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Kneller reaches career best form

24/12/2012

 
Australian ski cross athlete Scott Kneller reaped the benefits of a long arduous training program today when he claimed his best World Cup result in almost two years at the Italian resort of Innichen / San Candido.

Kneller, 23, made it through to the consolation final, rewarding the Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport skier with seventh place overall.

The event was won by Switzerland’s Alex Fiva, who captured his third World Cup victory, while German Daniel Bohnacker and Swede Victor Oehling Norberg took second and third.

Kneller’s teammates Anton Grimus and Katya Crema also qualified successfully for the final rounds of head-to-head competition.

Kneller’s result drew praise from AIS ski cross program head coach Matt Lyons, who firmly believes that Kneller’s dedicated approach to training all year has repaid the winner of this event in 2010 with the best form of his career.

Kneller missed most of last World Cup season with a hand injury and since has committed himself to a demanding fitness program to not only get back into competition but also to take his skiing to a new high, to achieve his goal of competing strongly at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which is a little more than a year away.

“I think Scott is skiing better than before he injured his hand,” Lyons said.

“He was skiing pretty well that year but now he’s stronger and more consistent.

“I put this improvement down to hard work. Plus he’s also more experienced, which accounts for a lot in this sport.

“You can see the importance of experience with the new-comers that don’t make it through some of their rounds.

“You learn things in a head-to-head environment.”

Kneller earned his spot in the knock out rounds with the 10th fastest time in qualifying, his best qualifying result in the four World Cup rounds this season.

Kneller won his round of 32 and was second to Bohnacker in the quarters, which advanced the Australian to the semis.

After starting well and challenging for the lead in his semi, Kneller took the less-than-perfect line through a turn about half way through the race and slipped back to third across the line.

In the consolation final to decide placings fifth through eighth, Kneller suffered a similar fate but the result was nonetheless encouraging for the rest of the season. Kneller moves to a world ranking of 11th.

Kneller’s fellow AIS / NSWIS teammate Anton Grimus also enjoyed a solid performance, finishing in 16th after a second place in his first knock out round and making it through to the quarter finals. Grimus is now ranked 7th after four events.

AIS / NSWIS scholarship holder Katya Crema is another of the squad who is skiing better than before.

Crema’s 10th place in Italy today continues a definite improvement this season, and like Kneller and Grimus, Lyons believes that basic hard work is the reason.

Unfortunately Australians Jenny Owens and Sami Kennedy-Sim failed to qualify for the knock out rounds, finishing in 17th and 23rd, although both showed signs that improvement to their seasons is about to happen.

The women’s event was won by World Champion Kelsey Serwa from Canada, ahead of compatriot Georgia Simmerling in second.

Switzerland’s Katrin Mueller was awarded the bronze medal after French woman Ophelie David, who crossed the line in third, was controversially disqualified from the final for her involvement in a race incident involving Mueller.

The Australian ski cross squad next competes in the French resort of Les Contamines on January 12.

Two Australians in top 10 rankings

20/12/2012

 
Australian ski cross athlete Anton Grimus has carved out the best start to a season in his three years of World Cup competition when he again finished in the top 10 today and was the fourth fastest in qualifying at Val Thorens, France.

The result provides the Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport skier with a career high ranking of sixth in the world.

Grimus, who finished on the podium in Canada earlier this month, shares his place in the top 10 with fellow Australian squad member Scott Kneller who has retained his 10th place ranking by also making the quarter finals and finishing in twelfth place overall in Val Thorens.

Today’s third round World Cup competition was won by Switzerland’s Armin Niederer, who has enjoyed victory in two of the three races this season, with Canadian Brady Leman in second and American Joe Swensson taking the other podium placing.

Grimus improved ranking was the highlight of the day for the five person Australian squad.

Going into the final day of racing at Val Thorens, AIS ski cross head coach Matt Lyons thought that practice times from the day before indicated that Australians would figure in higher places than what eventuated.

Both Grimus and Kneller were very fast in practice but unfortunately were not able to carry forward their pre-race form.

Grimus looked like he would advance to the semi-finals when he fought his way into second, after missing the start of the quarter final, but the Australian was passed soon after. Only the top two quarter finalists progress to the semis.

“Today’s course was not particularly technical, with not that many features, comparatively flat and was more of a ‘‘gliding’ type of track, which did not suit our athletes,” Lyons said.

“It was the sort of course that was hard to go fast and easy to go slow.”

As well as allowing opponents too much space and opportunity to pass, the squad’s selection of wax played a part in the result and, with hindsight, Lyons believes a different wax selection would have made his athletes faster.

