Marion Thénault captures World Cup aerials silver with career-best score
Sherbrooke, Que., native earned 97.99 from 2nd jump at Deer Valley in Utah
Canadian freestyle skier Marion Thénault claimed silver in women's World Cup aerials on Friday at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.
The last racer to start in the super final, Thénault landed a back full double full, her most difficult trick, to finish the day with a career-best score of 97.99 to match her score from the first final.
Australia's Danielle Scott scored 115.20 to win the event while China's Fanyu Kong grabbed bronze (94.11).
"I am very, very proud of what I accomplished tonight. It was definitely one of the best performances of my career," Thénault, who hails from Sherbrooke, Que., told Freestyle Canada. "The final went really well.
"I knew it was technically impossible to beat Danielle Scott's score, but I still wanted to go all out, and it got me the silver medal."
WATCH | Thénault captures World Cup silver at Deer Valley:
Thénault, 22, won her second World Cup medal of the season, a gold medal, on Jan. 21 in Lac-Beauport, Que. She earned a silver medal to open the women's World Cup season in December in Ruka, Finland.
Thenault made her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2022, where she won bronze in mixed team aerials and placed seventh in the women's event.
Flavie Aumond of Lac-Beauport also competed in Friday's first final and placed ninth with 78.43 points.
In men's action, the Quebec City tandem of Alexandre Duchaine and Anthony Noël were the only Canadians to advance to the first final. Duchaine finished seventh (96.90) and Noël was 10th (93.10).
The 2023 FIS freestyle ski and snowboard world championships begin Feb. 19 in Bakuriani, Georgia.
Other Canadian results Friday:
- Victor Primeau, Lac-Beauport: 15th
- Nicolas Martineau, Mirabel, Que.: 25th
- Pierre-Olivier Côté, Lac-Beauport: 28th
- Miha Fontaine, Lac-Beauport: 30th
With files from CBC Sports
