Canadian skier Erik Guay nearly hit the podium Thursday, finishing fourth in a World Cup downhill race in Bormio, Italy.

The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was .22 seconds back of third place.

“It’s frustrating to be fourth, but all in all, I had a pretty solid run,” said Guay, who is the defending world downhill champ. “It’s a really, really challenging downhill this year. I feel like I could have taken some chances in different areas.”

It was the third fourth-place finish for the Canadian men’s team this season. Calgary’s Jan Hudec was fourth in Lake Louise, Alta., while Robbie Dixon of North Vancouver, B.C., was fourth in Beaver Creek, Colo.

“It’s definitely frustrating when we have a number of fourth-place results but we are headed in the right direction,” said Canadian men’s coach Paul Kristofic. “It would be nice to be a couple of tenths faster and hit the podium today, but Erik is making steady progress – he’s doing a good job. I think we’re getting there. Patience was an important factor from the beginning.”

Hudec was 23rd, while Ben Thomsen of Invermere, B.C., was 32nd. Robbie Dixon of Whistler, B.C., missed a gate Thursday, while Louis-Pierre Helie of Berthierville, Que., was 47th.

Switzerland’s Didier Defago took the gold on Thursday, while countryman Patrick Kueng won silver. Austria’s Klaus Kroell captured the bronze.

Looking for night out with someone special? Wanting to spend some quality family time? Make it a night out of skiing or riding at COP.

With the Christmas season the busiest time of the year at Canada Olympic Park, we are extending our hours on weekdays over the next two weeks. Beginning Boxing Day until Jan. 6, we will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. With the afternoons known to be a busier than usual time slot over the holidays, we recommend people consider visiting during the evening time slots instead.

As a bonus, we are offering $10 evening hill tickets for youth and juniors from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with the purchase of an adult hill ticket. This cool offer is good from Dec. 26-30 and Jan. 2-6 with a maximum of three youth/junior $10 tickets per one adult ticket purchase.

If that’s not enough, we’ll be offering entertainment in the lift line each evening beginning Dec. 27.

Come check us out.

Mikael Kingsbury added another gold medal to his collection, taking top spot Tuesday in a World Cup dual moguls race in Meribel, France.

The 19-year-old from Deux Montagnes, Que., defeated France’s Anthony Benna in the big final with a 20-15 decision, to retain the FIS Freestyle leader’s yellow bib.

“In my training, my skiing was pretty and I was focused on not making make mistakes, I just made training like competition and took one dual at a time,” said Kingsbury. “In the final I felt like the Boston Bruins when they come to Montreal. All the French were cheering for Anthony Benna, but I like not being the favourite, so it was fun for me.”

Philippe Marquis of Quebec was 13th, while Eddie Hicks of Langley, B.C., was 14th and Marc-Antoine Gagnon of Terrebonne, Que., was 16th. Cedric Rochon of St. Sauveur, Que, was 17^th, while Simon Pouliot-Cavanagh of Quebec was 22nd.

In the women’s event, Montreal’s Justine Dufour-Lapointe fell to Olympic champion Hannah Kearney of the United States in the final, 21-14.

“ I think Meribel is a lucky place for me, I won my first world cup medal here last year. Duals is my favourite event and I have good scores with duals. I think it’s because I like to fight, so it’s in my vibe.,” said Dufour-Lapointe.

Chloe Dufour-Lapointe was 12th, while Chelsea Henitiuk of Spruce Grove, Alta., was 17th and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe was 18th.

Less than 24 hours after Alex Gough won an historic gold medal Friday at a World Cup luge race in Calgary, Amy Gough won her first career World Cup skeleton race in Winterberg, Germany.

The 34-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., who trains at WinSport Canada’s track in Calgary, is no relation to Alex Gough.

“It has been a rough week so this feels really good,” said Gough, who clocked a winning time of one minute .16 seconds. “It has taken me a long time to get here, but my training went really well this summer and I’m the strongest that I have ever been. Just because I’m older, I think this shows you can’t kick me out yet.”

Katharina Heinz of Germany was second, while countryman Marion Thees won the bronze.

