ZHANGJIAKOU, China – For the first time in a long time, Canada will be competitive in aerials at the Beijing Olympics, for both men and women.
As the country’s origins in the sport, Thursday’s medal in mixed team competition was Canada’s first in 20 years, since the silver and bronze medals of Veronica Brenner and Deidra Dionne in the Salt Lake City Games in 2002.
For men, we have to go back to 1994, in Lillehammer in Norway, when Philippe Laroche and Lloyd Langlois were on the last two steps of the podium.
Jeff Bean, current head coach of the Canadian aerials team, is the one who came closest, with a fourth place in Salt Lake City (2002). Kyle Nissen finished fifth in Turin and Vancouver. Olivier Rochon did the same in PyeongChang, but for the ladies, no top-10 since Brenner and Dionne.
Bean believes the dark days are over for his program.
“I can say that this team finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m very proud because that was my goal when I joined the program,” he said at the bottom of the Genting Snow Park track on Sunday, as the storm that forced the postponement of qualifying for the ladies were still raging.
“I’m very lucky: there was Nicolas Fontaine (now coach of the development team and the Quebec freestyle ski team) who put everything in place and I, when I arrived, installed my philosophy, but I took advantage of all these athletes who joined us. We have so many good athletes that it’s easy. I think (assistant coach) Rémi Bélanger and Nic, we really put our strengths together. »
The succession is now at the rendezvous.
“Since the gang that was at the 2010 Games (Steve Omischl, Warren Shouldice and Nissen), there was a serious lack of relief,” noted Bean. There is now a good pipeline and there is good communication between the coaches in the system. Behind the current generation, there is a good succession.
“Before, with Us the Podium, they put all the attention on the high level, just on the ‘tops’. There, we put energy back on the base, on the coaching and it pays off: we have two 18-year-old guys who are with the team, Flavie (Aumond) who is 19 and there is still another generation. which grows behind. Nic is not here with his son, he is at a NorAm competition to bring youngsters! It’s his choice: it shows the priorities of the program now.”
Finished, therefore, the figuration for the Canadian jumpers. Bean even expects one or more podiums in individual competitions.
“I think Marion (Thénault) has a good chance of making the podium. She did two last year and with her jumps, she has a chance. In men, we have a really good chance. Lewis (Irving) made three podiums last year and is back in shape; Miha (Fontaine) and Émile (Nadeau) really have a chance too: they have really increased the difficulty coefficients of their jumps.
“If Marion succeeds in her jumps on the double (twisting) springboard, she is among the best. My job with her is to help her land her best jumps on the doubles springboard. If girls do better on the triple, it’s okay: she’s only been playing this sport for four years. »
Thénault, Irving and Fontaine provided the mixed team bronze medal for Canada. Bean immediately saw a change in attitude among his troops, supplemented by Naomy Boudreau-Guertin.
“It gave a boost energy, but also took the pressure off the whole team. It showed what we can accomplish. Now everyone is more relaxed: they make jokes in the cafeteria, they have fun. It’s really the team atmosphere that I wanted to set up. It’s the atmosphere I had in my time with Nicolas Fontaine and that band. I think that’s what was missing in this program: in our time, we worked hard, but we had a lot of fun at the same time. That’s our goal. »
The weather was a spoilsport in Zhangjiakou on Sunday as the women’s qualifier became the second postponed competition of the day, following the women’s qualifier. slope style feminine in the morning.
Zhangjiakou has been hit by a winter storm since the early hours of Saturday night through Sunday. Accumulations of a few centimeters of snow, but above all the strong winds have disturbed the sports calendar in the mountains.
Although he’s leading a young group, Bean doesn’t think he’ll be affected by these schedule changes.
“I think it can be beneficial. (Sunday), they went up and were able to see a bit of what is going on. They were even able to do two jumps: it’s a little experience that could take away a little nervousness.
“It will be cold, it will be in our conditions. Our pre-Olympic camp was in Lac-Beauport and I haven’t seen much warmer than -15 with wind. We are ready for that! »
Chinese Mengtao Xu, currently ranked first in the world, is the favorite. She will want to redeem her poor performance in Pyeongchang, when she finished ninth despite her number 1 bib.
Six athletes will advance to the final following the first qualifying round. Six others will be able to join them in final 1 after the second.
