Brady Leman of Calgary finished fourth in the men’s ski cross event Thursday at the Sochi Olympics after crashing in the final.
France swept the podium in the four-man final, with Jean Frederic Chapuis leading the charge from start to finish to win gold. Arnaud Bovolenta captured silver, and Jonathan Midol slid across the finish line to take bronze.
“It sucks,” said Leman. “I feel like I let the team down. I am proud, but I’m crushed I came fourth. I’ve come fourth a bunch of times this year.
“I didn’t get the start I wanted. It was tough to get around [the other skiers]. I made it past but then I got stuck on the other side. I set up a move that I’d practised. I knew that if I didn’t get my skis tangled up then I’d have been on the podium.”
Chapuis said he achieved a career-long objective.
“When I started ski cross my goal was the Olympic Games here in Sochi and I am happy with that,” the gold medallist said.
“With the two other French guys it’s like a dream. Yesterday, I was joking with the guys, saying that all three on the podium would be good and it happened. It’s perfect.”
This is the first ever medal sweep for France at the Olympic Winter Games and the sixth sweep of the 2014 Games setting a new Olympic record for most medal sweeps at a single Winter Games.
Netherlands swept the podium four times in speed skating and the United States once in the men’s slopestyle in freestyle skiing in Sochi.
Del Bosco eliminated early
Montreal’s Chris Del Bosco held the lead in his heat in the 1/8 finals but was passed midway down the course, finishing third and failing to advance. He placed 17th overall.
“That was just bad. I got out the gate pretty good,” he said. “I knew if I could stay tight I could get ahead, but I missed every transition.”
“I had a slow start to the season, but started skiing well through training and qualifying. This is difficult.”
Del Bosco was considered a medal contender after a near miss at the Vancouver Olympics, where he appeared headed for the podium before crashing late in the final.
The 31-year-old has not decided whether Sochi will be his last Olympic Games.”I will finish off the year and if I am healthy and competitive then I will carry on. It is a small window you have [to compete]. I love doing what I do.”
Dave Duncan of London, Ont., went down in his 1/8 final heat, recovered to get back on course but couldn’t make up the damage and did not advance. He finished 26th in his first Olympic appearance.
World Cup leader Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden posted the fastest time in the seeding round but finished third in his quarter-final heat and failed to advance.2013 World Cup title winner Alex Fiva of Switzerland was eliminated in the 1/8 finals, while Andreas Matt of Austria, who won silver at the 2010 Olympics, was ousted in the quarter-final round.
Reigning Olympic champion Michael Schmid of Switzerland was forced to withdraw from competition after injuring his knee during a training session on Saturday. Schmid has finished only six World Cup events since the 2009-2010 season due to multiple knee injuries.
