SKI CROSS: Sami Kennedy-Sim has been selected to fly the flag at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games as Australia’s sole competitor in the women’s ski cross event.

“I am so proud to be on my second Olympic Team! To share this experience with my friends and family will be the best,” Kennedy-Sim said.

The Manly-native made her Olympic debut four years ago at the Sochi 2014 Games and is now a seasoned athlete of the World Cup circuit with more than 91 starts under her belt.

Despite four years of competition against the world’s best athletes, Kennedy-Sim said it is her Sochi 2014 experience that will help her the most heading into her second Olympic campaign.

“I know what to expect now. The Olympics is so different to normal World Cup competitions.”

The 29-year-old’s debut Olympics proved difficult after she had some trouble in the qualifying run before showing glimpses of brilliance in her 1/8 final. However, Kennedy-Sim ran out of luck in the race and didn't progress, finishing the day ranked 28th.

Determined to improve from an opening campaign, Kennedy-Sim has come a long way in four years including two 12th place finishes at the 2015 and 2017 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2017 Idre Fjall World Cup.

“Four years older - four years wiser! I am more connected with myself as a person and athlete now then I was in Sochi.”

The women’s ski cross event will be the last Freestyle Skiing discipline to be contested at the 2018 Games, with Kennedy-Sim facing off against 32 competitors on Day 14 of the Games (February 23).

Kennedy-Sim, who married fellow Olympian Ben Sim (Cross-Country Skiing – Vancouver 2010) will head into the event knowing she’s raced on the Olympic course previously.

“We competed in Phoenix Park two seasons ago. The course is really fun and challenging so I am looking forward to getting back there,” she said.

Australia is also hoping to be reallocated a quota position in the men's event which will be confirmed later this week.
 
Ski Cross will be just one of five Freestyle Skiing disciplines at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games with athletes in Aerials, Moguls, Ski Halfpipe and Ski Slopestyle also vying for medals. Find out more about freestyle skiing at the Games HERE.
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Ashleigh Knight
olympics.com.au

Two back-to-back competitions opened 2018 for the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup tour at Sweden’s Idre Fjall resort on the weekend with mixed results for the Australians amid another weather-affected event.

Saturday’s qualifying saw Sami Kennedy-Sim easily through as she has done every race, but going out in the quarter finals in World Cup 1, ending up with another 11th place. Sunday’s women’s finals were cancelled after the wind picked up, but by virtue of the qualifying time trials the previous day, Kennedy-Sim picked up her first top ten for the season.

Anton Grimus was not in the mix for World Cup 1, bowing out in the qualifying in 46th place, but bounced back in the second qualifying time trial with a much-improved 17th, booking himself into the eighth finals for the Sunday World Cup, where he came third.

“Idre was a tough one,” Grimus said. “The weather came in overnight with snow and wind.”

“The track was running a lot slower, so the girls were canned but the guys were able to manage without too many problems.”

Grimus had struggled for results until making the finals in the second World Cup in Idre, and is still wanting more after coming third in the opening final round and not moving through to the quarters.   

“I got out of the gate in fourth which wasn’t a bad situation to be in and I backed myself to get down the course.”
“One mistake up the top put me in a long landing and I kept pushing and made up some ground.”

“I just over pressed the jumps in the slow conditions and knuckled two or three jumps leading into the flat section, which wasted my speed away and didn’t have enough down the bottom to make the pass and ended up in third place.”

“(It’s) a bit disappointing. I wanted a lot more from myself in this race. The track was a track that suited me but I didn’t have a clean enough run to make it happen… but onto Nakiska now,” he said.  

Sami Kennedy-Sim, who wants to break this season’s 11th place hoo doo, did make it into the top ten for the second World Cup by virtue of the qualifying time trials.  

“We’ve got a lot of wind, fresh snow and poor conditions,” Kennedy-Sim said on Sunday night after the second World Cup for the women was cancelled.

“At first it was postponed and I didn’t get a training run. It looked like we would proceed (to the finals) and then they cancelled the comp,” she said.

Staying healthy and injury-free was uppermost in her mind.

“If they had run the comp I would have withdrawn. The men’s race was in pretty bad conditions and if they were having trouble, it would have been worse for the women. They made the right decision for the safety of the athletes. Today wouldn’t have ended well.”

Kennedy-Sim was frustrated with Saturday’s World Cup result.

“I’m disappointed I didn’t make the top eight. This track is notorious for drafting. I tactically changed to be behind and draft.”

“I executed well and my race plan for the first half of the event was all good. I was able to overtake and then I went long on a jump and I got rotated. It was a near crash.”

“It was disappointing for me to have another 11th. The result on paper was another 11th but it was a photo finish. Things are starting to come together.”

“Whilst I’m happy with the decision to cancel the second World Cup, I would have liked to be able to race. I wanted to do well for our ski technician Martin Palacios for his birthday!”

Grimus and Kennedy-Sim, along with all the Ski Cross World Cup tour athletes, coaches and technicians will travel to Nakiska, Canada for the last competition on January 20 before PyeongChang.

“Let’s hope the bags come too,” Kennedy-Sim quipped. “The entire tour is on that flight.  It’s a busy and exciting time.”
 
 

The December weather that plunged the Ski Cross World Cup tour into an endless ‘start-stop’ challenge is hopefully only a memory as the season restarts in Idre, Sweden on Friday this week.

Australia’s two best Ski Cross athletes, Sami Kennedy-Sim and Anton Grimus are buckling down for the remaining World Cups in Sweden and Canada before PyeongChang with coach Shawn Fleming saying that Idre provides ‘a good replica’ of the end section for the upcoming Games.

“The PyeongChang start will be slightly different from what we were on before (at a previous event), but the rest is the same. There are good opportunities for passing in the second half,” Fleming said.

“For us coming into Idre – it’s good practise because there’s a lot of passing at the end. The last half in PyeongChang is dead straight and you could be at the back and pass all the way to the front. It’s not done until you at the finish.”

Sixteen women will qualify to the final rounds in Idre and Fleming says Kennedy-Sim has pace.

“Sami is skiing up there for pace with the best of them. Really, for her, it’s just buckling down and staying composed.,” he said.  

“She is definitely someone who builds on her confidence and that’s the key.”

