AWESOME DAY FOR THE CANADIAN SQUAD AS KELSEY SERWA & CHRIS DEL BOSCO TAKE GOLD & DAVE DUNCAN TAKES BRONZE

LAKE PLACID, NY (January 25, 2010) – On a challenging track that kept skiers on the edge of control Kelsey Serwa  (Kelowna, BC) and Chris Del Bosco (Sudbury, ON) made another trip to the top spot on the podium as they again claimed gold in the Women’s and Men’s World Cup event in Lake Placid, NY. 

Dave Duncan (London, ON) secured a spot in the Olympic team today when he stepped up to the challenge by achieving a bronze medal. Ashleigh McIvor (Whistler, BC) continued to keep the podium firmly within her sights as she skied to 4th place today and Danielle Poleschuk (Winnipeg, MN) also met her goal when she skied to an 8th place that resulted in a berth in the Olympic Winter Games.
 
The Canadian women’s squad came out of the first round strong winning each of their heats to advance to the quarterfinal rounds with each woman taking the hole shot out of the start and holding it to the finish. Good starts and strong skiing propelled Serwa, McIvor and Poleschuk to the semi-final round as they continued their charge. Aleisha Cline failed to advance after a difficult start created an insurmountable deficit.
 
The semi-final heats saw Serwa, McIvor and Poleschuk matched against one another as well as Anna Hollund (SWE). Serwa got out to an early lead taking the hole shot and McIvor fell in behind holding their spots to the finish and a spot in the final. Poleschuk struggled out of the start and moved to the small final where she eventually finished in 8th spot. 
 
In the Women’s final Serwa and McIvor faced off against, points leader, Ophelie David (FRA) and Fanny Smith (SUI). Serwa exploded out of the start to take the hole shot followed by David, Smith and McIvor. Serwa was able to successfully defend 1st position to the finish with McIvor staying locked in 4th. 
 
“After the way things went with Alpe d’Huez and not running the final, this win felt so much better, it felt like I deserved it more other than winning off of the qualifier, I was the fastest on that course and I proved it."  When asked about the slow start to her season Serwa replied, “It was hard mentally at the beginning of the season but this win and the win at Alpe d’Huez really proved to me that I can do it and I’m in a good spot leading up to the games.”
 
On the Men’s side, Chris Del Bosco was the clear winner on the day after he dominated out of the start finding the hole shot in every one of his heats and successfully thwarting all challenges by skiing perfectly throughout the day eventually winning for his second World Cup victory this season and the third of his career.  
 
“Alpe d’Huez was just a bummer, you want to win through the heats but that’s the sport, when there’s weather like that and they make the call then the victory stands, I had a good qualifying run but it definitely wasn’t a full win in my view" said Del Bosco. When asked about the result and the implications leading into the games, “I know I’m skiing well and I wanted to have a couple of good races before the Olympics, I’ve been building through the season. I think I’ve figured out some things  out and now that selection is over I can go back to focusing on having fun and racing. That’s why we all do it is to have fun and I think we sometimes forget that.”
 
Dave Duncan rose to the occasion today when he achieved 3rd place and a spot on the Canadian Olympic Team having had to placed better than 5th spot.  Duncan rallied all day and fought hard to make the finals. In one heat Duncan, after a difficult start that found him in 4th spot, picked through the pack making some incredible passes moving him into 1st place in the heat and advancing to the semi-final round.  
 
In the final heat Duncan, knowing he had earned a spot in the games, again had a strong start and fought hard to pass Andreas Matt (AUT) but successfully defended against Daron Rahlves  (USA) for 3rd spot on the day. 
 
“In the Semis I was thinking ‘I can do this the easy way or the hard way or I could advance to the final and be guaranteed an Olympic spot or and come back around to the small final and push for a 5 place which would have also got me into the Olympics,’ so I focused on the easy way, which was not necessarily easy but that’s what I did and pushed it to the finish” said Duncan.  
 
Brian Bennett had one of his best days of the season placing 7th, while Brady Leman went home with 9th and Stanley Hayer in 10th 
 
 
RESULTS

WOMEN
 
1 SERWA Kelsey CAN
2 SMITH Fanny SUI
3 DAVID Ophelie FRA
4 MCIVOR Ashleigh CAN
5 HUTTARY Karin AUT
6 KVINLOG GENLID Gro NOR
7 HOLMLUND Anna SWE
8 POLESCHUK Danielle CAN

14 CLINE Aleisha CAN

 
 
MEN
 
1 DELBOSCO Christopher CAN
2 MATT Andreas AUS
3 DUNCAN David CAN
4 RAHLVES Daron USA
5 SCHMID Michael SUI
6 KRAUS Tomas CZE
7 BENNETT Brian CAN
8 KOROTKOV Egor RUS
 
9 LEMAN Brady CAN 
10 HAYER Stanley CAN
24 ZORICIC NIK CAN
25 BARR Davey CAN