Frédérique Turgeon wins Canada’s second medal at Para alpine world championships

(photo courtesy of Alpine Canada)

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia  – Frédérique Turgeon of Candiac, Que., won the silver medal on Thursday in women’s slalom at the Para alpine world championships. It was Canada’s second medal of the competition.

Fourth after the first run, Turgeon was jubilant when she looked up at the scoreboard and saw that she shaved four seconds off in her second run. When her teammate Alana Ramsay of Calgary and defending world champion Andrea Rothfuss of Germany failed to beat her time, Turgeon collapsed by the finish line, overcome with emotion.

“I can’t believe it. I don’t know what I did, it’s just crazy,” said Turgeon, who’s had a leg disability since birth and skies with two adaptive poles and on one ski on her left foot,  

“You have to believe that you’re the best out there, and that’s what I’m trying to do. I was very happy with my run, the way I pushed myself to really race down as fast as I could. It’s just unbelievable.”

Marie Bochet of France won the gold, Rothfuss was third, Ramsay fourth and Mel Pemble of Victoria eighth.
Ramsay raced to silver in the giant slalom on Tuesday. 

The speed events for the worlds are in Sella Nevea, Italy  start Tuesday January 29 with the women’s downhill. Al All events are being live-streamed on the CPC Facebook Page, the CBC Gem app, with select races available at radio-canada.ca/sports.