Canada and USA Battle for Victory at NORAM Cup and Nationals

Though competitors from Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and USA took part, only Canada and USA took spots on the podium.

This week saw a two-horse race between Canadian and USA Alpine Skiers battling it out for the NORAM Cup and the National Championship at the Waterville Valley Resort, USA. Though competitors from Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and USA took part, only Canada and USA took spots on the podium.

Team USA had the edge in both events.

In the NORAM Cup Canada’s Brayden Luscombe won the men’s Giant Slalom Standing, followed by teammate Michael Whitney in second and USA’s Ralph Green third. With Luscombe not finishing a run in the Nationals event, Whitney and Green moved up to first and second place respectively and USA’s Jonathan Lujan bagged bronze. In the Slalom event at the Nationals, Luscombe took gold, with USA's Patrick Parnell in second place and Ralph Green third.

In the men’s Giant Slalom Sitting USA’s Christopher Devlin-Young came out on top in the NORAM Cup, followed by Canada’s Josh Dueck and USA’s Heath Calhoun. Dueck kept his number two spot in the Nationals, and Canada’s Caleb Brousseau moved into first place with USA’s Jasmin Bambur taking bronze. In the Slalom at the Nationals, Dueck won his third silver of the week, with USA's Tyler Walker just pushing ahead to win gold and Brousseau taking bronze.

In the women’s events, the Giant Slalom Visually Impaired events were a USA only affair on the podium. Danelle Umstead with guide Robert Umstead came on top in the at the NORAM Cup, with Lindsay Ball and guide Diane Barras second, and Staci Mannella with guide Kim Seevers in third place. In the Nationals Giant Slalom, Ball knocked Umstead into second place and Mannella kept her bronze position. In the Slalom event, Umstead regained her spot at the top of the podium with Mannella and Ball coming second and third respectively.

USA also swept the floor in the women’s Giant Slalom Sitting with Alana Nichols, Laurie Stephens and Sarah Holm taking gold, silver and bronze respectively in both the NORAM Cup and the Nationals. In the Slalom event at the Nationals, Nichols came first and Holm second.

Canada dominated the women’s Giant Slalom Standing, taking all three medal spots at the NORAM Cup. Alexandra Starker took a strong lead to take gold, with Melanie Schwartz and Vanessa Knight in second and third. The first two spots were unchanged at the Nationals, but USA’s Stephanie Jallen took bronze. In the Slalom event at the Nationals, Jallen pushed up into first place. Just 0.19 seconds behind her, Starker had to settle for silver and Knight took bronze.