Canada's Mikaël Kingsbury claims silver in World Cup moguls in Italy
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Canadian freestyle skiing star Mikaël Kingsbury won silver at a World Cup moguls event Tuesday in Livigno, Italy.
Kingsbury scored 82.90 points on the same course that will be used at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics to finish behind Japan's Ikuma Horishima, who had 85.37.
Charlie Mickel of the United States took bronze (80.14).
The 32-year-old Kingsbury from Deux-Montagnes, Que., remains at 98 career wins on the World Cup stage.
He'll have an opportunity to claim his 99th in a World Cup season-ending dual moguls competition on Wednesday, but his 100th win will have to wait until next season.
WATCH | Kingsbury finishes 2nd at final moguls event of the season:
Mikaël Kingsbury finishes 2nd at the final moguls event of the season
8 minutes ago
Duration 2:32
The Canadian now has 12 medals (eight golds, four silvers) across 15 World Cup events this season.
On the women's side, Saskatoon's Maia Schwinghammer finished fourth with 73.81 points, behind bronze medallist Tess Johnson of the United States (74.94). American Jaelin Kauf won gold (81.21) and Perrine Laffont of France took silver (77.07).
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Winnipeg Free Press
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- Winnipeg Free Press
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
With 'nothing to lose,' Steve Sir leads a hungry Canada into 3x3 basketball World Cup
A dejected Steve Sir stood on a basketball court with his Canadian teammates on June 12, 2018 following a quarterfinal loss in the team's FIBA 3x3 World Cup debut in Manila, Philippines. Sir has played basketball since he was six years old and was an NCAA standout at Northern Arizona, but he was green when it came to the fast-paced 3x3 format played on a smaller court with fewer players than the traditional five-on-five game. The Netherlands scored four points in 80 seconds on that June day for an 18-16 victory in a 10-minute contest that included five lead changes. Canada held a 16-15 edge with 73 seconds remaining on the clock. "The semifinals were right there for us. Knowing that you are an inch away from a chance to play for a medal for your country, those aren't opportunities you get every day," Sir recalled last week. "It was heartbreaking not to take the next step." Seven years later, Canada will have another chance at a World Cup medal when 20 teams gather in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for the ninth edition starting June 23. Sir is the lone returning member of the squad, which opens pool play the next day against European powerhouse Austria and then China, which captured an Asia Cup silver medal in March. Canada falls to the Netherlands in quarter-final action at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Manila 7 years ago Duration 0:48 With family and friends watching back home in Edmonton, Sir expects the sweat, anticipation and nervousness to return when he's introduced for the Austria matchup with teammates Grant Audu, Jérôme Desrosiers and Alex Johnson. Representing Canada and wearing the family name on his back has been a lifelong dream for Sir. "One of my favourite Christmas gifts was getting the book Long Shot: Steve Nash's Journey to the NBA when I was a teenager," Sir remembered while speaking with CBC Sports recently. 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WATCH | Steve Sir, 42, on how long he'll play 3x3 basketball: Steve Sir discusses his love for basketball training and competing 17 hours ago Duration 1:29 At 42, Canadian national men's 3x3 basketball player Steve Sir says he doesn't want to place a limitation on how long he will play competitively Five years later, the six-foot-five forward tried to make Canadian Olympic 3x3 teams. Canada won its first two games at a 2021 qualifying tournament in Graz, Austria before losing two straight and didn't reach the knockout stage. Last May, Canada had a 1-2 record in pool play but didn't secure a quarterfinal berth in Debrecen, Hungary. Now, the 42-year-old Sir is returning to the World Cup. Since 2022, he has been living in Mongolia, where he plays and coaches senior and under-23 clubs. His wife Caitlin and daughters Isabelle and Lyla live in Edmonton but have spent the majority of the past three summers in Mongolia. Canada goes 3-0 to clinch World Cup berth "That's the hardest part," Sir said of being separated from his family. Canada secured one of three available World Cup spots on May 25 with a 21-12 handling of Rwanda to cap a 3-0 performance in Baku, Azerbaijan. Montenegro and Great Britain also clinched berths. Desrosiers led Canada with seven points against Rwanda. The Canadians took both matches a day earlier, with Sir posting eight points and Audu seven in a 21-14 win over Great Britain. Sir led the way with 10 points in a 22-7 rout of Azerbaijan. The six-foot-four Audu, from Toronto, is in his first season with the team. His first major competition was the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup last December in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the Canadian program picked up its first-ever medal, defeating Mexico and Dominican Republic for bronze. The 27-year-old has brought an excitement and eagerness to the team, noted Sir, much the way Edmonton native Jermaine Bucknor did in 2018 as a newcomer. "What makes me proud of a player like Grant is he's not scared of the big stage, understands the responsibility and just competes," Sir said. In Mongolia, Canada will also face France, the 2024 Olympic silver medallists, Chile and Puerto Rico, which placed second at last year's AmeriCup. WATCH | Sir on a model Canada can follow to develop 3x3 game: Sir on Mongolia's blueprint to develop the 3x3 game and the model other countries should follow 17 hours ago Duration 1:26 To develop 3x3 basketball in Canada, Sir says smaller tournaments should be held to create enthusiasm and a knowledge base for players. The last 16 will be held June 27, followed by the quarterfinals the next day. The semifinals, third-place games and final will be contested on June 29. "It's a tough, tough group but what a great opportunity to compete. Let's see what we can do, nothing to lose," said Sir, who was fourth in scoring at the AmeriCup and named to the men's team of the tournament. "We shoot the ball well. We have good playmaking, experience. Jérôme [Desrosiers] has been playing on the World Tour the last few years and continues to get better. And Alex has represented Canada multiple times and his leadership is invaluable." In 2018, there was "so much" Sir didn't know about 3x3 basketball and plenty of room for improvement. "It's a new discipline and there's new nuances and intricacies you have to learn, not just to improve but to evolve with the sport and stay effective," he said. "Shooting has always been my strength, but I have found different ways to be effective — off the dribble, at different angles or with different footwork or fakes. "It still fires me up every day, the things you can do within this sport to get better. It's been a fun journey." More fun could be in store should a World Cup medal be placed around Sir's neck.
