Jasey-Jay Anderson makes Olympic-sized decision

Veteran Canadian snowboarder Jasey- Jay Anderson told CBC Sports late Friday that he will concentrate on parallel giant slalom after disappointing results earlier in the day in snowboardcross.

Anderson, a 16-year veteran and four-time overall World Cup champion (2001-04), was eliminated in the heats in the snowboardcross competition Friday at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver. He finished fifth in the discipline at the 2006 Torino Olympics.

"Unfortunately the sport has evolved in a way that is different than what I would have liked or the way that I saw it," Anderson said.

"I'm at a point where I'd either have to pick [snowboardcross] or alpine, and alpine is where my heart is so I have to follow that."

Anderson, 33, won gold in the slalom at the World Cup snowboard championships on Jan. 20 in South Korea.

The win ensured that the Mont-Tremblant, Que., native will compete on home snow at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Anderson is looking to cap his career with Olympic achievement and rebound after a disappointing 20th in the parallel slalom four years ago in Turin.

"[Snowboardcross] is a good event but I have two kids and it's much more dangerous than alpine," Anderson said. "So I'll leave it for the kids, and I might be back coaching it some day but as far as riding for now, I'm calling it."

Mike Robertson, of Canmore, Alta., placed second in Friday's World Cup snowboardcross competition, with Francois Boivin of Jonquiere, Que., coming in fourth place.