LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Chris Del Bosco looked like a relaxed guy Saturday - and with good reason.
Del Bosco, of Sudbury, Ont., has all but secured an Olympic berth on the Canadian freestyle team thanks to some strong showings over the past two World Cup seasons. The 27-year-old endured his share of sleepless nights waiting for word on whether he had made the team, and entered this week's World Cup event with a newfound peace of mind.
"I knew I was kind of right on the edge," said Del Bosco. "I guess you feel it a little bit more once you get closer and closer to the date. I just managed to get enough good results right at the end, and last year's results really helped me, so I think it's all going to work out."
His renewed confidence showed Saturday, as he qualified sixth out of 60 competitors for Sunday's final on a sunny day at Whiteface Mountain. Dave Duncan of Golden, B.C., was the top Canadian in third place, leading a charge that saw seven Canadian men earn spots in the final.
Del Bosco has had trouble building on a strong 2008-09 showing that saw him earn a World Cup victory at Cypress Mountain, site of the Olympic competition. He also posted second-place finishes in Meiringen, Switzerland; Branaes, Sweden; and Les Contamines, France, and wound up second in the overall World Cup standings.
This year, Del Bosco had just one top-5 result to his credit - a victory in Alpe d'Huez, France earlier this month.
"This year's just been a struggle," said Del Bosco. "I've just had some bad luck, and the strength of the men's field is quite a bit (stronger) than it was last year. Everybody's pushing pretty hard.
"(I want) to just get a few more rounds under my belt and get some more confidence heading into the Olympics."
Del Bosco said the qualifying process for the Olympic team, which will consist of 18 skiers chosen from moguls, aerials and skicross, has put pressure on athletes in all three disciplines.
"It's just frustrating that we have to compete for spots with (the moguls and aerials skiers) because they have a really deep team and they should have their four athletes going for a medal. And we have a really deep team. We might not have the best guys there, but that's something that's out of our control.
"We all want each other to do well, but you want to get that spot, so it's definitely changed the team dynamic a little bit."
Duncan, who is still in the hunt for a spot on the Olympic team, blasted down the course in 50.57 seconds. Michael Schmid of Switzerland was the fastest in 50.02, while Andreas Matt of Austria was second in 50.55.
Del Bosco finished in 51.02. Brady Leman of Calgary was eighth in 51.20, Stanley Hayer of Calgary 10th in 51.58, Brian Bennett of Whistler, B.C., 14th in 51.84, Nick Zoricic of Toronto 19th in 51.92 and Davey Barr of Whistler 20th in 51.93.
Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, B.C., led Canadian women in qualifying, finishing second in 54.85. Switzerland's Fanny Smith crossed the line in 54.79, with Ashleigh McIvor of Whistler third in 55.07.
Danielle Poleschuk of Calgary qualified seventh in 55.80, while Aleisha Cline of Squamish, B.C., was 20th in 57.62. Julia Murray of Whistler, ranked second in the World Cup standings, did not compete Saturday, choosing instead to rest a minor knee injury she suffered in training.
Source:AFP
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