Saturday, December 15, 2001
Frozen tears of joy flow
By ANDREW SMITH -- Calgary Sun
The scene was too much for Calgarian Lindsay Alcock to handle.
Mere seconds after Alcock crossed the finish line to secure her first-ever win in a World Cup skeleton race, the 24-year-old was mobbed by joyous teammates and coaches.
That was it. The tears started flowing.
"I'm really happy," sobbed Alcock, fighting back the waterworks.
Then, when her mother appeared, she broke into a full-on cry.
Gathering her emotions, Alcock re-lived her historic run, a win that put her one more top-six finish from qualifying for February's Olympic Games.
Racing on her home track, Alcock used a strong start to power herself down the technical Canada Olympic Park course, finishing in a two-race time of one minute, 58.66 seconds, .20 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Maya Pederson.
"I was really pumped up by the crowd, so I just let it go at the start," said Alcock.
"I was confident coming in. This is my home track so I didn't have to think about it.
"This is a huge relief. I didn't expect to do so well."
Alcock, a tour guide at COP three years ago, tore off the start with a time of 5.46 seconds in her second run.
As she passed each successive interval, it became more obvious Alcock was on the ride of her career.
The win moves her to second overall in the World Cup standings.
Her win, combined with Michelle Kelly's sixth-place finish and a solid 15th placing by Mellisa Hollingsworth, means Canada will maintain its second-place position in the team standings.
Kelly's result sealed her berth in the Salt Lake Games.
She required one top-six finish to qualify and the result put a satisfied grin on the Fort St. John, B.C., native's face.
"I could have crashed, as long as I finished in the top six," said Kelly.
"Just put in two good runs is all I was thinking. They didn't have to be pretty."
Booking a spot for Kelly in Salt Lake was vital for the Canadian team's hopes since she holds the Park City, Utah, track record.
Compared to Calgary, which is considered a technical course, the fast Utah track is tailor-made for Kelly's abilities.
Even though she trains in Calgary, qualifying through yesterday's event was a tough chore.
"This is not my track," said Kelly.
"Utah, now I love that track. Hopefully, I'll love it in February."
The Canadian men were also solid, paced by Duff Gibson's fourth-place finish, his best in a World Cup event.
Canadian leader Jeff Pain, who's been battling an illness for a few weeks, was eighth.
Pain, who has already qualified for Salt Lake, said under the circumstances he did as well as he could.
"I've been sick for five weeks, so I gave as much power as I could to my push," said Pain.
"It was the best I could but the real race is in February. I'll be able to rest and recoup over the holidays so I can be ready for the Olympics."
2002 Games Skeleton Coverage
