Split seconds made all the difference Thursday for Prince George athletes competing in their respective World Cup disciplines.
For ski cross racer Gavin Rowell at the world championships in Engadin, Switzerland, 25-100ths of a second was all that separated him from Liam Michael of Australia in Thursday’s qualifying event.
Why was that so critical?
It meant the 25-year-old Rowell locked up 32nd place, the final qualifying berth for Friday’s race, while Michael is relegated to being a spectator.
Rowell completed the course in 1:00.48, while Michael timed in at 1:00.73.
Ryan Regez of Switzerland set the pace in 58.81.
Jared Schmidt of Ottawa was the top Canadian in seventh place (59:19), while Kevin Drury of Toronto was eighth (59.22) and Reece Howden of Cultus Lake was 11th (59.38).
In the women’s ski cross, World Cup leader Fanny Smith of Switzerland was the top qualifier (1:02.67), while India Sherritt of Cranbrook was second (1:02.89) and Courtney Hofos of Invermere was third (1:03.19). Abby McEwen of Edmonton was 19th (1:05.63) and missed the top-16 cut.
Meanwhile, at the World Cup snowboard cross qualifying Thursday in Montafon, Austria, Meryeta O’Dine of Prince George had a tough day on the slopes. In her first qualifying run O’Dine ended up 11th in the order, just 11-100ths of a second slower than 10th-place Aline Albrecht of Switzerland.
The 10 quickest riders in the first run automatically qualified for Friday’s race, while the rest of the field had to complete a second qualifying run to determine the next six race positions. In that second run, the 28-year-old O’Dine did not finish the course and won’t get to race.
Audrey McManiman of Sainte Ambrose de Kildaire, Que., won the qualifying round (1:03.20). Tess Critchlow of Kelowna (sixth, 1:09.15) also made the cut out of 28 entrants.
In men’s snowboard cross qualifying in Montafon, Mackenzie native Evan Bichon will get to race Friday after he qualified 28th (1:04.61) out of a field of 68.
Points leader Eliot Grondin of Sainte Marie, Que., was the top qualifier (1:02.22).
James Savard-Ferguson of Baie-Saint-Paul, Que., was 30th (1:04.82) and Liam Moffatt of Truro, N.S., was 31st (1:04.85) to crack the top-32 for the men’s race.
Colby Graham of Prince George was 45th (1:05.92) and missed the cut.
