ZHANGJIAKOU, China – The Beijing Olympics downhill course at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou was already shaping up to be challenging. The strong winds that sweep through China’s mountains, however, could make it downright dangerous.
This is what caught the attention of Canadian athletes at the end of the third day of training on this course, Friday, on the eve of the women’s qualifications.
“It’s getting windier every day,” said Maxence Parrot, silver medalist in the discipline four years ago. The last two days, it was not so bad: we still had good training sessions.
“Starting out, it’s a very challenging course. It’s not a common course, with big jumps, big rails. The wind makes everything extremely dangerous: we no longer see anyone (Friday) who makes big jumps. It’s difficult to judge the speed we have to take. The wind has also removed all the snow in the landing zones and our edges have less grip. »
“It’s what comes out of the discussions I have with just about everyone: it’s a difficult course, added Elliott Catton, one of the national coaches of freestyle descent. The jumps are big, the approach of the modules requires an adaptation to what we usually do. Completing a good run on this course is demanding. »
A raised plate
However, Parrot is not surprised by the difficulty of the course, the norm for the Olympics according to him.
“I think they’re making the course difficult on purpose,” he said. Sochi was a big trip. Pyeongchang, the jumps weren’t big, but the rails were very hard to maneuver. Angled jumps like there are at the top, you never see that anywhere else than at the Games. It makes it difficult. The last time I took jumps like that was at the Games four years ago. But at the end of the day, I think a good rider is someone who can adjust and is able to do what he has to do. »
Words that resonated with Jean-François Rapatel, Director of High Performance at Canada Snowboard.
“Pyeongchang the conditions were difficult, but it was the best athletes who managed to come out on top,” he said. These superior athletes, it is part of their main qualities to be able to adapt and to perform. »
He does not expect any big surprises in China.
“You never know, but most of the time it’s the cream that comes to the surface. »
Several Canadian athletes are part of this world elite. In addition to Parrot, who finished fifth in the acrobatic downhill in Sochi and ninth in the big jump in South Korea, we also find Laurie Blouin, silver medalist in the slopestyle in 2018 and world champion in the big jump in 2021, Sébastien Toutant, reigning Olympic champion in the long jump, as well as Mark McMorris, who twice finished on the third step of the Olympic podium in freestyle downhill.
“There are a lot of very talented snowboarders on the planet and it is certain that the Canadians are seen as big players on the circuit. But we are just a few of many, Catton temporized.
“The team seems to be in great shape. After seeing their practice rounds on this difficult course, I would say that we have a very confident group, he continued. (…) It’s good to have had a third day of training. It allowed them to put more time on the more difficult portions, more specific to this course. »
“We don’t plan based on medal goals,” said Rapatel. All our energy and attention is put into giving all the comfort and support our athletes need. We have an idea of what it could give (in terms of performance), but we don’t put all our attention on it. »
The acrobatic descent will be presented from February 5 to 7. The high jump competition will then take place on February 14 and 15 at the Shougang site, just outside Beijing.
