Winter Olympic Games hopefuls Brodie Summers and Nicole Parks scored upset victories in the James Boag’s ABOM Mogul Challenge, the last event of the Suzuki National Snowsport Championships, at Victoria’s Mt Buller today.
Summers and Parks, both Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport athletes, turned the tables on the two pre-event favourites, fellow AIS / NSWIS skiers Matt Graham and Britt Cox.
Graham, who has won the last four ABOM events, was chasing a record equalling fifth victory but had to be content with second place ahead of NSWIS athlete Rohan Chapman-Davies in third.
Parks added a second ABOM trophy to a previous win in this event in 2009 with a narrow 13-12 win over second placed NSWIS athlete Madii Himbury.
While in many ways it was a surprise that Cox, with two World Cup podium finishes to her name, did not win her fourth consecutive ABOM, it was an even bigger shock that Cox failed to win through to the final.
Cox lost a tight semi-final dual with Himbury, with Cox relegated to third after winning the consolation final.
Summers, who signalled his strong potential with a seventh place in the mogul World Championships earlier this year, said that the win is a direct result of the support provided to him through the Olympic Winter Institute program.
“After I qualified for the national team to work with our coach Steve Desovich, Jerry Grossi and everybody else in the support team, it’s been massive. They have invested a lot into me this year and I have been trying to capitalise on it as much as I can,” Summers said.
“Since I had my best results of seventh in the single moguls and ninth in the duals at the World Championships in Norway, I’ve been training as hard as I can although the job is not done until the Olympics are over.”
Summers admitted that it was difficult lining up against Graham, who is a close friend as well as a fellow AIS / NSWIS athlete sharing the same goals.
“It sucks when you beat your best mate sometimes but you do what you have to do and that is what sport is sometimes,” he said.
Summers admitted that he felt a little more disappointment for Graham given that his mate was trying to win the ABOM for a fifth consecutive year.
“I think that made it a little tougher. I actually apologised to him when we shook hands at the bottom. I felt bad for taking away his record but we all wanted it really bad out here today.
“Winning today is a real confidence boost in the lead up to the Olympics, especially when the win was against somebody like Matt Graham. His turns are in a class of the best in the world.”
Summers and Parks, both Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport athletes, turned the tables on the two pre-event favourites, fellow AIS / NSWIS skiers Matt Graham and Britt Cox.
Graham, who has won the last four ABOM events, was chasing a record equalling fifth victory but had to be content with second place ahead of NSWIS athlete Rohan Chapman-Davies in third.
Parks added a second ABOM trophy to a previous win in this event in 2009 with a narrow 13-12 win over second placed NSWIS athlete Madii Himbury.
While in many ways it was a surprise that Cox, with two World Cup podium finishes to her name, did not win her fourth consecutive ABOM, it was an even bigger shock that Cox failed to win through to the final.
Cox lost a tight semi-final dual with Himbury, with Cox relegated to third after winning the consolation final.
Summers, who signalled his strong potential with a seventh place in the mogul World Championships earlier this year, said that the win is a direct result of the support provided to him through the Olympic Winter Institute program.
“After I qualified for the national team to work with our coach Steve Desovich, Jerry Grossi and everybody else in the support team, it’s been massive. They have invested a lot into me this year and I have been trying to capitalise on it as much as I can,” Summers said.
“Since I had my best results of seventh in the single moguls and ninth in the duals at the World Championships in Norway, I’ve been training as hard as I can although the job is not done until the Olympics are over.”
Summers admitted that it was difficult lining up against Graham, who is a close friend as well as a fellow AIS / NSWIS athlete sharing the same goals.
“It sucks when you beat your best mate sometimes but you do what you have to do and that is what sport is sometimes,” he said.
Summers admitted that he felt a little more disappointment for Graham given that his mate was trying to win the ABOM for a fifth consecutive year.
“I think that made it a little tougher. I actually apologised to him when we shook hands at the bottom. I felt bad for taking away his record but we all wanted it really bad out here today.
“Winning today is a real confidence boost in the lead up to the Olympics, especially when the win was against somebody like Matt Graham. His turns are in a class of the best in the world.”
Parks said that she will also take a lot of added confidence out of today’s win and use it to further spur her on as she prepares to compete in the Winter Olympic Games.
“Winning today means a lot to me because it is the event’s 25th anniversary. I won the 21st event so it is great to take it out again,” she said.
“Earlier this season (in the National Championships) I finished second, which is still good but here I skied a lot better than I thought I would so I’m very happy.”
Parks attributes some of her win to the conditions, which she said are similar to the snow conditions she experienced in Sochi, Russia, last February, while competing in a test event for next February’s Winter Olympic Games.
“Down here I could push it a lot more and focus more on my turns and that is what Sochi was like,” Parks said.
“These conditions definitely suit my style. I can become a lot more aggressive.”
Parks said that competing in the same field as Cox inspired her to victory.
“Britt always inspires me when we compete against each other. She has won it for the last three years and it’s good for us to push each other along.”
AIS / NSWIS athlete Sam Hall finished in fourth place.
The five members of the AIS / NSWIS mogul squad will spend the next three weeks in an simulated altitude training camp in Canberra before four weeks of on snow training in Switzerland.
“Winning today means a lot to me because it is the event’s 25th anniversary. I won the 21st event so it is great to take it out again,” she said.
“Earlier this season (in the National Championships) I finished second, which is still good but here I skied a lot better than I thought I would so I’m very happy.”
Parks attributes some of her win to the conditions, which she said are similar to the snow conditions she experienced in Sochi, Russia, last February, while competing in a test event for next February’s Winter Olympic Games.
“Down here I could push it a lot more and focus more on my turns and that is what Sochi was like,” Parks said.
“These conditions definitely suit my style. I can become a lot more aggressive.”
Parks said that competing in the same field as Cox inspired her to victory.
“Britt always inspires me when we compete against each other. She has won it for the last three years and it’s good for us to push each other along.”
AIS / NSWIS athlete Sam Hall finished in fourth place.
The five members of the AIS / NSWIS mogul squad will spend the next three weeks in an simulated altitude training camp in Canberra before four weeks of on snow training in Switzerland.
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