There are unmistakable signs. All the cream of the Canadian Olympic Committee had made the road on Saturday to the Zhangjiakou competition area, 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, to attend the final of the ski moguls event with Mikaël Kingsbury. The party didn’t turn out exactly as expected.
The reigning Olympic champion from Deux-Montagnes fell just a point short of winning the gold medal he was aiming for, having to “settle” for silver and thus become the first male athlete in his discipline to win. three Olympic medals.
A few hours after the event, the most dominant mogul skier in history did not hide his disappointment while ensuring that he had no regrets after having given everything in an event that the cold and the hard moguls made particularly difficult. In fact, he even seemed happy, knowing that he was about to receive yet another reward, which is to be able to now return home to his loved ones after spending weeks in self-isolation. them to reduce his risk of catching COVID before he leaves for the Beijing Games.
“I miss my girlfriend. I miss my family. I miss my friends, said the 29-year-old champion who had their names on his helmet for the competition. They supported me from day one. I’m just really looking forward to seeing them again so I can share this medal with them. »
This report was funded with support from the Transat-Le Devoir International Journalism Fund.
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