It was a first place podium finish for Zoe Chore at the FIS Freestyle Ski Cross World Junior Championships.
The Cranbrook native took top honours at the Reiteralam, Austria event on March 28.
“It was a really good race for me,” she said. “Everything came together during the day, and I was very happy with how it finished.”
To prepare for the world juniors, she said she thought of it like any other race.
“Knowing it was a big race, but I knew I shouldn’t treat it any differently. I didn’t want to change any patterns or habits that I have built through this season, and wanted to race to the best of my abilities,” she said.
Stepping on the hill for the final race, Chore says she was excited to see what the day was going to bring her.
Going into the races there were some skiers she hadn’t raced before, but Chore felt confident because she had been on the course in the previous weekend for the Europa Cup where she placed eighth.
“I knew the track going into it, which helps a lot. Knowing where the passing could be and what to expect from other people around you, so that was a huge help,” she said.
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With the goal being to win, Chore said there was tough competition in her heat so she wasn’t sure how she would place at the end.
“I was unsure if I would be able to hold it the whole way down and be able to win the start. But, when I pulled out of the gate and coming around the first corner I was in the lead, and it was just to make sure I hit all my marks going down … and to be able to keep the lead the whole way down — which I was able to do luckily,” she said.
Coming first in the world juniors is definitely a highlight for Chore, but the atmosphere of the hill was a feature.
“For the earlier races it was bluebird every day, and it was five to six degrees every day up on the hill, so it was very warm and it was great being out in the sunshine,” she said.
Chore surpassed her previous world junior results with the podium finish, in 2015 she placed 17th and in 2017 she placed eighth.
Rest is going to be key and Chore, who is part of the Kimberley Alpine Ski Team. She is going to take some time exploring Europe with her family, and they will get back into training as she prepares for the National Ski Cross Championships at Sunshine Village Resort, which will be the last event of the season.
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