Wescott, Holland strong in Whistler World Cup

Wescott, Holland strong in Whistler World Cup{mosimage}WHISTLER, B.C. – Snowboardcross expert Seth Wescott returned to the site of his February World Championships victory to rip a World Cup third-place finish Friday after recovering from a fall after the first jump of the final.

Wescott edged teammate and 2005 World Championships bronze medalist Jayson Hale, who finished fourth behind winner Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada and Pierre Vaultier of France in the second of two events staged at the 2010 Olympic venue.

“Wescott is right were he wants to be right now,” said U.S. Snowboarding head SBX coach Peter Foley said. “The guy is absolutely killing it – he’s riding so strong. Our team has such crazy depth, we had to have a time trial just between our riders just to see who would run today. Then all but one of our guys made it to the second run.”

Nate Holland, who took second Friday and won the Saas-Fee World Cup, was knocked out by Hale in the second round along with  snowboarding legend Shaun Palmer, who retired after the 2002 season but returned when SBX was added as an Olympic sport.

“Believe it or not, ‘Palm’ was mad about today. The guy is riding a lot better than the results are showing right now and it’s impossible to ever count him out of a race,” Foley said.

No American woman made the final in a race won by Austrian Doresia Krings, followed by Olivia Nobs of Switzerland and local favorite Erin Simmons.

The Whistler World Cup continued Saturday and Sunday with halfpipe, but the U.S. SBX team moved to Oregon’s Mount Hood to continue their Olympic preparations.

FIS snowboard World Cup
Whistler, B.C.
Snowboardcross No. 2, Dec. 9, 2005

Men
1. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
2. Pierre Vaultier, France
3. Seth Wescott, Farmington, Maine
4. Jayson Hale, Basalt, Colo.
Also
20. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, Calif.
25. Shaun Palmer, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
38. Mark Schulz, Portland, Ore.

Women
1. Doresia Krings, Austria
2. Olivia Nobs, Switzerland
3. Erin Simmons, Canada
4. Karine Ruby, France
Also
21. Marni Yamada, Seattle, Ore.
23. Leslee Olson, Bend, Ore.
35. Jordan Karlinski, Aspen, Colo.

Holland second in Whistler World Cup SBX

After winning the last World Cup snowboardcross race in October in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, U.S. Snowboarding’s Nate Holland stepped onto the podium again Thursday after finishing second in the first of two World Cup SBX races in Whistler.

Five American men qualified for finals, including reigning world champion Seth Wescott, who won his worlds gold at Whistler last January but finished ninth in the day’s event. Victory went to Italy’s Alberto Schiavon.

‘Nate killed it all day’ said U.S. Snowboarding head SBX coach Peter Foley. ‘He just rises to the occasion. The bigger the event, the more he focuses in and goes fast, and today was just another example.’

Wescott, the next top U.S. rider, qualified first but went out in the quarterfinals after he got thrown too far off a bump and crashed. Shaun Palmer qualified second, but also was knocked out after crashing in his first finals heat to place 17th. Also making finals were Mark Schultz (19th) and worlds SBX bronze medalist Jayson Hale (26th).’We can only enter five athletes in a World Cup competition and to have all five make finals shows just how deep our team is’ said Foley. ‘They are all podium contenders – and we still have two or three guys at home who are just as strong. These guys are just getting better and better all the time.’

In the women’s SBX, France’s Julie Pomagalski beat out fellow countrywoman Karine Ruby for top honors. U.S. Snowboarding’s Lindsey Jacobellis was the only American woman to make the finals, placing 16th.

FIS snowboard World Cup
Whistler, B.C.
Snowboardcross No. 1, Dec. 8, 2005

Men
1. Alberto Schiavon, Italy
2. Nate Holland, Olympic Valley, Calif.
3. Paul-Henri Delerue, France
4. Drew Neilson, Canada

Women
1. Julie Pomagalski, France
2. Karine Ruby, France
3. Erin Simmons, Canada
4. Deborah Anthioz, France

– Courtesy U.S. Snowboarding