Aurélie Moisan’s first World Cup final took place in her first parallel slalom event on the circuit. After seven parallel giant slalom starts, the 19-year-old snowboarder exceeded her expectations, finishing in 12the rank at the World Cup in Winterberg, Germany.
The Quebecer has been navigating between NorAm Cups, European Cups and World Cups since the start of the calendar. The experience she has accumulated in the three circuits has greatly helped her progress, to the point where she may have to revise her objectives, as demonstrated by her result on Saturday in parallel slalom.
“Honestly, it’s a goal that I set for next season, not this one! I’m really happy and proud of how it went,” she told Sportcom. I was very stressed at the start of the day and I did my first descent without having any expectations. I have starts in the World Cup, but only in giant. I didn’t know exactly where I stood in slalom. »
When she saw that she had achieved the seventh fastest time on the red course, 36.28 seconds, her perspective changed.
“I saw that it was perhaps possible to reach the finals and that I was not as far away as I thought! » said the woman who clocked 37.23 seconds in the second round.
Once in the first elimination round, reserved for the sixteen best qualifying athletes, Aurélie Moisan competed against Julie Zogg, from Switzerland, who has 33 podiums in 139 World Cup starts. The latter had the upper hand by 54 hundredths of a second.
Zogg was eliminated in the next round. The Czech Ester Ledecka won gold against the Austrian Sabine Schoeffmann in the grand final, while the Italian Lucia Dalmasso earned bronze.
“I have to trust myself!” » admitted Moisan, who was also surprised to start the season with a bronze medal in the European Cup.
“I tend to doubt, but I showed that I am capable of having good performances in the World Cup. I now believe in my abilities to achieve such results. It’s a really crazy season! »
Sunday, Aurélie Moisan participated in a first team event in the World Cup. A great opportunity to experience the sensations of the circuit, according to the Quebecer, who raced with Arnaud Gaudet, 18e of the men’s individual event on Saturday.
The Canadian duo took 14e echelon after being eliminated in the round of 16 by the Germans Ramona Theresia Hofmeister and Stefan Baumeister. Jules Lefebvre also took part in the event with Ontario’s Kaylie Buck. They finished 18e.
Jules Lefebvre finished 30e parallel slalom on Saturday, while Justin Carpentier was disqualified.
Aurélie Moisan will take part in two European Cups this week before heading to the Junior World Championships, scheduled for March 22-24 in Lachtal, Austria.