Canadian sisters win moguls gold, silver at Winter Olympics

ROSA KHUTOR, Russia – Justine Dufour-Lapointe edged out her sister Chloe as the Canadians ended the reign of American Hannah Kearney in the women’s moguls at the Olympics on Saturday.

The youngest of three sisters in the freestyle skiing moguls final, 19-year-old Justine scored 74.80 percent in the final run to claim victory.

Middle sister Chloe, 22, scored 72.20 to take silver while Kearney, the champion in Vancouver four years ago, took bronze with 71.63 despite a couple of mistakes at the beginning of her final run.

“It just totally rocks. It is just really amazing,” said the champion.

“Today I gave everything I had inside. I haven’t eaten since 12 this morning.

“I really gave it my all. I felt the pressure, but I tried to just put that away and I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to roar and people will see me and remember who the real Justine is’.”

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Before stepping up to receive their medals, the two sisters held hands and then embraced.

“Holding the hand of Chloe meant that I wasn’t alone,” said Justine.

“I was there and couldn’t imagine that I would step up on the first step of the podium.

“I was shocked, I saw Chloe and I felt calm again and took her hand, and (thought) Chloe, we’ll live that moment together and it will feel more like home.”

Her beaten sister had no regrets at having come home second behind her younger sibling.

“It meant a lot to be on the podium with my sister,” she said. “It happened before at the World Cup but here it’s the Olympics, it’s the big game, the big world, you have all the pressure of the world on you.”

Kearney, a veteran at 27, felt she had just pushed too hard, which was why she made the mistakes that cost her victory.

“I really gave it away, thats what it felt like,” said the American.

“It was mine to ski for and I did try my best. The only positive I can see is that I didn’t lose because I was too conservative or being complacent and thinking: well they’ll just give me the gold medal if I make it down. I pushed and that’s what got me.”

The new champion paid tribute to the American.

“I haven’t beaten someone, I just won,” said Justine.

“That means that I gave the best run and it was me, and my run won. But she (Kearney) also gave an incredible show and gave it like all of us. She’s an incredible lady and always will be.”

A third Dufour-Lapointe sister, Maxime, 24, finished 12th after an error strewn second round knocked her out of the final shoot-out. – Rappler.com