“December was the first European winter in a long time that was start stop. The programs were continually altered and that was tough for everyone. In Montafon, there was only one training run and then step in perform right away on a one and half minute course.”

“Sami definitely recognises that the lack of continuity has made it hard and owns some of the silly mistakes. The results were 11th, 11th,11th. Just give us something other than 11th,” he said.  “The small final is just as attainable as the big final when there is only four.”  

“We get the 11th and can see the trend. It’s not that we’re not as good or as fast. The trend gives us a really clear position to know where to go. We need to do a better job putting it together in that one run and then it’s fair game.”  

“There’s an element of luck in a sport like Ski Cross. It requires mental toughness and can switch day to day.”

“Ninety percent of what Sami does ninety percent of the time is right. Now it’s finding another five per cent.”

The Idre track suits Kennedy-Sim and is the location that delivered a World Cup podium and bronze medal last year.  

 “She likes the track at Idre. We’re hoping the weather looks good for the double then we are off to Nakiska (in Canada), a quick break and a final training camp before PyeongChang.”

Anton Grimus is looking for the edge and has been training with the Americans. He will want to be inside the top 32 skiers to go through the eighth finals.

“I’m fairly confident he’s going to make it and be going in to the Games. Of course, you’d want to see results,” Fleming said.

Grimus had knee surgery in June to ‘clean up’ a previous surgery in January and is all good to go.

“It’s (the knee) not 100 percent but not a limiting factor in his skiing. He’s a competitor and wants to do well.”

Currently Grimus sits outside the top 32 for Olympic qualification but Fleming says that, “with adjustments to entry allocations he should be OK for PyeongChang.”

The Idre World Cup qualifications begin with the men at 9pm, Friday evening (AEDT). The first World Cup finals on Saturday start at 9pm (AEDT). The second World Cup kicks off at 10pm on Sunday, 14 January.

Follow OWIA on Twitter for all the action. Check out the www.owia.org for a full report and watch the finals LIVE on Eurosport Australia
 
By Belinda Noonan
OWIA

Cancelled races and delays took a toll on the six-event in sixteen days Cross Alps Tour this month with three races being either abandoned or decided by qualification runs only.

The Cross Alps Tour, a tour within the broader World Cup schedule, wrapped up last night in Innichen, Italy with Australia’s Sami-Kennedy Sim finishing 11th in the race and 13th in the Cross Alps rankings.

Anton Grimus placed 33rd in the time trial qualification of 53 men, one place short of the final line World Cup line up and 43rd on the Tour rankings.

Kennedy-Sim says she is happy, albeit frustrated with another 11th place.

“We lost a couple of the races due to weather and the results were just qualifying times, not racing. It was hard to get momentum,” she said.

“I’m happy to be having elements of high performance in place and to be racing.  

“The work pre-season, physically and on the mental game, has been good. The elements are all there and it’s nice to see things progress. Now it’s about putting it together.”

“I’m glad to have things to work on. That would be boring if I didn’t. I love the fight and I will keep fighting.”

“Everyone is stepping up (ahead of the PyeongChang Games),” Kennedy-Sim explained. “More people have come up from Europa Cup but there is still about 35 girls in each World Cup.”  

Kennedy-Sim will return home for two weeks to “recharge” before the tour starts again on January 12 in Idre, Sweden.

Anton Grimus will also take advantage of the break to further strengthen his chances of making the  top 32 to qualify for the PyeongChang Games. Grimus, who underwent knee surgery twice earlier in the year is currently ranked 34th.

The poet Robert Burns’ saying goes that ‘the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry’.
 
Such has been the challenge for the Audi FIS Cross Alps Tour with bad conditions having affected the Ski Cross World Cups in the first three locations (Montafon, Arosa and Val Thorens), that better race weather is now high on the athletes’ wish list.
 
NSWIS Ski Cross athletes Sami Kennedy-Sim, currently ranked 11th in the world, and Anton Grimus, ranked 37th, are among those hoping for kinder skies in Innichen, Italy for the fourth World Cup tour stop.
 
Coach Shawn Fleming agreed that the start to this season has been challenging but that conditions were looking good going forward.  
 
“Italy is looking great, although I don’t want to jinx us!” Fleming said. “The weather forecast is looking fairly stable especially compared to what we have had to deal with so far through the Cross Alps Tour.”
 
“The track is ready and our first day of training is tomorrow.”


Mentally preparing for race day for events to then be called off presents its own set of challenges.
 
“Everything has been challenging thus far in the season in regards to creating any normalcy or finding some momentum,” Fleming said.
 
“It has been a season of ‘hurry up and wait’. At the end of the day we know and accept this as a part of outdoor winter sport and all athletes and nations are affected equally.”
 
“We try are best to prepare the athletes for the long days of waiting on hill and making sure they have strategies to pass the time although it then becomes a challenge to ‘fire up’ after long hours waiting.”
 
“Montafon was a very unique event due to scheduling and weather and in the end the entire event consisted of one training run and then straight in to heats with no qualification.”
 
“All-in-all it was three hours on one morning and very challenging on athletes to perform with such little time to adjust to the track.”

Anton Grimus, who is looking for Olympic qualification points and to build his confidence after losing much of last season, is happy so far and was able to begin strongly at Val Thorens last week in the eight-final.  
 
“Anton’s knee has been holding up quite well and he is definitely been able to preform day in and day out,” coach Shawn Fleming advised. “He is being treated regularly by our physio to make sure no sneaky issues arise and so far things are looking very positive.”
 
Sochi Olympian Kennedy-Sim, who has regularly been inside the six in World Cups – including a silver in Sweden earlier this year, is after race readiness to fine tune the necessary split-second decisions, saying she “can’t wait to get back in the start gate”.
Two back-to-back World Cups will be raced in Innichen, with qualification for Ladies and Men  scheduled for Wednesday, 20 December then finals on 21 December and again on 22 December.


 
You can follow the live updates HERE and on OWIA’s Twitter account HERE. Eurosport will be broadcasting the Innichen Ski Cross World Cups on 21 December at 11.30pm (AEDT) and 22 December at 11.30pm (AEDT).
 
 
 
 

There was more bad luck lined up for the 2017 FIS Ski Cross Alps Tour on Tuesday night in Arosa (SUI), as the second competition in a row was forced to be cancelled due to the inclement weather that has been hovering over the Alps for the past week.

