Olympic Snowboarding Halfpipe Schedule
Jason Smith Jason Begg-Smith Skier Begg Begg-Smith Medal strong selection Games
Mogul skier Dale Begg-Smith has strengthened its claim as one the hottest medal hopes in Australia Turin and will spearhead largest ski area in the country and the representation of snowboarding to the Winter Olympics.
Begg-Smith capped a little payback when he won a third World Cup round triumph at Lake Placid, New York, where his second victory last Friday's high world No. 1.
The win sent him 109 points clear of his nearest rival Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada in the ranking of the World Cup with 405 points.
The results Canadian-born 21-years, are a major asset for skiing and snowboarding in Australia (SSA), which finalized his team to Turin, including former world champion Jacqui Cooper, who won the fourth and final place on the ski team air.
The selectors have given their discretionary pick to Cooper Laine Cole and Bree Munro to join automatic selections Alisa Camplin, Olympic champion 2002 Lydia Ierodiaconou and Liz Gardner.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is expected to name its full team for the Games, expects to this number about 40 on Wednesday.
For the first time, SSA has been able to appoint more than one athlete in each discipline – Alpine skiing, Cross Country skiing skiing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding – with 25 ready to participate in Turin.
SSA CEO Michael Kennedy was pleased to step forward four years ago.
"We sent five athletes to Salt Lake City in 2002 had won the Cup, but this team consists of nine athletes who have made World Cup podiums, "Kennedy said.
"Over the past four years for 2002 Games, our athletes won 35 medals in World Cup, while in the last four years preceding (Turin), we collected 54 medals. "
Begg-Smith, who came to Australia six years ago with his older brother Jason and stood skiing competition for three years to be eligible for Australia, has confirmed its place as a strong medal hope in Turin in one of the most competitive sports.
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia CEO Geoff Lipshut was delighted with the form Begg-Smith, who has now extended three consecutive months will win.
"It is fantastic, it does when it is needed now, he understands the game and it has good skills, "said Lipshut.
"He's very strong mentally, and when you qualify first in an event of this genre, you're the last person on skis, then you must watch everybody and then know what you fight and resist all the pressure, and not everyone does.
Mogul skiing is traditionally dominated by North Americans, and Lipshut said an Olympic medal in the test would among the achievements of Australia's greatest sporting event.
"Dale is up there, hoping for a medal with 12 other people – he, four Americans, four Canadians and four Finns, and a medal would be incredible, because it is one of the events it is a difficult and challenging economic times, "he said.
"In events like the U.S. are usually so strong that they may be one to two-three-four years and one of 12 of their skiers could be Olympic medalists, it is a renewed sense of confidence for us and for our system defense, our coaches and our talents. "
Dale Begg-Smith has been a skier to appear when he arrived in Jindabyne via Melbourne about six years ago, and spent most of his time to become technical skills through training programs Australian that he and Jason, now 25, stood out from the ski racing pending Australian citizenship to be processed.
Athletes selection committee appointed by SSA AOC Skiing Air – Alisa Camplin, Jacqui Cooper, Liz Gardner, Lydia Ierodiaconou; Alpine Skiing – AJ Bear (Super G), Craig Branch (Downhill, combined), Jono Brauer (slalom, combined), Brad Wall (giant slalom); Skiing – Esther Bottomley (sprint), Clare-Louise Brumley (pursuit, 15 km classic), Paul Murray (sprint), mogul – Manuela Berchtold, Dale Begg-Smith, Jason Begg-Smith, Nick Fisher, Michael Robertson; Snowboard – Torah Bright (half moon), Holly Crawford (halfpipe), Allan Mitchell (half moon), Andrew Burton (halfpipe), Ben Mates (halfpipe), Emanuel Oppliger (PGS), Johanna Shaw (PGS), Damon Hayler (snowboard cross), Emily Thomas (snowboard cross).
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