McIvor turns theory into reality in Vancouver

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

 THERE can be few more deserving gold medallists in Vancouver than Ashleigh McIvor, the Whistler-born inaugural women's ski cross champion.

HOME ADVANTAGE: Ashleigh McIvor takes ski cross gold just a snowball's throw away from her home town of Whistler (Getty Images)

McIvor, 26, was a key figure in leading the bid to include ski cross into the Winter Olympic programme - the Canadian even wrote an essay for her University of British Columbia English class, arguing that the sport should be added.

Fortunately for McIvor, the IOC agreed that ski cross was worthy of a place on the Olympic schedule and when the women's event made its debut in Vancouver on Tuesday, McIvor took full advantage.

She cruised to victory at Cypress Mountain, becoming the first women's Olympic ski cross champion in history and did so in her own back yard.

"Growing up in Whistler I was shredding powder snow, dropping cliffs and chasing the boys my whole life," she said.

"Combining Alpine and big mountain skills, racing your friends to the bottom, it's the beauty of ski cross. It's racing in its most natural form.

"Skiing in the back country and just racing your best friends from the top to the bottom, that's what ski cross is all about and who can represent Canada better than a girl from Whistler.

"I was reading in my notebook last night things that would make me feel good. I wrote something, that there are so many obstacles just to get here and feeling equipped and prepared would be a good feeling. I felt I was made for it.

"Ski Cross is just a new form of ski racing, which has been around for ever. The International Ski Federation is really interested in keeping up with the next generation and keeping the Olympics cool.

"It's such an amazing spectator sport. Huge features, bank turns and it doesn't need additional infrastructure.

"The snowboardcross is already there. The same qualifying, same volunteers, same gate judges, it's such a similar event."

In capturing ski cross victory, McIvor clinched Canada's sixth gold medal of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as home advantage proved beneficial in Cypress Mountain.

There have been some Canadian favourites to buckle under the pressure of home advantage, despite to the Own the Podium initiative which has seen more than $100m spent of ensuring home success.

But McIvor was not one of them.

"Thanks to the support from 'Own the Podium,' I felt so prepared. You can't do it without this kind of support. You can't do it on your own dime, tuning your own skis," she added.

"Yeah, there was pressure, but you can also look at it like people having confidence in you.

"My friends and family were at the bottom of the course. People kept saying 'this is your day' and I kept saying, 'Yeah, I think it might be'.

"I felt like I was going out there and doing it all for them."

 

AS IT HAPPENS: Follow day 12 of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver