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KELLY VANDERBEEK TOP CANADIAN ON SECOND TRAINING DAY
VanderBeek 14th as Italy’s Fanchini posts best time of TELUS Whistler Ladies DH training run

Kelly VanderBeek (Kitchener, ON) was the top Canadian on the second day of training for Friday’s TELUS Whistler Ladies downhill, finishing 14th in a time of one minute 48.21 seconds.

Vanderbeek, who has two World Cup downhill podiums already this season, was undeterred despite actually breaking one of her poles during today’s run.

“I think I did it on the middle jump because I felt my pole hit the gate and I felt the ‘tick’ and thought that didn’t feel right. I wouldn’t say it affected me too badly but I definitely noticed it a few times,” said VanderBeek, who currently sits in fourth in the overall Ladies downhill standings.

“I made a few tactical errors yesterday but was still quite fast. Today I was trying to force the line a bit more so come race day I’ll need to forget everything I’ve learned and just go,” she added.

Nadia Fanchini of Italy led the way in today’s training run, finishing in a time of 1:46.65 followed by Switzerland’s Nadia Styger and Andrea Fischbacher of Austria.

World Cup super G champion Emily Brydon (Fernie, BC), who was 20th, said she is looking forward to skiing in front of family and friends on race day.

“My mother will be coming up and some family friends as well as some girls that I used to ski race with,” said Brydon. “We’re here to race and all of the people that come to watch me understand that. The fact that they’re here to watch and support me means a lot.”

Hometown favourite Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC) did not record an official result after missing a gate.

“It’s a training run and I’m just trying to feel things out and feel the course out. The track is a little faster today and I really tried to run direct down here and see how much I can push it to the jump and I was just a little bit low.”

Emilie Desforges (Montréal, QC) finished in 42nd place while Danielle Poleschuk (Calgary, AB) was 44th.

The focus shifts to the men tomorrow with the TELUS Whistler Men’s super G getting underway at 10:45 a.m. The race will be televised on Rogers Sportsnet beginning at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT

Race organizers cancelled the tird Ladies downhill training run late today.

WHISTLER, BC – FEB. 20TH, 2008 – DH TRAINING #2 – LADIES

FLASH QUOTES

Emily Brydon (Fernie, BC) 20th place

On racing at home:

“I think it’s a great opportunity and I think that it’s pretty exciting being able to say that this is the Olympic track and that we’re at home now. I think it’s an awesome opportunity. It’s every athletes dream.”

On the course:

“It’s a good little course, it’s fun. There’s a lot of terrain and lots of things going on. Because there isn’t a high speed factor you’ll see a pretty tight race. I think it will be a tight race come race day.”

“I think you have to just carry speed wherever you can just because there isn’t like the big pitches to generate speed. Any little mistakes are costly.”

Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC) DNF

On racing at home:

“It’s so nice to have everyone here in Whistler and to be able to stay at home and have my friends and family around is something that I never get the rest of the season so it’s really nice.”

On today’s training:

“I think in generally the snow is slower. In some sections the track is smoother in some places cuz they really smoothed it out so coming in to some of the turns it felt like the speed was up. It felt like in places it was a little faster.”

On the course:

“It’s important for confidence wise but also this is our Olympic hill so I think as a group we want the Europeans to know that this is our spot and we not going to let them get in it. So by coming out every training a run and performing and getting good results that‘s going to let us put our stamp on the course and make it ours.”

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