|
August 5, 2009
IN THE NEWS...
McClintock advances to tricks final at world water ski championships
Canadian Sport News
CALGARY – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., posted the second best score in the women’s tricks qualifying event on Wednesday to easily advance to the final at the world water skiing championships being held here this week on Predator Bay.
McClintock, the reigning under-21 world champion, totaled 7,680 points. Only Natalia Berdnikava of Belarus was better with 7,880 points to top the 48-member women’s field. Maria Camila Linares of Columbia qualified third at 7,660.
“I was a little nervous going out there today,” said McClintock, 19, using the same routine that helped her get gold at the prestigious Masters tournament in May. “But I was able to hold it together and go out and do my thing. I bailed out on one trick but I’m still happy about my run and I’m glad I’ll have another shot to improve on it.”
Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., seventh after Tuesday’s opening two rounds, dropped to 23rd overall and does not advance.
McClintock will also look to make finals in slalom and jump this week and put herself in strong contention for the overall crown.
In men’s slalom, Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., is tied for 12th place with the three top-seeded groups (30 skiers overall) still to compete. Llewellyn, whose best events are jump and tricks, hit the second buoy on his pass with an 11.25-metre rope
Llewellyn is a medal contender in the jump and tricks event at the worlds and his goal in slalom was score as high as possible in his pursuit to successfully defend his overall title.
“It didn’t go as well as I wanted,” said Llewellyn, 38, a nine-time world champion. “But the other major players in the overall didn’t ski that much better which keeps me in the game. Still I’ve made it harder for myself. It’s a bit frustrating but now my best events are ahead for me.”
Javier Julio of Argentina, one of Llewellyn’s top rivals for the overall crown, got around three buoys with his tow rope length at 10.75 metres and currently leads the field followed by Jeremie Collot of Switzerland and Petr Vesely of the Czech Republic.
The last three groups for the men’s slalom go on Friday and include top Canadian medal hopeful Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., Trent Finlayson of Vancouver, Thomas Moore of Edmonton, Doug Ross of Belleville and Jason McClintock of Cambridge, Ont.
The top-12 overall will advance to the final on Sunday.
Later Wednesday, the International Water Skiing Federation’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held featuring Susie Graham of Kitchener, Ont.
Graham starred on the Canadian team in the 1990’s. She was a slalom specialist who won four world championship medals, broke the world slalom record four times holding the mark from 1993 to 1996.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Graham, who was inducted into the Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame in 2006. “I’ve been out of skiing now for 10 years and it’s nice to know people are still thinking about me and that I made that kind of impact.”
The other inductees are Andrea Alessi of Italy, Tory Baggiano of the U.S, twins Britt Larsen and Tawn Larsen of the U.S., and Kaye Thurlow of Australia.
For more information: www.waterskiworlds.com/
Contact :
Sara Dorken
Program and Communications Manager/ Directrice des programmes et communications
Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada/Ski nautique et planche Canada
Cell : (613) 292-5878
Louis Daignault
Canadian Sport News \ Nouvelles-sport canadien
Tel: (613) 824-9475
Mail\courrier: louisdaignault@rogers.com
Web: www.canadiansportnews.blogspot.com
|