The three women in the squad had a day they would like to forget with Katya Crema placing 19th, Sami Kennedy-Sim in 21st and Jenny Owens in 34th.

Swiss ace Fanny Smith made it three on the run by winning in Val Thorens, followed by Norway’s Marte Hoeie Gjefsen and Austrian Andrea Limbacher in third.

The squad journeys to Italy for the fourth round at Innichen / San Candido on Sunday December 23.

This resort has fond memories for Kneller, who won there in 2010.

Crema's World Cup best

12/12/2012

 
Australian ski cross athlete Katya Crema achieved a World Cup career best sixth place in Telluride, USA, today.

The 24-year-old Australian Institute of Sport skier qualified with the sixth fastest time, before going on to record a second place in the quarter finals and a fourth in the semi-finals, which earned her a spot in the consolation final for the second time of her World Cup career.

Crema raced aggressively in the consolation final to finish strongly in second place, one position higher than her other consolation final appearance in France last January.

Swiss ace Fanny Smith was the overall winner, notching her second victory in as many rounds of the new season, ahead of old-time rival Ophelie David from France and Swede Anna Holmlund in third. The podium places were exactly the same as the opening round in Nakiska, Canada, last weekend.

Australia’s World Cup medallist Jenny Owens fought back from a disappointing start to the season by improving her first round result by 13 places, to finish 11th overall in Telluride.

Teammate Sami Kennedy-Sim also showed definite improvements to the opening round when she finished 23rd, seven places higher than in Canada.

AIS ski cross program head coach Matt Lyons said that Crema’s improvement today was a result of skiing aggressively in each of her races.

“She enjoyed the track and took a few risks which paid off,” Lyons said.

“Katya had good starts today, although she wasn’t the first out but she played the percentages well, passed a few and pressed well.

“The girls may have been a little tight in their first event of the year in Canada.

“Training without World Cup competition can sometimes mean that it takes a while to get back into it, get the head space right and get used to the competition again.”

In the men’s event, Australia’s number one Scott Kneller was eighth fastest in qualifying, showing speed that was carried through to the first of the knock-out finals.

Kneller won his first heat but could manage only third in the quarter finals, giving him an 11th place overall.

However, the AIS / NSWIS scholarship holder who trains at NSW’s Thredbo and Perisher resorts will be encouraged by his best World Cup result since January 2011, having missed most of last season with a hand injury.

Anton Grimus was unable to repeat the form that gave him his first World Cup podium finish in Canada, finishing the Telluride event in 18th.

The men’s event was won by Slovakian Filip Flisar, Canadian Brady Leman finished in the silver medal position and Switzerland’s Armin Niederer in third.

The AIS ski cross team now moves to Europe, with two World Cup's scheduled before Christmas, with the first in Val Thorens, France, on December 19.

Grimus wins first World Cup medal

9/12/2012

 
Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder Anton Grimus has delivered a career best by making his first World Cup ski cross final and grabbing the bronze medal in Nakiska, Canada.

Grimus, the son of Mt Buller legend Hans, smashed his previous personal best result of 10th, making it a dream start in the opening World Cup of the season.

AIS ski cross program head coach Matt Lyons said that Grimus’s noticeable improvement this season is a result of working on starts, air technique and a more intense pre-season program in Australia.

“There were glimpses last year of what Anton is capable of,” Lyons said. “He has been working on consistency, his starts, what he needs to do in the air and just hard work in training.

“We are very pleased.”

Lyons was also excited by the result of, Scott Kneller, who was in contention during his quarter final but was knocked off his skis by another athlete while a group of four racers were jostling for position, finishing in 12th.

The three female members of the ski cross squad had a day they would like to forget.
Katya Crema finished in 23rd, Jenny Owens in 24th and Sami Kennedy-Sim in 30th place, all failing to qualify for the head to head final races.

The squad now travels to the Colorado resort of Telluride in the United States for round two on December 13.

Kneller, Crema third in World Cup warm-up

3/12/2012

 
With the opening World Cup of the season less then a week away, the AIS Ski Cross team has taken part in the Canadian Ski Cross National Championships with some promising early season results.

The event, which took place in Nakiska, Canada, site of the opening World Cup, featured a strong field including many of the worlds best athletes, and served as ideal preparation to practice competition skills after a series of on snow training camps over the past month.

Leading performances included Scott Kneller and Katya Crema both making the podium finishing in third place, with Anton Grimus in eighth.

Also competing in the event were Sami Kennedy-Sim and Jenny Owens who finished in 14th and 15th place.

The AIS Ski Cross team now has a few days training before the opening World Cup on December 7-8.

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