The qualification round for the Arosa competition took place in the early afternoon on Tuesday after heavy winds forced the its postponement from Monday. And though that successful qualification round and a spirited public heat selection soon after it carried great promise into the evening, the sudden onset of a heavy snowfall threw everything that the organizers and officials could handle, and more, and after four challenging heats of the men’s eight finals the decision was made to call off the rest of the competition.

However, because the qualification phase of the competition was completed successfully for both men and ladies, according to FIS rules a final result was able to be rewarded to based on the qualification rankings.

The rankings from qualification saw NSWIS athletes Sami Kennedy-Sim in 11th place with team-mate Anton Grimus in 37th place.

After two Cross Alps events, Kennedy-Sim is in 11th place and Grimus 33rd place on the tour standings.

From Arosa, the 2017 FIS Ski Cross Alps tour moves on quickly to Montafon (AUT), where the next competition of the tour is slated to take place on Friday 15 December.

Australia's NSWIS ski cross duo, Anton Grimus and Sami Kennedy-Sim are ready fly out of the gates in Arosa tomorrow as the second leg of the Cross Alps Tour gets underway. 

After the second Val Thorens World Cup event was cancelled due to heavy weather conditions over the weekend, the pair are eager and ready to race at the Switzerland edition of the circuit, with valuable Olympic qualification points on the line. 

“I’m here to make some points for Olympic qualification because last year was a write-off pretty much," Sochi Olympian Anton Grimus said, who has returned to competition following a serious knee injury last season. 

"I’ve just got to get that confidence going now in every run I do, every day [that] goes past I get more confidence and, at the end of the day, that’s what separates the top guys I think … being confident in your skiing ability.”

Also hungry to make her second Olympic appearance, Sami Kennedy-Sim said the best way to improve her race conditioning was to get out there and line up with the world's best. 

“The best training for racing is racing," said Kennedy-Sim who was "chomping at the bit" to get out there and race at Val Thorens.

"You can’t reproduce the atmosphere or the stress without going to a race. We’ve got some important races this year and a busy next couple of weeks as well.

"To start the season off this way is not necessarily great but it’s definitely not a detriment either,” she said on the cancelled races in France.

The 29-year-old said she "can’t wait to get back in the start gate... two days off racing is too much," on her instagram account, signalling she means business heading into Olympic season. 

The next stage of the 2017 Cross Alps Tour kicks off Tuesday, December 12, with an exciting nighttime sprint format competition slated to get underway under the lights at 20:15 local time (6:15am Wednesday AEST). 

Ash Knight
olympics.com.au

Australia’s Sami Kennedy-Sim and Anton Grimus have ranked 11th and 20th respectively following the first day of the FIS Ski Cross World Cup Cross Alps Tour in Val Thorens, France.
 
After narrowly missing out on progressing through to the semi-finals and placing third in her quarterfinal, Kennedy-Sim said the start to the season hadn’t been “necessarily great but it’s definitely not a detriment either”.
 
“The best training for racing is racing, you can’t reproduce the atmosphere or the stress without going to a race,” she said.
 
“Unfortunately for some reason I had an absolute muck up and thought that I was somewhere else in the course and made a mistake that cost me going through and I almost pulled it back but not quite.
 
“I’ll take a top 12 and enjoy a day off tomorrow and rest my knee and hopefully get to race on Saturday.”
 
While training on the course on Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy-Sim had a “little training crash”.
 
“I kind of was just playing it all by ear and taking every sound as they came,” she said.
 
“Obviously the first round of that is going skiing in the morning and I felt OK skiing so I started training, training was smooth.
 
“It wasn’t really painful outside of the start features and a technical part in the bottom of the course.”
 
Grimus was at the front of the pack in his eighth final after a powerful start but ended up placing third after running “a bit wide”. Nevertheless, the Sochi Olympian said that he gave it his all “and made a pretty good effort of it”.
 
“Out of the start I gave it to them,” he said.
 
“I was right out there and I’ve been working on my starts a lot because in the past it’s something that I’ve lacked in and I got the start down.

“And then my speed kicked in which I’ve always had and I was out in front and tried to defend and had to run a different line to what I was used to so on the first negative I ran a bit wide which allowed the other guys to get in, so I was in second.”
 
The 26-year-old added that fellow competitor, Frenchman Jean Frederic Chapuis -- whom the course in Val Thorens is named after -- “skied brilliantly” during their race.
 
“He went out wide and went from third to first and showed us how it’s done,” he said.
 
“You know, it’s a positive day all in all, I’ve done some quick skiing and I’ve got the speed, my starts are quick so it’s just another step in the right direction building my confidence.”
 
At the end of the day, confidence is what is most important heading into a race – indeed it’s “what separates the top guys”, according to Grimus.
 
Kennedy-Sim and Grimus have a busy next couple of weeks as the World Cup Cross Alps Tour moves on to Arosa, Switzerland for a night time sprint event which is then followed by races in Montafon, Austria.
 
The Tour then concludes in Innichen, Italy on December 22 with a back-to-back two-race finale.
 
With Friday’s races being brought forward to Thursday due to the threat of an incoming winter storm, the pair will compete again in Val Thorens on Saturday.
 
You can follow the live updates HERE and on OWIA’s Twitter account HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

​

The FIS Ski Cross World Cup Cross Alps Tour kicks off in France this week and Australia’s Anton Grimus and Sami Kennedy-Sim are raring to go.
 
The pair’s training during the offseason has “been really good” according to coach Shawn Fleming, who added that he believed “we were able to tick everything off the list that we were hoping to focus on”.
 
“That is a good feeling coming in to December knowing that you haven’t missed any key sections of your training plan and hopefully this translates to fast skiing on the track,” he said.
 
Val Thorens plays host to the first races of the season and for Kennedy-Sim and Grimus it’s “where the first real test happens against all the other nations”.
 
“The beginning of the season is always exciting because they are happy to be back in the race environment, but there are lots of unknowns surrounding the first race,” Fleming said.
 
“We get to train with most of the other nations at some point in the offseason but training is training.”
 
The Cross Alps Tour sees athletes compete in Val Thorens, then on to Arosa, Switzerland for a night time sprint event which is then followed by races in Montafon, Austria.
 