Calgary’s Sarah Reid was eighth, while Mellisa Hollingsworth, of Eckville, Alta., was 13th.

“I had to tell the announcer today that we weren’t sisters,” said Amy Gough. “That is awesome that Alex won. The Gough name is definitely out there this weekend.”

In the men’s race, Victoria native Eric Neilson was fifth for his best-ever World Cup performance, while Toronto’s Mike Douglas was ninth and Calgary’s John Fairbairn was 17th. Latvia’s Martins Dukurs won the gold.

In bobsled, Lyndon Rush and Jesse Lumsden were sixth in the men’s two-man race, while Calgarians Chris Spring and Derek Plug were ninth.

In the women’s event, Calgary’s Kaillie Humphries and Emily Baadsvik, of St. Stephen, N.B., were 10th, while Edmonton’s Jenny Ciochetti and Calgary’s Kate O’Brien to were 11th.

Home track never meant so much to Alex Gough.

The Calgary luger became the first Canadian to win a World Cup luge race in Canada, with the 24-year-old sliding to an historic victory Friday night at WinSport Canada’s track in Calgary.

“I am in shock and awe. I’m in complete disbelief. This is so incredible,” said Gough, who won a World Cup race for the second time in her career. “The wind was my advantage tonight. It makes this track tricky, but I train in it all of the time so I just stayed focused on what I had to do.”

Gough clocked a two-run combined time of one minute 34.212 seconds on her home track. She led after the first run after stopping the clock in 47.153 seconds on a warm and windy night.

“I just went away and did not focus on the exterior elements of the race,” said Gough. “I actually felt really good and calm. I just kept my head down and stayed focused on pulling a good start and having another good run. I still haven’t collected my thoughts and can’t believe it.”

Tyler Seitz, who is now WinSport Canada’s track director at the Calgary facility, is the only other Canadian to have picked up a World Cup luge bauble at the track. He won bronze in 2002.

Germany’s Tatjana Hufner was second (1:34.324) on Friday, while Russia’s Tatiana Ivanova was third (1:34.724).

Friday also marked the first time in the history of luge that three Canadians cracked the top eight, with 19-year-olds Kim McRae and Dayna Clay, both of Calgary, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively.

“I never expected these young girls to be in the top-10 so fast. These results are fantastic because that was as fast and hard of ice as I’ve ever seen in Calgary,” said Canadian coach Wolfgang Staudinger, head coach.

Calgary’s Arianne Jones finished 22nd.

The World Cup weekend continues Saturday with the men’s singles race and a doubles race.

Nathan Smith and Scott Gow are serving notice to the rest of the world that they’ll be a force in the biathlon world.

The Calgary natives finished third and fourth, respectively, on Friday in a men’s 10-kilometre sprint event at the IBU Biathlon Cup in Obertilliach, Austria.

Smith clocked a time of 24 minutes 18.1 seconds, while Gow was just behind him in 24:31.4. The field of 100 competitors featured several who compete on the World Cup circuit.

“It feels great. Only a few other Canadians have had top-four results on the IBU Cup, so two in one day is exceptional,” said Smith, who is now the sixth Canadian biathlete in the past 10 years to win a medal at the IBU Cup.

“During the training season I made some strong improvements in both skiing and shooting and I was hoping to carry those over to the competition season. This result is affirmation the work is paying off in actual results.”

Russia’s Evgeniy Garanichev took top spot in a time of 24:09.7, while Germany’s Daniel Bohm picked up the silver in 24:11.4.

Calgary’s Tyson Smith was tied for 50th, while Aaron Gillmor was 96th.

In the women’s 7.5-kilometre sprint, Quebec’s Claude Godbout was the top Canadian, finishing 32nd overall. Yolaine Oddou of Val Belair, Que., was 34th, while Melanie Schultz of Camrose, Alta., was 53rd.

Russia’s Ekaterina Glazyrina shot clean to take top spot.

