Klug wins back-to-back PGS races at Copper Mountain{mosimage}COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (Nov. 22) 2002 Olympic bronze medalist Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) said he may be making a stop at the hot springs on his way home from Copper Mountain Tuesday in order to soothe his aching back. After 20 competitions runs and back-to-back parallel giant slalom victories, the man who celebrated his 33rd birthday Friday (Nov. 18) said he’s happily feeling his age.

‘I was still spent from yesterday’ said Klug, ‘but I was still hoping I could pull it off again today. I was up against some serious competition in the finals and semifinals as well.’

That competiton included a semifinal duel against 2002 Olympic silver medalist Rich Rikardsson (SWE) and a heated final against 2001 World Championships silver medalist Daniel Biveson. Klug said he made his first ‘big mistake’ during his first run against Biveson, cutting close enough to tweak his shoulder on a gate at the top, throw him off course and through several ruts. He finished his first run .85 seconds behind the Swede.

‘That second run I just put on my blinders and tried to put as much pressure as possible on Daniel’ Klug said. ‘When I crossed the finish line I expected him to be right there next to me, but he wasn’t. He had crashed three-quarters of the way down and I never knew it.’Klug noted today’s win gave him another precious 500 points, keeping his World Cup seeding secure after being on ‘injury status’ since breaking his collar bone at the X Games last February.

U.S. Snowboarding’s Michelle Gorgone (Sudbury, MA) was the top American woman, placing fourth. Alexa Loo of Canada captured her first NorAm Cup win. Loo failed to even make the finals Monday at Copper, laying down a strong first run before she ‘fell apart’ in the second.

‘I feel like I had a breakthrough today’ said Loo, 33. ‘I finally held on through all 10 runs instead of just the first few. I’ve been working on a lot of stuff in training… especially figuring out the best line and correct timing. I did not have the patience I needed, which is kind of what happened yesterday. Today it felt like it is finally coming together.’

RACE TO THE CUP
COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO Nov. 22, 2005
PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM #2
(16 make finals)

MEN
1. Chris Glug, Aspen, CO
2. Daniel Biveson, Sweden
3. Eric Warren, Bennington, VT
4. Rich Rikardsson, Sweden

WOMEN
1. Alexa Loo, Canada
2. Ran Iida, Japan
3. Nathal DesMares, France
4. Michele Gorgone, Sudbury, MA