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Road to Pyeongchang: Canada surging on World Cup circuit

The PyeongChang Olympics are fast approaching and winter athletes from around the globe are competing in the all-important World Cup circuit. Canada captured 14 medals this week and remain third in the World Cup standings, but is only one medal behind the U.S. after 475 events.

Canadians within 1 medal of U.S., remain 3rd in standings

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Snowboarder Mark McMorris edged defending champion and fellow Canadian Max Parrot for the gold medal in big air on Saturday. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

The PyeongChang Olympics are fast approaching and winter athletes from around the globe are competing in the all-important World Cup circuit.

A crucial performance indicator ahead of the 2018 Games in South Korea, the World Cup circuit includes all sports that will be part of the Olympic programme.  

Canada slipped in the standings last week, dropping to third and overtaken by the surging Americans. However, a 14-medal output this past week has pulled the Canadians within one medal of the second-place Americans after 475 events. 

Germany, meanwhile, continues to dominate the World Cup standings. 

The week was highlighted by a Canadian gold rush, led by snowboarder Mark McMorris. The Regina native edged defending champion and fellow Canadian Max Parrot for the gold medal in big air on Saturday.

The big air victory also gave McMorris the Crystal Globe as the series winner.

He was then runner-up to teammate Sebastien Toutant in slopestyle on Sunday.

Mark McMorris captures big air gold in Quebec

Sports

4 years ago
2:12
Snowboarder Mark McMorris edged fellow Canadian Max Parrot for the gold medal at a big air World Cup event on Saturday. 2:12

Sunday saw Canada take two gold medals in ski cross. Marielle Thompson and Brady Leman won their respective events in Sweden.  

Thompson claimed her fifth win of the season and increased her lead in the overall standings by edging out Sweden's Sandra Naeslund and Fanny Smith of Switzerland.

Marielle Thompson races to ski cross gold for 5th time this season

Sports

4 years ago
3:32
The North Vancouver, B.C., native captured ski cross gold on Sunday at a FIS World Cup event in Idre Fjall, Sweden, finishing first during the ladies final. 3:32

Of course, no story on Canada's medal success can be written without including moguls superstar Mikael Kingsbury. The Deux-Montagnes, Que., skier won a gold medal at a World Cup freestyle skiing event on the Olympic course in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Saturday.

Kingsbury, who won by the slimmest of margins, reached his 58th career podium finish, passing the legendary Edgar Grospiron, who held the previous record of 57. 

Mikael Kingsbury wins Olympic test event by narrow margin

Sports

4 years ago
0:37
Just 1/100th of a point separated first and second at the moguls World Cup event in South Korea. 0:37

With files from Justin Piercy

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