Meanwhile, at a World Cup 7.5-kilometre sprint competition in Hochfilzen, Austria, Megan Imrie of Falcon Lake, Man., was the top Canadian, finishing 25th. Zina Kocher, of Red Deer, Alta., was 50th, while Rosanna Crawford, of Canmore, Alta., was 73rd. Russia’s Olga Zaitseva won the gold.

Canadian biathletse spend much of their time training at WinSport Canada’s Canmore Nordic Centre.

For more on WinSport, log on to www.winsportcanada.ca.

Canada’s Jan Hudec cracked the top-10 for the second time this season in three super-G races, with the 30-year-old member of the national alpine ski team tying for 10th Friday at a World Cup race in Val Gardena, Italy.

The Calgary native, who started 25th, tackled the Saslong course in one minute 22.64 seconds, matching the time set by Austria’s Klaus Kroell.

“I made one big mistake from risking too much, which I’m OK with,” said Hudec. “The light was super flat but at the bottom it broke up a little bit.

“I’m moving up in the points, which is really my ultimate goal. I want to ski fast and if I keep doing that I will get a podium.”

Switzerland’s Beat Feuz took the top spot on the podium in a time of 1:21.51, while American Bode Miller was second in 1:21.81 and Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud took third spot (1:21.95).

Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was 33rd, while Robbie Dixon of Whistler, B.C., was 40th. Ben Thomsen of Invermere, B.C., started 63rd and finished 50th, while Louis-Pierre Helie of Berthierville, Que., was 60th.

Hudec was fourth last month at Lake Louise, Alta., and was 22nd last week in Beaver Creek, Colo., giving him enough points to sit eighth in super-G standings.

“Jan had a good race. He did a good job, for sure,” said Canadian men’s head coach Paul Kristofic. “He executed and everything worked pretty well for him.”

For the safety of athletes and patrons at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park, WinSport Canada will be rerouting traffic, beginning Dec. 21.

To access the Bob Niven Training Centre and  the top of the hill (residential area, ski jump towers and bobsled start), drivers will continue west on the Park entrance road and will follow the road between the Athletic and Ice Complex and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.  Please follow signs as directed.

Olivier Jean, left, and Charles Hamelin celebrate their winning weekend.

It was quite a weekend for Canada’s top winter sport athletes, with several athletes standing on the World Cup medal podium, including three on the top step.

Mellisa Hollingsworth won gold in the women’s World Cup skeleton event on Saturday in La Plagne, France, while Mikael Kingsbury took top spot in the opening freestyle mogul World Cup race of the season. On the ice, Charles Hamelin was golden in the men’s 500-metre short track speed skating World Cup in Shanghai, with teammate Olivier Jean taking silver in the 1,000-metres and the team winning silver in the men’s relay.
Canada’s luge team added a silver medal in the team relay event in Whistler, B.C.,

In other weekend highlights:

• Calgary’s Chris Spring, along with Toronto’s Tim Randall, Calgary’s Derek Plug and Saskatoon’s Graeme Rinholm were ninth in Sunday’s four-man World Cup bobsleigh race in La Plagne.
• Pilot Lyndon Rush, of Humboldt, Sask., and brakeman Neville Wright of Edmonton were fifth in the two-man bobsleigh race in La Plagne. Rush’s four-man sled finished 11^th.
• Megan Imrie of Falcon Lake, Man., Zina Kocher of Red Deer, Alta., Rosanna Crawford of Canmore, Alta., and Megan Heinicke of Squamish, B.C., teamed up to finish fourth in the women’s 4×6-kilometre biathlon relay at a World Cup race in Hochfilzen on Sunday.
• Brendan Green, of Hay River, N.W.T., Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, of Shannon, Que., Regina’s Scott Perras, and Marc-Andre Bedard, of Valcartier, Que., were 15^th in the men’s 4×7.5-kilometre biathlon relay.
• In Davos, Switzerland, Devon Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., narrowly missed the podium, finishing fifth in a World Cup cross-country ski sprint, while Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., was ninth and Toronto’s Len Valjas was 28^th. Chandra Crawford of Canmore, Alta., was the top Canadian woman, finishing ninth overall in her event. Perianne Jones of Almonte, Ont., was 29^th and Daria Gaiazova of Banff, Alta., was 30^th.

