Campbell RiverB次元官网网址檚 Teal Harle expects to be able to build off of his phenomenal performance in the Olympic MenB次元官网网址檚 Slopestyle Skiing final and roll with it into his next competition.
B次元官网网址淚 am very excited by the result and definitely very happy,B次元官网网址� Harle said from Pyeong Chang, South Korea. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 definitely a good confidence boost.B次元官网网址�
Harle finished in fifth place in the competition on Saturday (Sunday, Feb. 18, Korea time), one of three Canadians in the top-six. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand won the bronze medal and Evan McEachern finished sixth just behind Harle.
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The competition involved a two-run qualifying heat which determined the top 12 skiers out of 30 who go onto the three-run final. The best of the two runs in the qualifying round counts as their score. Harle skied two calm and cool runs, finishing sixth after the qualification round and securing a spot in the finals. He registered scores of 88 and 91.2.
B次元官网网址淚 was super happy with those, I wish I could have done one of those one more time in the finals and then had some more time to play around with stepping it up,B次元官网网址� Harle said. B次元官网网址淵eah, I was definitely real happy with qualifying runs.B次元官网网址�
A mistake on the rail in the first run in the final left Harle in ninth place after scoring 22.8. His second run was a good one until the end when he crashed his final landing, giving him another low score of 25.6.
B次元官网网址淢y plan was to land the first one and then try to step it up a little bit more,B次元官网网址� Harle said. B次元官网网址淎nd then I messed up on one of the rails.B次元官网网址�
Harle admitted that mistake B次元官网网址渕essed with my headB次元官网网址� so he stepped up his rail tricks in the second run, nailed them but crashed in the jumps.
Stepping up involves doing bigger, harder tricks. More spins, more technically-difficult manoeuvres.
B次元官网网址淭he second run, it was all good, I just crashed because I was kind of a little bit messed up in my brain,B次元官网网址� he said.
So, he just told himself he was B次元官网网址渂eing dumbB次元官网网址� and should just mellow out. He obviously listened to himself because the third run was the best of them all, nailing a score of 90 which put him in fourth place after completing his run but afterwards other skiers pushed his placement down to fifth.
He toyed with going for a B次元官网网址淗ail MaryB次元官网网址� run and try and score big but consulting with his coaches he decided to play it more safely and land the elements he needed to get a good score.
The three days of training at the hill give the skiers a chance to figure out the course. Usually, the rails are the most variable component. Jumps are much the same anywhere, although the Pyeong Chang hill was a little different, Harle said. Then once youB次元官网网址檝e got the course figured out you develop a plan of how youB次元官网网址檙e going to approach each run, ideally increasing the difficulty each time.
B次元官网网址淎nd then follow that plan as best we can,B次元官网网址� Harle said.
As a team, the competition was very satisfying.
B次元官网网址淲e were all very, very happy,B次元官网网址� Harle said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e all been talking about B次元官网网址榳hat the heck! How did we end up with three Canadians in the top six, thatB次元官网网址檚 amazing?B次元官网网址� And it is. WeB次元官网网址檙e all very happy and IB次元官网网址檓 very happy to be a part of that.
B次元官网网址淭he whole team has been skiing very, very well.B次元官网网址�
After the competition, a special celebration was put on for the team at Canada House in the Olympic Village.
B次元官网网址淲hich was awesome they kinda did a really nice mini celebration.B次元官网网址�
Having his family there to watch the race made the event particularly special. His father, mother and brother were in attendance.
B次元官网网址淵eah, it was definitely awesome. They made a sign and they were in the grandstand at the bottom.B次元官网网址�
Harle didnB次元官网网址檛 see them while awaiting his race but he did see them on the video screen while he was standing awaiting his score at the bottom of the course.
B次元官网网址淚t was super nice having them there because with my sport thereB次元官网网址檚 not really any contests close to home so thereB次元官网网址檚 not much chance for them to come out and watch.B次元官网网址�
Many Campbell Riverites took time out to watch the competition on TV and cheer Harle on. Social media channels were filled with supporting comments and congratulations. Harle did see some of it on social media and appreciated it.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been really cool I didnB次元官网网址檛 really expect that much response from there, so yeah, itB次元官网网址檚 been awesome.B次元官网网址�
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Harle stayed at the Olympics after his competition and checked out some of his events. He was going to catch some curling just so he could say he saw the curling but he also planned to check out the speedskating and the snowboarding and other events.
For his first Olympics, Harle said was B次元官网网址渟uper cool.B次元官网网址� He didnB次元官网网址檛 have any difficulty competing in the huge event. Being on the world stage didnB次元官网网址檛 seem to change the atmosphere of the race itself.
B次元官网网址淚t felt pretty normal,B次元官网网址� Harle said. B次元官网网址淵ou know in the back of your head (your at the Olympics) but it didnB次元官网网址檛 really make much of a difference in my mind.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 slopestyle team resumes its season on the FIS World Cup tour when it heads to Italy in March for the last competition of the season.
