(Lac-Beauport) Quebecer Lewis Irving dominated the qualifications for the World Cup in freestyle jumps on Saturday at the Le Relais ski center in Lac-Beauport, leading a contingent of six Quebecers to the final.
Irving, Victor Primeau, Émile Nadeau and Alexandre Duchaine joined Marion Thénault and Rosalie Gagnon, who had qualified earlier in the women’s event.
One of the local favourites, Miha Fontaine, had a misfire on the landing of his maneuver and finished 15the rank, missing out on qualifying by three places.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Marion Thenault
Gabriel Dion, Nicolas Martineau, Anthony Noël, Pierre-Olivier Côté, Charlie Fontaine, Olympian Flavie Aumond and Alexandra Montminy also bit the dust among the ladies.
Irving performed a backward triple somersault with three spins that he landed straight as an oak tree to earn 123.53 points and edge American Quinn Dehlinger (118.14) and Switzerland’s Primer Werner (117.70).
Primeau (106.88) finished ninth, followed by Nadeau (104.87). Duchaine (97.60) was the last to qualify in 12e square.
Thénault, a 22-year-old Sherbrooke resident, completed the qualifications in second place with a score of 86.94 points. She was edged only by Australian Danielle Scott, with a score of 90.24.
As for Gagnon, who is only 16 years old and hails from the Quebec City area, her score of 65.52 earned her ninth place.
The athletes with the 12 best scores qualified for the final, which will be presented in the afternoon. The top six will advance to the super final.