The Tour then concludes in Innichen, Italy on December 22 with a back-to-back two-race finale.
 
With such a jam-packed schedule, it’s important that our Aussies are just as fit mentally as they are physically.
 
“It’s a very tight schedule which can be very physically and mentally demanding to get through,” Fleming said.
 
“Obviously this sport takes strength to manage the loads in the fast turns and also the landings of the jumps. A great strength and conditioning program in the offseason goes a long way to keeping them healthy during the busy race schedule where sometimes rest is hard to come by.
 
“Mental strength in this sport is everything, you are racing at high speeds through lots of terrain with three other people in close proximity all trying to be the fastest down the hill, so confidence and self-belief are key.
 
Just days out from the first race of the season, Kennedy-Sim and Grimus will have their first opportunity to train on the track in Val Thorens where the focus will be “getting comfortable” and “building that confidence to take into the coming days”.  
 
“Once the Cross Alps tour begins though you are in such a bubble of competition that you really start to build from day-to-day and track-to-track,” Fleming said.
 
“That is our goal in the coming weeks: to use the schedule and feed off it to boost confidence and create some real momentum in terms of performance.”
 
The 2017 FIS Audi Ski Cross World Cup Cross Alps Tour takes place from the 7th – 9th December in Val Thorens, France. You can check in for live updates HERE and also on OWIA’s Twitter account.
 
David Barden
OWIA

Sochi Olympian Sami Kennedy-Sim looks the epitome of ‘under-control’ heading into the PyeongChang Winter Games, relaxed and smiling with an aura of Australian spirit and pride.

The Ski Cross athlete is fresh off a two-week stint in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where she was surrounded by Australian teammates and Olympic Champions, also looking for success come February. 

“I was there alongside our snowboard cross athlete Belle Brockhoff and also had some really good training with the Canadian team who have the current Olympic gold and silver medallists,” said Kennedy-Sim. 

“It was really invaluable for me to go and make the most of the experience.”

But it was the off-snow bond that formed between Kennedy-Sim and Brockhoff that allowed the pair to stay relaxed and enjoy the intense training block.

“It was so great for me to train with Belle and have somebody to have some a little bit of respite with in the afternoons,” said the 29-year-old who spent her down time creating hilarious content on social media.

“If you've seen our Instagram feeds you know we had a fun couple of weeks recreating people's silly Instagram videos and stay tuned for more - there will definitely be more!”

“It does get a little bit lonely on this competitive road, so to have somebody who's also trying to better themselves all the time and is eyeing similar goals to you but isn't necessarily your direct competition was so good to be around.

Fellow Sochi Olympian Brockhoff also spent a few weeks in Saas Fee and said having a familiar Australian face around made the training environment feel like home.

"We have known each other for a while now so we hung out almost every afternoon," Brockhoff said.

"Most of the time we found ourselves laughing, sometimes on the ground with our abs hurting- at the silly things we did and filmed alot of it on social. When I'm with a good mate, I feel really comfortable and do silly stuff."

Melbourne-native, Brockhoff also echoed that having a training partner from a different sport made her a better athlete on the mountain.

"At the same time, it was awesome to have a team mate there, regardless of Sami doing Ski Cross. She works hard in training and is continually bettering herself," said the 23-year-old.

"Its always refreshing to have that energy around your training camp. It gives you more motivation. I'm really excited the next time we are in the same resort!"

Manly-native Kennedy-Sim also found inspiration from Brockhoff's major knee injury which she worked hard to rehabiltate earlier this year as well as a number of other injuries among PyeongChang hopefuls.

“I'm absolutely motivated by our whole team who have had some massive injuries in this last year, coming into the Olympics which isn't necessarily ideal.

“It shows people our true colours as athletes and we've got some strong people in winter sports, so it is really motivating for me to have these sorts of people around me.”

Kennedy-Sim was joined by fellow Australians, World Champion Scotty James (Snowboard Halfpipe) and Russ Henshaw (Snowboard slopestyle) which made the training environment feel just like home.

She said the strength of the Australian Team heading into the 2018 Olympics is pushing her towards her best Olympic performance.

“I'm so proud to be part of this, women dominant, winter sports team. The team is looking really successful coming into the games.

“You never know what's going to happen on the day and I know that everybody's working really hard to make sure that they can put their best performances down.

“Ultimately we do have a really strong team. We're Aussie, we're the underdogs and I'm really proud to be part of that.”
Kennedy-Sim said she learnt a lot from her Olympic debut experience in Sochi and training with the attitude that she can overcome anything thrown her way.

“I've been setting myself up to make sure that I can deal with whatever issues come up on a day to day basis.
“I can't predict that now in October but in February I'll be ready for anything.

The next four months for Kennedy-Sim will focus heavily on training following by six Ski Cross World Cup events before Christmas and another two in January.

After that it’s all systems go for PyeongChang 2018. 


Ash Knight
olympics.com.au

Injury is part and parcel of an elite sports career and often a circuit breaker that allows the athlete to refocus, build a stronger body and hone the mental skills necessary to succeed.

26-year-old Sochi Ski Cross Olympian Anton Grimus has learned that patience is a virtue after six meniscus surgeries to his right knee, the two latest in December 2016 and again last month.

“All is well,” Grimus said this week after completing his latest round of rehab. “I’ve learned patience. Stuff isn’t going to happen overnight and giving my knee time to fix itself has allowed me to focus on the finer points of rehab.”

“Knowing how your body works and moves is essential. I’m older and wiser about how I go about training now.”

With a return to snow scheduled for mid-August, Grimus spends the weekdays at the Victorian Institute of Sport training mornings and afternoons with OWIA strength and conditioning coach Will Morgan before heading home to Mt Buller on the weekends.

Grimus hits his mental reset button in the Victorian Alps as a keen lover of the bush and experienced trout fisherman. On the flip side, the competition stakes are high for the formidable looking ‘mountain man’ as an athlete on a mission.   
“At times, it is frustrating because I just want to get out there and ski,” he said of being at home in Mt Buller most weekends. “It’s also good to have a break, sit back and focus on what you’re doing, why and where you are in your career.”

 “I’m feeling better now than I was pre -op in June. The meniscus needed another clear out. If I do the work, take the time, it will all come together.”

Therefore, it’s back to patience but his sights are firmly set on PyeongChang next February for a better result than Sochi, where he finished 25th.

