Gold medalist in Ruka, Finland, freestyle skier Marion Thénault only needed one World Cup to capture the yellow leader’s jersey in the aerials events.
The Quebecer had never started a season by winning a gold medal and on Sunday, she dominated the grand final to achieve it.
She was on the second step of the podium at Ruka last year, just behind the Australian Danielle Scott. The two rivals simply exchanged places this time, while Kazakh Zhanbota Aldabergenova retained her third place.
“It’s still cool to start with the yellow jersey. It puts pressure, but it’s pressure I want to have! » Marion Thénault shared with Sportcom with a smile in her voice.
The week of training leading up to the event did not go as the gold medalist in Finland would have liked. The wind complicated the task of the athletes in their jumps and sowed doubt in the mind of the Sherbrookoise in view of this first World Cup of the calendar.
“I didn’t land as much as I wanted and it messed with my head,” she said. I started to have more trouble trusting myself when entering competition. […] I know that if I succeed in my jumps, I can win, but I doubted I would be able to do it. I know they are in me, I just have to find them. »
It must be believed that his maneuvers were not hidden very far away. Thénault finished first in qualifying at the start of the day, then Danielle Scott temporarily overtook her during the first final.
Once she reached the grand final, she landed her back full double full to perfection to collect 99.05 points. Last to start, Scott failed to dethrone Thénault and accumulated 88.47 points. Zhanbota Aldabergenova scored 77.43 points and won the bronze medal.
This is his third World Cup victory after that of Almaty in 2021 and that signed at the Relay last year. She has eight medals in total.
“After my last jump, I had done my job. I had achieved the jump that I am capable of doing and that’s really what I was happy with. I was relieved to have overcome my doubts. I had my best score and I knew it was going to be a challenge for Danielle Scott to beat me. »
Quebecer Charlie Fontaine also reached the first final on Sunday and finished in 11th place. Alexandra Montminy ranked 22nd in qualifying.
In the men’s event, Lewis Irving was the only Canadian to reach the grand final. Victim of a fall on his final jump, he concluded his day in sixth place (72.12).
China’s Qi Guangpu won gold with 119.91 points, ahead of Switzerland’s Pirmin Werner (119.00) and Ukraine’s Dmytro Kotovskyi (117.00).
For his part, Alexandre Duchaine finished eighth in the first final.
Alec Haineault (13th), Victor Primeau (14th), Émile Nadeau (18th) and Miha Fontaine (20th) were all stopped in qualifying.
The next Aerials World Cup will be held in Changchun, China on December 16-17. A first team event will notably be presented.