In France, Hollingsworth ended a two-year gold-medal drought on the World Cup circuit, as she won her sixth career World Cup race. The tour returned to La Plagne for the first time since 2000.

“It was a good one and first in a long time so I’m really happy,” said Hollingsworth, who trains at WinSport Canada’s track at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park. “Things have changed so much and I don’t remember anything. It was a really intense week of learning with the team walking the track and watching video which was exhausting so this is nice to win.”

Hollingsworth now has 29 trips to the World Cup podium to her credit, to go along with an Olympic bronze medal, two overall World Cup crowns and two world championship medals.

“If there is one thing I am most proud of in my career it is my consistency of getting on the podium and knowing that I can be in the medals on any type of track,” said Hollingsworth.

Calgary’s Sarah Reid was eighth on Saturday, while Amy Gough of Abbotsford, B.C., was 12^th.

At the Whistler Sliding Centre, Alex Gough, Sam Edney and the doubles tandem of Tristan Walker and Justin Snith clocked a time of two minutes 19.001 seconds, as the World Cup returned to the venue for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The World Cup circuit now moves to Canada Olympic Park for races on Friday and Saturday.

Kingsbury, meanwhile, started his season off in fine fashion in Kuusamo, Finland, with the 19-year-old native of Deux-Montagnes, Que., earning a final-round score of 25.00 and the yellow leader’s bib.
“It feels pretty crazy to wear the yellow bib,” said Kingsbury. “It feels like a dream come true. It’s not just being on the World Cup podium, it’s wearing the bib of the Number 1 on the World Cup. I’ve always dreamed of that and now it happened. I’m not going to give it up without a fight.”

Quebec City’s Philippe Marquis was fifth, while Quebec’s Marc-Antoine Gagnon was 11^th and Cedric Rochon of St. Sauveur, Que., was 15^th.

The top Canadian women’s honours went to Montreal’s Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, who was seventh. Her sister, Maxime, was ninth, while Chelsea Henitiuk of Spruce Grove, Alta., was 13^th.

Many of Canada’s top winter athletes make their training home or compete at WinSport Canada’s facilities. For more on WinSport, log on to www.winsportcanada.ca.

Kaillie Humphries shows off her 2010 Olympic gold medal.

Kaillie Humphries reached the top of the medal podium on Friday for the first time since her gold-medal performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics, earning a gold in a World Cup two-man bobsleigh event in La Plagne, France.

The 26-year-old Calgary pilot, along with rookie brakeman Emily Baadsvik clocked a two-run time of two minutes 2.81 seconds, for the second World Cup gold and ninth medal of her career.

“It feels really nice. I didn’t expect too much today, but sliding has gone well all week and things turned out great,” said Humphries, who joined forces with Heather Moyse to win gold in Vancouver. “Emily did a great job today. The start is long and flat which treated us well so we are very happy.”

The Germany 2 sled of Cathleen Martini and Janine Tischer picked up the silver and the Swiss duo of Fabienne Meyer and Hanne Schenke grabbed the bottom step of the podium.

The 1,507-metre track in the French Alps is the one that was used for the 1992 Albertville Winter Games.

Canada’s sliders make their training home at WinSport Canada’s track at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park.

“The start is long and flat and the track is quick with long pressure corners,” said Humphries. “The sled runs well here and I think the track likes me as well.”

In Friday’s men’s skeleton race, Toronto’s Mike Douglas was the top Canadian, clocking a two-run time of 2:04.07 to finish 10th. Calgary’s John Fairbairn was 14th, while Eric Neilson of Victoria was 20th.

The top two medal positions were secured by the Dukurs brothers of Latvia, with Martins taking gold in 2:01.25 and Tomas earning silver in 2:02.23. Russia’s Alexander Tretiakov took home bronze in 2:02.42.

Women’s skeleton and men’s two-man bobsled take over the schedule on Saturday in La Plagne.

For more on WinSport Canada, head to www.winsportcanada.ca.