Jeff Bean earns bronze at World Cup aerials
Last Updated: Saturday, December 9, 2006 | 12:42 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Jeff Bean's 11th and final World Cup season with the Canadian freestyle ski team got off to a solid start.
The Ottawa aerialist finished third on Saturday in China to take his 15th career World Cup medal. Teammates Kyle Nissen of Calgary and Steve Omischl of North Bay, Ont., were fourth and fifth respectively.
The 30-year-old Bean traditionally has a slow start to the season but is determined to use a simpler approach this year.
"Last seasons was an interesting one, with a lot of ups and downs," said Bean. "There was so much on the line."
Bean has decided not to try any new jumps this year. He'll focus mainly on the jumps he performed Saturday for a third-place score of 233.03.
He stood fourth after a quadruple-twisting, triple somersault in the first round, then clinched the bronze medal with a simpler jump that produced the highest score of the second round.
American Ryan St. Onge scored 242.34 points to win the event while Olympic champion Xiaopeng Han of China was second in 239.72.
Nissen, who finished second in last season's overall men's aerial standings, was fourth with a score of 229.06.
"I was second after the first round, so I am a little disappointed with fourth," he said.
Cord Spero of Grande-Prairie, Alta., finished 10th to equal his second-best World Cup showing.
No Canadian women were competing.
