PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 16) – Canadian moguls skier Jennifer Heil knows how to ski. She proved it yet again tonight, winning her fourth consecutive World Cup competition to close the 2010 Visa Freestyle International World Cup event in Deer Valley, Utah. Double winner here last year, Frenchman Guilbaut Colas again won on the 2002 Olympic course tonight in front of more than 5,000 fans.

“I’m having so much fun, the course up here is amazing, the organization is first class and the crowd is amazing,” said Heil, who leads the World Cup overall moguls standings by 149 points. “I’m really just trying to soak it all up and enjoy the success while improving my skiing.”

Americans Heather McPhie and Michelle Roark also climbed on the podium in second and third, respectively.

“I won here in 2006, it was my best moment in freestyle because it qualified me for that Olympics,” said Roark of her history on the course. “I was sliver medalist at World Championships here. I won here a couple other times and the podium here now is definitely something I needed really bad.”

It was a great weekend for McPhie who grabbed her first World Cup podium with a win here Thursday and clenched an Olympic spot tonight.

“I was kind of tired coming into today so I was really psyched that I could dig deep and pull out that energy for the finals,” said McPhie, who decided not to train the day after her first win. “My biggest goal for this event was to find that next gear. I’ve had this new speed that I trained for during the summer, but I didn’t quite know how to turn that one extra dial and I did it two days in a row, which is really good.”

The U.S. team hedged their bets at home with seven women bumpers in the final round of 16. They ended up with four athletes in the top ten as defending World Cup champion,  Hannah Kearney finished just off the podium in fourth, followed by teammate Shannon Bahrke in fifth.

“It think I would like to review the video,” said Kearney, who had her best finish in four competitions. “It’s very devastating to miss the podium, but I’m moving in the right direction. My so-called slump I think is over and guess what, this wasn’t the Olympics.”

On the men’s side, Colas was finally able to dethrone Australian skier Dale Begg-Smith, who won the previous three World Cup competitions and finished second here today. Canadian Alexander Bilodeau finished third to again mount the Deer Valley podium. He was second here last season. Fellow Canadian, Maxime Gingras just missed the podium in fourth place.

“I love this course, it stays the same – perfect,” said Colas. “It’s a long course, very steep and physically I think it’s difficult and I have a good physique so it’s good for me.”

“For me all the World Cups are just training before the Olympic Games and I’m going to work on my speed and my jumps,. I’m not ready yet I’ll be ready in three weeks,” continued Colas.”I will be at the Olympics, no problem.”

U.S. Ski Team rookie, Jeremy Cota led the home team in seventh place. Olympic Trials winner Patrick Deneen’s ninth-place score drew a collective groan from the crowd, which wanted more for their guy.

Fellow American Bryon Wilson all but sealed an Olympic berth with his 14th-place finish tonight. He made the jump to U.S. A-Team with a pair of second-lace finishes at the season opener in Suomu, Finland. 

“It was kind of a long shot but it was definitely in my mind,” said Wilson of his chances at the Olympic Games at season’s start. “I feel like if I lay down my run I got a good shot, if I can keep my speed I have a great shot.”

The moguls World Cup tour now heads to Lake Placid, New York for competition Jan. 21.

The final U.S. Olympic freestyle team will be announced at a press conference here in Deer Valley, Jan. 26.

Front page and story images by Julie Shipman.

Women’s Results

Men’s Results