Michael Janyk of Whistler, B.C., was the top Canadian on Tuesday at the famed Schladming night slalom World Cup race, placing 14th. Janyk, who posted a two-run time of one minute 48.89 seconds, was one of three Canadiens to finish in the top 30.
Trevor White of Calgary was 23rd in 1:50.09, while Paul Stutz of Banff, Alta., was 25th in 1:50.54. Erik Read of Calgary, son of Canadian skiing legend Ken Read, failed to finish his first run in his World Cup debut. Calgary’s Brad Spence skied off course in his first run, while Patrick Biggs of Orleans, Ont., was disqualified during his second run.
Jean-Baptiste Grange of France earned his second victory in three days with a time of 1:46.54, while Sweden’s Andre Myhrer was 0.04 seconds back. Mattias Hargin of Sweden was third in 1:47.14. Janyk had been hoping to challenge for a medal after fifth- and fourth-place results in recent weeks, but wasn’t happy with either of his runs Tuesday.
“Frustrated is the word,” said Janyk, who was third at the 2009 FIS world championships in Val d’Isere, France. “I know I’m in good shape, but right now it seems I can’t figure out this snow. I’m unable to ski the way I want to.”
Read’s debut came at the same hill where his father won the downhill in 1978. “Right when I got into the finish corral, one of my dad’s good friends had him on the phone,” Read said. “He congratulated me and said he hoped I enjoyed it.”