Justine Dufour-Lapointe’s journey to the Olympic Games ended earlier than expected on Sunday morning, when the Quebecer fell in the first final of the moguls event. A heartbreaking scene.
Posted at 6:06
Updated at 7:42 a.m.
Very involved in the first bumps, the youngest of the Dufour-Lapointe sisters lost control on the exit of the first jump. She slipped for a few seconds before getting back to her feet and motioning for her trainer to throw a stick at her.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The 27-year-old athlete completed the descent despite everything and finished her Games on her two skis with her head held high. She had her eyes watered as she reached the bottom of the track, but gave the camera a smile as she mouthed a moving “Thank you, I love you.” The Montrealer was looking for a third Olympic medal in as many appearances at the Games.
In the second final, British Columbia native Sofiane Gagnon lost her balance after the first jump. The 22-year-old had however skied very well earlier, finishing in first place at the end of the second qualifying round. Like Dufour-Lapointe earlier, she got up and completed her descent with a good second jump. She too smiled at the camera.
Chloé Dufour-Lapointe made no mistakes on her second run in the final, earning 72.96 points. Sat 9and however, there was insufficient space to advance to the final stage. No Canadian therefore made her way to the super final.