round one, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Switzerland remained standing. Italy then defeated Switzerland, and Sweden defeated Germany, setting up a Sweden-Italy final.

The day was very laid-back, as athletes soaked up the sun and feasted on maple syrup snow cones while cheering each other on. The afternoon concluded with a simple Closing Ceremony at Le Relais resort before the teams jumped into vans and raced off to airports, heading home to resume the final leg of their respective seasons.

Winners from each of the major disciplines at these Junior World Championships will be awarded spots at the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden, which take place March 15-19.

Alpine Canada contributed to this report.

Share This Article

About the Author: Pete Rugh