 “I’m definitely more experienced and mentally mature (than prior to Sochi) and have a lot more information to build from,” he said.

In the meantime, Grimus’ competitive racing pulse has to be satisfied with an intense online PlayStation game of Battlefield with OWIA team mates Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin and Cam Bolton, which he says is “exhilarating”.

The winter season is officially underway with resorts expected to open early after a blast of snow and dropping temperatures but Australia’s female Ski Cross supremo Sami Kennedy-Sim is holding back from a quick trip to the snowy ranges this weekend – despite the urge to do so.

Coming off her most successful international season, where she captured her first World Cup medal claiming silver in Sweden plus four top ten finishes, Kennedy-Sim is currently focussed on strength and conditioning.

Very focussed.

So much so that she has given up full-time work as a Winter Sports Administrator for the NSW Institute of Sport in Jindabyne and her growing fitness business ‘Team Sami’ to concentrate on the season ahead and the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang next February.

“I’m not working at all this year,” she explained. “I started training again this season at the beginning of April with John (Marsden – OWIA Head of Athlete Preparation) and all my time is spent on that.”

“Having the ability to focus solely on training is allowing me to introduce some new elements and techniques.”

“I’m able to put in the hard work,” she said after a session running and hopping up and down sand dunes on a northern Sydney beach.

“I was so tempted to go to the snow this first weekend but I won’t go until July. Being able to get onto snow is becoming a reward - like dangling a little cherry on a stick.

 “This last two months is paying off and I’m feeling like I’m in really good shape. Recent testing has shown we are definitely on the right track.”

Australian Ski Cross head coach Shawn Fleming believes getting the work done early and building the base in this off-season period is critical.

“For Sami, it’s building on what she already had and continuing to make the work, work.”

“We did have a better season (2016/17) and it’s not always roses. There’s the work to be done and improving skills across the board.”

Those skills include the mental as well as physical in a sport where four racers go head to head and split-second decisions need to be made in pressure situations.
 
“A big part of my training program now is mental preparation alongside strength and conditioning. The split-second decision making is a focus which we’re practising in day to day life and it has made a difference.”

Kennedy-Sim cites achieving a happier outlook as one of the biggest changes so early this season.

“When I came home last Christmas after a particularly heavy racing period in December my mum said to me – “It would be nice to see you smile on TV.”

“I’d forgotten to stop and smell the roses and made a decision to embrace and enjoy more. Sometimes the results are not what you want but it’s important to take away the positives.”

“I started to realise how much I love this sport…… this crazy sport. It’s about loving your life.”

The close-knit Australian Ski Cross team is small but glued together.

Head coach Shawn Fleming is backed up by assistant coach Danny Geiger and ski technician Martin Palacios. Together with Ski Cross team-mate Anton Grimus the gang-of-five are mostly self-sufficient apart from visiting medical and support staff in Australia.  

“We are a little team and do things a bit differently to other teams by making the most of the situations we’re in and taking something out of each day. Back home there’s John Marsden (physiologist) and Tom Hammond (psychologist). Having constant and open communication between all of us makes it work.”

“This season it’s all about managing expectations. I do get pretty excited and you have to be on your toes a lot. At the moment, I’m reminding myself it’s only the last day of May.”

If team work, dedication and a love of your sport is anything to go by Sami Kennedy-Sim and the Ski Cross team are heading in the right direction – even if it’s a bit sandy rather than snowy for another few weeks.

The penultimate day of competition at the 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships saw Sami Kennedy-Sim and Anton Grimus in action in the men’s and women’s Ski Cross events.
 
With qualification and finals held back-to-back it was a big day of skiing and both athletes qualified for their respective finals but bowed out before the podium rounds.
 
Kennedy-Sim marginally missed a semi finals berth after finishing third in her quarter final. 
 
“When you get to rounds of 16 in women it’s so different to qualifying,” Kennedy-Sim said.
 
“In qualifying you’re just skiing on your own and people like me who don’t always qualify fastest and have fast starts can throw a spanner in the works,” she said.
 
The Sochi Olympian said the conditions made passing attempts difficult.
 
“I thought for sure I was making the right move and almost forgot that there was five centimetres of soft slush on the side. I went straight into it and that was the end.
 
“Tricky track to pass on in these soft conditions, if it was firm it would have worked for sure.
 
“The reality is it’s the end of March and it’s been a tough couple of days so to be competitive in the quarter finals is a good outcome,” she said.  
 
With a maiden World Cup podium under her belt this season, Kennedy-Sim is inspired to come back bigger and better in the crucial lead-in season to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
 
“I have a little break now when I get home and make sure I’m in better shape coming into next season,” she said.
 
“The aim is Korea and that’s looking really good right now. If I can get a few things sorted we should be even better next time.”  
 
In the men’s event, Grimus didn’t get the start to competition he was after and admitted to making a few mistakes in qualifying.
 
In the round of 32 he finished fourth in his four man-heat.
 
“I felt really good yesterday in training and today I just missed a few things in qualifying,” Grimus said.
 
“I overshot a few things which slowed down my skiing. I tried to learn from that but didn’t quite nail it in the second run.
 
“It happens, I’ve had a tough season and I’m glad for it to be over now so I can get my knee right,” he said. 

After a hectic World Cup schedule spanning 13 events in seven countries, Ski Cross athletes Anton Grimus and Sami Kennedy-Sim have one competition before season end – the 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships.
 
A knee injury has interrupted Grimus’ season but he’s gained momentum as the season’s progressed and the 26-year-old is hoping his form will continue into the World Championships.
 
 “I’ve had a few events now and each event my knee’s gotten better and better and my skiing is getting more confident,” Grimus said. 
 
The Sochi Olympian will be fulfilling a goal by starting at these World Championships.
 
“My aim after hearing that my knee needed the operation was to get back for the World Championships and build up my performances to now,” he said.
 
“I haven’t had the ideal prep coming in, it’s a very different vibe to the last World Champs where I had no real injuries.
 
“I want the best result I can get and that’s obviously a podium but I know I am coming in underprepared in comparison to the last world champs.
 
"There’s no real pressure on myself, I’m going in there to give it my best result and that’s all I can do,” he said.  
 
Grimus will use the off-season to rest his knee so it is ready to go for this all important Olympic year. 
 
