Describing the training environment at Apex Mountain a B次元官网网址渄ream,B次元官网网址� the Penticton head coach of the Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 moguls team says his guys are ready to rock the Olympics.
After spending the last 10 days on the local ski hill, Rob Kober, his coaching staff and team members boarded the 6 a.m. flight Thursday at Penticton Regional Airport on the first leg of their journey to Pyeongchang, South Korea and the XXIII Olympic Winter Games.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the perfect course up here on KristiB次元官网网址檚 Run and weB次元官网网址檝e been enjoying ideal conditions. I canB次元官网网址檛 imagine a better set up for a pre-Olympic camp,B次元官网网址� said Kober who has been at the helm of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 powerhouse for a dozen years. B次元官网网址淭he course here is ideal for adding intensity in a relatively safe environment, and we kind of fly under the radar so that helps minimize distractions.
B次元官网网址淚 think having that kind of environment where everything is ideal on the snow we can insulate the athletes and keep it fun, keep them well-fed and rested and we can do all that here.B次元官网网址�
He credits the outstanding programs at Apex over the years for producing top calibre skiers like former Summerland Olympian Kristi Richards and PentictonB次元官网网址檚 Andi Naude, 22, who will be seeing her first action in the Olympics this year on the womenB次元官网网址檚 team.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 biased but I think AndiB次元官网网址檚 going to win,B次元官网网址� said Kober, whose two sons Jordan and Josh and daughter Chloe are all involved in the sport. B次元官网网址淎ndiB次元官网网址檚 awesome, sheB次元官网网址檚 awesome, canB次元官网网址檛 say enough good stuff about her, and right now sheB次元官网网址檚 really peaking at the right time.
B次元官网网址淚 think AndiB次元官网网址檚 best stuff is the best stuff out there right now.B次元官网网址�
Naude joined the national team at age 16 and narrowly missed the cut for the 2014 games in Sochi.
And for his part, if results are any indication of success, Kober is definitely on the right track.
The Canadian men finished one, two in the 2014 Olympics and the silver medalist that year, Mika毛l Kingsbury, is back for his third try at a gold.
Kingsbury has been burning up the course on the World Cup this season and is favoured to wind up on the top shelf of the podium this time.
B次元官网网址淢ikB次元官网网址檚 been on a terrific tear here for quite a while and hopefully will live up to those expectations,B次元官网网址� said Kober.
The Canadian men suffered what he described as a B次元官网网址渄evastatingB次元官网网址� blow a couple weeks ago when their number-two guy, Philippe Marquis, tore his ACL at a World Cup event in Deer Valley, Utah.
The injury, however, has not kept the 28-year-old veteran off the skis.
B次元官网网址淗e trained last night at Apex and he looks great and heB次元官网网址檚 going to try, but itB次元官网网址檚 a pretty terrible injury,B次元官网网址� said Kober. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been done before but with no ACL itB次元官网网址檚 a pretty aggressive mission.B次元官网网址�
With such a strong, experienced team the coach is not planning to come back home empty-handed.
B次元官网网址淚f IB次元官网网址檓 honest, nope,B次元官网网址� he said about being satisfied without winning a medal. B次元官网网址淭o be successful we definitely need to come out there with some hardware, thatB次元官网网址檚 for sure. At the same time, I would say how we handle failure B次元官网网址� hopefully we wonB次元官网网址檛 have to B次元官网网址� but how we handle that will define our team as much as anything.B次元官网网址�
He added: B次元官网网址淔or me, the way I think about our team, our program and any individual athlete is definitely not going to be defined by the results from any one event, whether itB次元官网网址檚 the Olympic Games or anything else.B次元官网网址�
The teams will begin training in Pyeongchang on Feb. 5 with both the menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 first qualifying rounds going at night on Feb 8.
The womenB次元官网网址檚 second qualifying round and finals will be Feb. 11 and the menB次元官网网址檚 second qualifying and finals are Feb. 12.
