Canada's Joines wins silver in downhill at para-alpine world champs
Sit-skier Kimberly Joines, the 2009 world downhill champion, upheld a spot on the coveted downhill podium by winning silver in Wednesday's race at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing World Championships in La Molina, Spain. The rest of the Canadian contingent also had a strong showing with three additional top-10 finishes.
"Everything was building from yesterday, when I ended up winning the training run," Joines said. "I was in a pretty confident space as my skiing has been getting better and better in the past couple of weeks. It definitely feels pretty good getting my mojo back when it comes to the speed."
Joines, from Rossland, B.C., had a slow start to her season, earning one podium finish in giant slalom at a World Cup race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in January. But in the weeks leading up to world championships she steadily gained momentum, and after winning Tuesday's downhill training run by more than two seconds, was able to take those positive results into Wednesday's start gate. She finished in one minute, 41.37 seconds, just three-tenths of a second behind the winner, Laurie Stevens of the USA.
"This was a really good race for Kim," said para-alpine head coach Jean Sébastien Labrie. "She hasn't been very confident this year yet, but she was able to manage her intensity. For sure we were hoping for first place, but I think we're all happy where she ended up considering where she was in January in the first World Cup races. It's a step forward and we're looking forward to more downhill from her in Sochi (the next World Cup stop)."
The downhill course in La Molina was in "great condition" Labrie said, but a lengthy flat section gave some racers trouble, depending on which category they race in: standing, sitting, or visually impaired. Flatter courses typically favour sit-skiers, as their equipment is heavier and allows them to carry more speed.
"This track is really, really flat for a minute, which in a race that is one minute and forty seconds long, means it has a big effect on the race," Labrie explained. "So I'm pretty pleased where we ended up considering all this."
The course bode well for Joines, who said she was skiing extra fast entering the final section.
"I definitely scared myself a bit today coming into the final pitch carrying a lot more speed than I did yesterday. But that's kind of the point. It's good to get your adrenaline up like that every once in a while."
Joines missed the last world championships in 2011 due to injury, so Wednesday's race was her first opportunity to redeem her 2009 world championship title in downhill.
"It was a little painful to ski just 0.3 seconds off that gold, but I'm not going to be upset to come home with a silver either," Joines said. "It definitely put me in a good state of mind to be charging in super-G tomorrow."
