Alpine skiing | Marie-Michèle Gagnon excluded from the downhill podium

Marie-Michèle Gagnon was unable to make her place on the downhill podium on Monday evening in Beijing. “These are my last Olympics, I love you! launched the Quebec skier arriving at the bottom of the track.

Katherine Harvey Pinard
The Press

The native of Lac-Etchemin, who had passed the 5^and best time in training, was the 9^and to set off on the Chinese track. She seemed comfortable in her descent of almost 3 km. Well crouched and fast, she managed a time of 1 min 33.45 s., good for the 3^and rank, 0.58 seconds behind the leader at this time, the Italian Elena Curtoni.

“I made a small mistake,” she hinted after her descent before addressing Quebecers on camera: “Hi everyone! These are my last Olympics, I love you! »

The Austrian Mirjam Puchner, who followed her, achieved the same time as her. Their bronze medal hopes were dashed a few minutes later, however, when Italy’s Nadia Delago delivered an excellent performance, finishing the downhill in 1:32.44. to take first place.

The portrait of the podium continued to evolve thereafter. It was finally the Swiss Corinne Suter (1 min 31.87 s.) who was crowned Olympic champion. The Italian Sofia Goggia (+0.16 s.) took the 2^and rank, while Delago slipped to 3^and rank.

Ultimately, Gagnon (+1.58 s.) finished the competition in 8^and place, tied with Puchner.

Remember that this is the third Olympic Games for the Quebecer, but the first where she takes part in the speed events, rather than the technical ones.

The other Canadian, Roni Remme, had a good run without too much contact. She had some difficulty in the big turns at the end of the course and completed the descent in 1 min 35.36 s., with 3.49 s. behind the gold medalist, which earned her the 24^and position.