“Need a bit of a break with the knee as it hasn’t been perfect, having some time off after this event will definitely be beneficial for my knee.
 
“Once you have a knee injury you take it for granted just how good your knees are. To get back to the point where I can fully trust my knee will be awesome.”
 
Sami Kennedy-Sim finished the World Cup season ranked 12th, a result which was buoyed by her first ever podium result that came in Idre Fjall in Sweden where she finished second. 
 
As one of only four Australians to win a Ski Cross World Cup podium, Kennedy-Sim rates it among her career highlights.
 
“I’ve done 80 plus World Cups and for that to happen this year was a pretty big deal,” Kennedy-Sim said.
 
“To go to Sweden and put into practice the little changes that me and the team have been making, it’s validated everything that’s happened so far. Showed that I am moving in the right direction. I’m really happy with how things have been going and I’ve carried that into the next few races and obviously the results weren’t the same but the focus and the strategy has always remained the same.
 
“We’re at the stage where we’re just trying to replicate things with precision so you’re in a good position to have hopefully another podium or many more,” she said.
 
Kennedy-Sim has high expectations of herself for the World Championships and is hoping to add to Australia’s five medal haul from the event. 
 
“I’m really happy with how it’s been going and I’m happy to continue that momentum hopefully this weekend at the pinnacle event for us of the season.
 
“Hoping I can rise to the challenge and follow suit in the way the rest of the Aussie team have been doing, everyone’s been doing really well. It’d be nice to slot in there and add a little sweetener at the end,” she said.
 
Ski Cross qualifying and finals will be held Saturday. Final events will be lived streamed at: https://www.skiandsnowboard.org.au/2017-snowboard--freestyle-world-champs/
 
 

With the World Championships just under two weeks away, Sami Kennedy-Sim has achieved a confidence boosting fifth place performance at the final World Cup event of the season in Blue Mountain, Canada.

With only the top-16 women and top-32 men invited to competed at the final World Cup event, the worlds best were keen to finish the season on a high and improve their end of season ranking.

In the round of 16 quarter final stage, Kenendy Sim advanced to the semi final's after placing second. She then narrowly missed advancing to the medal round final four after placing third in the semi final.

Fueled by her "big final" near miss, Kennedy-Sim lead from start to finish in the "small final" consultation final to finish the event in fifth place.

The result saw Kennedy-Sim finish the season ranked 12th on the World Cup standings, almost tying her previous best season end ranking of 11th in 2012.

After the Race OWIA Ski Cross Head Coach Shawn Fleming commented.

"Sami was having a good semi-final sitting in second through the bottom section, but a series of small mistakes opened the door for Canadian Britt Phelan, and she took advantage making the pass on the last jump.

"Sami was obviously frustrated with her mistake costing her a trip to a big final and this fired her up and she destroyed the field in the small final winning from the start and never looked back."

NSWIS team-mate Anton Grimus collected valuable Olympic qualification points with a 24th place finish after narrowly missing qualification through to the round of 16.

"Anton is still working back from his knee injury and while he went out in the first round he skied his heat quite well, especially through the start section", Fleming said.

"Unfortunately one of the Italians stayed close behind him and was able to use Anton in the last turn to get a bit of a slingshot and was able to make the pass at the finish line by the length of his hand."

The OWIA Ski Cross program now heads back to Europe for a few days on snow before heading to Sierra Nevada, Spain, for the  World Championships on March 18.

IMAGE: Sami Kennedy-Sim (right) in action at Blue Mountain © FIS Freestyle

The final competition of the 2016/17 Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup season hits the slopes of Canada’s Blue Mountain resort this Sunday, where the best ski cross athletes in the world will be looking to end the tour on a high before heading back to Europe for the Sierra Nevada 2017 Freestyle World Ski Championships.

After thirteen competitions at eight different resorts in seven different countries across three continents, it all comes down to Sunday’s competition for OWIA skiers Sami Kennedy-Sim and Anton Grimus as only the top 16 ladies and 32 men are invited to the ski cross World Cup finals.

The race course in Blue Mountain is a difficult, snaking course, with the standout features being the dramatic start immediately followed by a tricky gliding section, which will be a tough test of rhythm, and a one-of-a-kind final jump.

“The course looks good with a very technical and difficult start section. Unfortunately, today was windy with snow and training was limited to only the start section and first 200 metres of the course. Tomorrow we hope for better weather and training,” said Australian coach Shawn Fleming.

There are no qualification rounds in Blue Mountain – just two training sessions and the heats according to World Cup rankings, which will be competed on Sunday in Canada (from 2.30am Monday morning AEDT).

Sami Kennedy-Sim is hoping to match or better her previous fifth place in Blue Mountain.

“The track looks really fun and the start section is very technical so I was happy to at least have a go on it today,”Kennedy-Sim said.
 
“We race on Sunday and I am really excited to race in Blue Mountain again. We raced here five years ago and I was fifth. Fingers crossed for a less blowy day tomorrow and that I can ski the way I have been and secure another great result.”

Grimus has had a difficult time after becoming injured early in the season and is fortunate to have made the top 32 men after the Russian and French teams decided to keep the majority of their squads in Europe ahead of the World Championships.

You can catch up with all the action at 8am on Monday 6 March on Eurosport.

Russia’s Sunny Valley resort, where Sami Kennedy-Sim and Anton Grimus competed on the weekend, attracted massive crowds at the newest venue on the ski cross World Cup circuit.

With a packed grandstand waiting at the bottom of the hill to greet competitors, Sami Kennedy-Sim praised the Sunny Valley after she qualified second and then won her quarter-final.

“The event was awesome with 10,000 spectators providing an atmosphere that I have only experienced at the Olympic Games,” Kennedy-Sim said.

“The course is suited to everyone, so the racing was very tight but conditions deteriorated every minute with snowfalls resulting in significant snow accumulation on the track, making it the toughest race I think I have ever done.”
 
Kennedy-Sim blitzed the field in her quarter-final leading from start to finish but was unable to advance to the big final and had to settle for the small final and seventh overall. 

“I skiied a great quarter final and then had some issues in the semi and small finals however I stuck to the race plan that we as a team came up with and I am proud of how I skiied, how I stayed focused and how I managed the changing conditions.”

