Canadian freestyle ski team tough to crack

Dave Duncan was beaming.

The 27-year-old skicross racer had just clocked the fastest trial time for a World Cup race at Blue Mountain in Collingwood, Ont. on Tuesday. It was a welcome success. After all, the Olympics were on the line.

"If I can come away with a podium [on Wednesday] then I feel pretty comfortable making that team," he said. "But if I leave without a podium, then I'm just leaving it to chance — and I'd rather not."

When it comes to freestyle skiing, Canada is looking good. Between skicross, moguls, and aerials, Canada has won 21 World Cup medals this season. (By comparison, the United States has 11).  

In fact, Canada has done so well it's proving to be a problem other nations would love to face.

So many contenders, so few spots

When the Olympic freestyle team is named in Montreal on Jan. 25, several of Canada's best medal contenders will be left off the list, Peter Judge, the CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, said on Wednesday.

"It has put us in a position of probably leaving medal potential athletes at home because we're going to be over the cap," Judge said.

"I think one of the last things you want to do is be in the position where you are leaving some of your star players off the table. That doesn't do sport any good at all, and certainly doesn't act in the spirit of what the Olympic games are supposed to be."

Previously there were 14 freestyle spots per country at the Olympics, which went to the top performers in aerials or moguls. But when skicross — a fast, rough battle down a mountain —was added to the freestyle Olympic family for the 2010 Games, the International Olympic Committee only increased the team size to 18.

Three spots were already given to the top athlete from each discipline last season: Jenn Heil for moguls, Ashleigh McIvor for skicross and Steve Omischl for aerials.

Now the remaining freestyle skiers are battling for their shot at Olympic glory. And each athlete, regardless of discipline, is up against the other.

"A result is a result is a result," Judge said. "We're comparing apples, oranges, and bananas … we have no choice."

And so this is how the fruits shall be weighed:

• Four results for each athlete from the last two seasons will determine the remaining spots. The two best results for each skier from 2008-09 season will be combined with at least two results from the 2009-10 season.
• There is a gender cap, allowing a maximum of 10 men or women on the team.
• The top 15, regardless of freestyle discipline, will go to the Olympics.

The final team will likely have four or five aerialists, and five or six moguls skiers and skicross racers, said Judge. Most athletes already know where they stand — it's simply a matter of math.

So there will be balance based entirely on the success of each program — but the depth of Canada's talent will not be adequately showcased, he said.

"This was kind of all done in haste because skicross was being put in," Judge said of the IOC's decision to only add four spots per country. "It was all put in place very quickly without understanding the ramifications."

Judge said he appealed the IOC's decision when it was announced that only 18 spots would be granted, and he hopes that the success of skicross at the Vancouver Games will spark interest in open more spots for 2014.

"Skicross is going to have a phenomenal impact, and I think it's going to come away from the Games as being the belle of the ball," he said.

Racing for a dream

For many skicross racers like Duncan, Olympic dreams were on the line at the World Cup at Blue Mountain in Collingwood this week.

Stan Hayer, the current X-Games champion, joked about helping his skicross teammates get to Vancouver.

"We've never done anything like pull off the course so your teammate can advance. You have to earn it," he laughed. "But it might happen for the Olympics — if it's the difference between maybe an aerials or skicross [skier being selected]. No, I'm kidding!"

Aleisha Cline, who had already won a World Cup in Whistler this season, was uneasy about her chances at making the final Olympic cut.

"I don't want to talk about it!" she laughed when asked about her chances. "Winning Cypress was big. I just need to do well [Wednesday]."

However, neither Hayer nor Cline made it to the podium on Wednesday. Duncan didn't either. They will have one more chance to reach the podium at a World Cup race in Lake Placid this weekend, before the Olympic team is announced on Monday.

Hearts will undoubtedly be broken that day.