Elliott and Qi secure victories on day 1 at Lac-Beauport
Feb 11, 2024·Freestyle
An exceptional day of premier freestyle skiing unfolded at Lac-Beauport's Le Relais on Saturday, February 10. The United States' Karenna Elliot achieved her first World Cup triumph in the women's category, while China's aerial skiing luminary, Qi Guangpu, dominated the men's event with a commanding victory.
Following the exhilarating freestyle spectacle at Deer Valley last week, the FIS Freestyle Aerials World Cup tour resumed with two days of competitive action at Le Relais. The tour returned to the ski resort, situated a mere 15 minutes from Quebec City, for the third consecutive year, following its World Cup revival in 2022.
This year's inaugural event at the Lac-Beauport region lived up to expectations, with Saturday's competition showcasing the world's finest aerial skiing on a meticulously prepared venue, much to the delight of the thousands of enthusiastic fans in attendance. Despite intermittent rain showers, the event was nothing short of spectacular.
In the women's competition, Karenna Elliot made a remarkable entrance, not only making her first-ever appearance in a super final but also clinching her first World Cup podium finish and securing a victory with a flawless execution of a Full double Full in the super final—a maneuver she landed in competition for the very first time. Elliot's exceptional performance earned her 89.28 points and a well-deserved victory, heightening anticipation for her future performances.
Danielle Scott of Australia secured second place with 84.24 points for her double Full-Full, reclaiming the yellow World Cup leader bib from Winter Vinecki, and leading the aerials standings with 280 points to Vinecki's 252.
Canadian favorite Marion Thenault completed the women's podium in third place, earning 83.19 points for her Full double Full, marking her third podium finish at her home event.
The men's competition was highlighted by a stellar performance from Qi Guangpu, the 2022 Olympic Champion, who executed an impeccable Full double Full Full, strengthening his lead in the aerials World Cup rankings with a remarkable victory. Qi's jump, which earned him 124.78 points, marked his 16th career World Cup first-place finish.
Wang Xindi also delivered an impressive performance, securing second place with 119.47 points for the same jump as Qi.
Canadian Emile Nadeau disrupted the potential Chinese podium sweep by securing third place with 105.30 points for his Full-Full-Full, opting for a less risky maneuver under challenging conditions, yet executing it flawlessly for his second World Cup podium finish.
The aerials action at Lac-Beauport will continue on Sunday, with the women's qualifications starting at 9:15 EST, followed by the men's qualifications at 11:30, and the finals set to begin at 13:45.
QUICK LINKS:
Lac-Beauport World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc.)
Results: WOMEN / MEN