“I’m sad that I didn't get to race in the big final but things are moving in the right direction,” she said.

Grimus returned to competition following minor surgery in January and whilst he failed to qualify, he is back on the road and looking towards the next World Cup in Canada.  

From Russia the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup now moves to Blue Mountain, Canada for the World Cup finals, with the single competition set to take place on March 5.
 
 

NSWIS Ski Cross athlete Sami Kennedy-Sim has broken through for the first podium performance of her career, claiming silver in the first of two World Cup events in Idre Fjall, Sweden.
 
The exciting result makes Kennedy-Sim just the fourth Australian Ski Cross athlete to win a World Cup medal, joining former teammates Jenny Owens, Scott Kneller and current teammate Anton Grimus as the only Australian’s to achieve the significant milestone.
 
On two previous occasions in her career, Kennedy-Sim had made it through to the final four skiers in the final medal round, but had to settle for fourth place.
 
After qualifying strongly in third position, Kennedy-Sim raced well in the head-to-head finals, finishing in second place in the quarter-final, semi-final and medal final round for the silver.
 
Finishing ahead of Kennedy-Sim in first place was Swedish skier Sandra Naeslund with Austrian Katrin Ofner once place behind in third.
 
Reflecting on her first World Cup podium, Kennedy-Sim commented after the race.
 
“Today has been an awesome day, this has been my first podium.”
 
“Usually my starts are my strength but on this track that is not the case. I skied the fast and technical track really well and the feeling of all the hard work that I have put in and that my support team have put in is fantastic!”
 
“Now that I have this under my belt I am so ready to repeat it.”
 
OWIA Ski Cross Head Coach Shawn Flemming was full of praise for his athlete’s performance.  
 
“Super proud of Sami today she was able to stay composed and stick to her game plan through every heat and we knew with that we had a good chance. Consistency was the goal for today and it finally paid off for her.”
 
“The track here is incredible, so much opportunity for racing. Very technical start section, through the middle it's full of roller combinations, small jumps and some turns then leading in to the longest finish straight which is packed with huge jumps and roller features, very exciting course to race on.”
 
Competing in the second World Cup event at Idre Fjall, Kennedy-Sim was unable to replicate her day one performance, with the NSWIS skier finishing in tenth place in the quarter final round.
 
Anton Grimus will have to wait a little longer to make his return to World Cup competition following minor knee surgery in December. Grimus took part in official training, but the coaching and medical team in consultation with Grimus elected to wait to the next event in Sunny Valley, Russia, for his return.

IMAGE: Sami Kennedy-Sim (left) breaks through for the first podium of her career © Anton Grimus

The FIS Ski Cross World Cup heads to Idre Fjall, Sweden this weekend will feature two athletes donning the green and gold racing kit.

Sochi Olympian, Anton Grimus is set to make his return to the circuit after battling a knee injury that has kept him out of competition over the past few months.

Still erring on the side of caution, the 26-year-old plans to take it easy in his first race back.

“Yeah skiing had been fine but we’ll see how the training runs go on the track,” Grimus said.

“Feeling confident but the plan is to take every day as it comes and gauge how the knee holds up.

“Confident though that it'll be ready to go!”

This weekend’s competition comes after last week’s World Cup in Feldberg, Germany was postponed due to weather conditions, despite a herculean effort from circuit organisers. 

Fellow Aussie, Sami Kennedy-Sim finished 11th after her one run on the German course, and said the competition left her feeling frustrated. 

“It is never ideal to have a competition cancelled,” Kennedy-Sim said. “They ran 'part' of a race on Saturday and then adjusted the result based on your rank. In this circumstance, I never had a chance at the podium.”

Kennedy-Sim, who also made her Olympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Games, will be looking to bounce back this weekend on the challenging Swedish course.

“Last season I had an injury in Watles, Italy that sidelined me for some weeks over January.

“Idre was my first comp back and it was very intimidating. It was the first time we had competed here.”    

The 28-year-old described the track as a very long course, with “very very big” jumps.

“Having said that, now we have been here once before, I know more of what I should expect.

“It's the complete opposite of the race in Feldberg last week.”

Kennedy-Sim currently sits in 15th on the FIS leader board, while Grimus sits in 43rd and both will be looking to get
Australia up onto the podium this weekend and increase their world rankings.

The pair are both looking to make their second Olympic appearance at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, where they will line up against 32 of the world’s best ski cross athletes.

Competition in Idre begins on Thursday, February 9th, with the first round of qualifications followed by round two on Friday.

Back-to-back races will take place on Saturday and Sunday, both beginning at 10:30CET (19:30 AEDT).
Ashleigh Knight
 

NSWIS Ski Cross athlete Sami Kennedy-Sim, has finished in 11th place in a weather affected World Cup event in Feldberg, Germany.

The first of back-to-back World Cup races scheduled to take place was cut short due to a winter storm that blew into the area during the competition.

The weather in Feldberg had been challenging for some time leading up to Saturday’s competition, with a qualification round scheduled for Friday already cancelled before Saturday’s troubles. While the track at Feldberg was in good condition on competition day, and local organizers had large crews on hand slipping and maintaining the course, at some point the battle against snow accumulation and the rising winds became a losing one.

With the cancellation of Friday’s qualifiers, officials elected to go with an alternate start plan on Saturday, expanding the heat format from 32 men to 64, and from 16 ladies to 32, giving every athlete at least one run in a head to head heat and whittling down the field to the standard format in time for televised finals on Saturday afternoon.

While these preliminary rounds were completed satisfactorily, the weather took a turn for the worse just before the start of the finals, and by the time the last men’s heat from the round of eight had completed their run, it became clear that the competition would be unable to proceed.

With at least one competition round completed officials were able to declare a result, this saw Kennedy-Sim finish in 11th.

Despite a herculean effort from organizers, crews, and officials, the second scheduled World Cup was cut short for the second straight day as persistent snow and wind made the situation too difficult and variable to finish the event. This day no heats where able to take place meaning the event was officially cancelled.

With four events remaining on the now 13-leg Ski Cross World Cup tour, Kennedy-Sim sits in 15th place on the standings.

Australia’s leading male athlete, Anton Grimus is currently battling a knee injury and was ruled out for the Feldberg event. The 26-year-old had surgery on his knee in late December, after it had caused him trouble at the back end of 2016.

Well on the way to recovery, Grimus was on the side-line in Feldberg, but has plans to travel to the next event with the rest of the team, and is hopeful of resuming competition in mid February.

The team now flies to Idre Fjall, Sweden, for two World Cup events which will take place during February 10-12.

Australia’s top female ski cross athlete Sami Kennedy-Sim is looking to continue her strong form this weekend at the next World Cup event in Feldberg, Germany.

Fresh off a two strong 2nd and 8th place results at the Europa Cup in Lenk, Switzerland, this weekend’s competition will mark her second competition within a week.

“I went to the Europa Cup in Lenk as a training exercise,” said the 28-year-old. “I had a solid week of training leading into it with volume focused on snow time and big gym sessions.

“It was fun to have a low-key event and especially to see our younger Australian Ski Cross athletes in their race environment.”

The 2014 Sochi Olympian has good reason to be enjoying her racing at the moment, after she equalled her best-ever result in December at a World Cup event in Arosa, Switzerland where she finished 4th.

Currently well-placed in 16th in the World Cup rankings, Kennedy-Sim credits concentration and discipline as the keys to maintaining her great form.

“Staying focused from top to bottom and executing tasks set out. At the end of the day, making it through the rounds is the key.”

With Pyeongchang 2018 just over a year away, the Winter Games are not far from her mind, but for now she is just looking to get as many races under her belt as possible.

“I am looking to ski as many heats of Ski Cross as possible.

“We have World Championships just around the corner and Olympic qualifications are well under way - there are so many boxes that need ticking before I get my plane ticket to Korea so I am focused on those.”

As for her thoughts on this weekend’s World Cup, she remains confident, provided they make it onto the track.

“The weather is not looking great and it has rained a considerable amount over the past week so fingers crossed we get to race at all.”

Meanwhile, top Australian male athlete, Anton Grimus is currently battling a knee injury and has been ruled out for the World Cup event.

The 26-year-old had surgery on his knee, after it had caused him troubled at the back end of 2016.

“I ended up missing a few World Cups in December due to knee pain and decided with help from all the OWIA medical staff and ski cross coaches that surgery was the best option,” Grimus said.

“Not only was it getting unsafe to race with discomfort, it was also hindering my ability to perform.”

Well on the way to recovery, Grimus was aiming to be back in full competition by mid-February, but has decided to play it safe this weekend and take in Feldberg from the side-line.

“The knee bounced back quite well, responding to treatment and now is pain free when skiing and general day-to-day training.

“The plan now is to continue to strengthen the knee to be able to return to competition as soon as possible. The aim is to compete in the Sweden World Cup in Idre Fjall in early-to-mid February.”

This weekend marks the first time Feldbery has hosted a World Cup event and the action kicks off (weather permitting) on Friday.

Unexpected illness has cut short Sami Kennedy-Sim's dual World Cup weekend, unable to compete last night with a stomach virus.

The world number 16 spent the day in the hotel after falling sick, just one day after placing 11th in the first of the two World Cups in Watles, Italy.

It had been a good start to the weekend, with all athletes automatically passed through the qualifiers thanks to poor weather conditions​ on day one of competition.

Once the track was cleared Sami put up a strong fight thanks to some clean training ahead of her final, which according to coach Shawn Fleming, allowed her the best run at a result.

"Sami trained really well before her quarter final heat and even though she had a mistake on the first corner jump which cost her some speed, she did a good job to keep composure through the middle section," Fleming said.

"This course really punishes even the smallest mistakes through the middle section as it slopes slightly uphill through the end of the straight."

"She maintained her speed right towards the end and closed some space but unfortunately it was not enough to overtake the front girls and she ended up 3rd in the quarter final."

Despite hoping for some mistake free runs in last night's second World Cup, Sami's illness meant she could not start and will now have to wait until early February for the next World Cup in Germany.

The Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup, originally scheduled for 21 January in Megeve, France has been cancelled due to weather conditions and brought forward by one week to occur earlier in Watles, Italy, which already had a World Cup scheduled on January 15.

Essentially, competitors will compete in two World Cups over two days with one qualification for both events on Friday, January 13.

With OWIA skier Anton Grimus out with a minor injury, carrying the baton for Australia is Samantha Kennedy-Sim who will be looking to better her fourth place World Cup finish in Arosa, Switzerland in mid-December.  

“I am really looking forward to the double event in Italy next week and continuing to build on December's events,” Sami said today.

“I fly from Sydney this afternoon back to Europe after a 10-day summer break and can't wait to get back on my skis.”

The decision by FIS to combine the two January World Cups was made following low snow accumulation in Megeve.

“With less-than-ideal snow conditions plaguing much of the Alps it seemed only a matter of time before one of the stops on the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup would be affected, and today we found that to be the case with the cancellation of the Megeve (FRA) competition originally scheduled for January 22, 2017,” the FIS press release stated.  

“Strong cooperation from the Italian Ski Federation (FISI) and the Sud Tirolian resort of Watles has ensured that the hole in the schedule left by the Megeve cancellation has already been filled, as Watles will add a second race to its upcoming competition program, with back-to-back races slated for January 14 and 15 after qualifications on the 13th.”

This is the second season in a row that Watles has been asked to add a race to its competition program, and for the second straight season Watles has been able to step and do so, after a similarly bad snow situation forced the cancellation of a race planned for La Plagne (FRA) last year. 

The revised Ski Cross World Cup schedule for January will be as follows;

Friday, 13.01.2017: Qualifications for both competitions
Saturday, 14.01.2017: 1st competition - CET 11:00 (replacement for Megève)
Sunday, 15.01.2017: 2nd competition - CET 11:00 (as originally planned)

Sami Kennedy-Sim has completed the final event of the six leg Cross Alps Tour with a 13th place performance in Innichen, Italy.
 
The results gives Sami a final ranking of 15th, on the Cross Alps Tour standings, a new initiative for the December period of the season that saw six competition starts across two weeks.
 
The highlight of the six events was Sami’s equal career best fourth place World Cup finish in Arosa, Switzerland.
 
Sami’s NSWIS teammate Anton Grimus did not compete in the final two events of the Cross Alps Tour in order to rest his knee.
 
Sami and Anton will resume World Cup competition in the new year in Watles, Italy, on January 14-15.