http://www.sloh.org/australia-athletics-rankings/
Jason Begg-Smith Jason Smith Skier Begg Begg-Smith medal strong selection Games
Mogul skier Dale Begg-Smith has strengthened his claims as one of the Australia's hottest medal hopes in Turin and the spearhead of the nation's largest ski and snowboard representation in the Winter Olympics.
Begg-Smith capped one days pending third round when he won a few World Cup, triumphing in Lake Placid, New York, where his second victory last Friday, elevated him to world No. 1.
The victory sent him 109 points ahead of his nearest rival Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada in the World Cup with 405 points.
The results of Canadian origin of 21 years, are a major boost for Ski and Snowboard Australia (SSA), which concluded its Turin team including Former world champion Jacqui Cooper, who won the fourth and last in the air ski team.
Selectors gave their discretionary selection of Cooper ahead of Laine Cole and Bree Munro to join automatic selections Alisa Camplin, the 2002 Olympic champion, Lydia Ierodiaconou and Liz Gardner.
The Committee Australian Olympic (AOC) is scheduled to name its full team games, expected to number over 40, on Wednesday.
For the first time, Security Social has been able to appoint more than one athlete in each discipline – downhill skiing, cross country skiing, ski and snowboard freestyle – with 25 ready to compete in Turin.
SSA chief executive Michael Kennedy was delighted with the steps forward from four years ago.
"We sent five Salt Lake City athletes who had won the 2002 World Cup medals, but this team is composed of nine athletes who have made World Cup podiums, "said Kennedy.
"In the four years preceding the 2002 Games, our athletes have won 35 World Cup medals, while in the last four years prior to (Turin) we collected 54 medals. "
Begg-Smith, who arrived in Australia six years ago with his older brother Jason and stood outside the ski competition for three years to qualify for Australia, has confirmed its place as a strong medal hope in Turin, in one of the most competitive sports.
Olympics Winter Institute of Australia CEO Geoff Lipshut was delighted with the way Begg-Smith, who has now extended to three straight wins.
"It's fantastic it is currently doing when he understands the game and has good skills, "said Lipshut.
"He's very strong mentally, and when you qualify for the first time in an event like this, you're the last person to ski, so it has all the world and then know what they have to overcome and resist all that pressure, not all do.
Mogul skiing is traditionally dominated by Americans, and Lipshut said an Olympic medal in the event are among the achievements of Australia's biggest sporting events.
"Give to live up there, which is a medal hope with 12 others – is not it, four Americans, four Canadians and four Finns, and a medal would be a surprise, because this is one of the events is a difficult and tough business, "he said.
"In events like the U.S. are often so strong that they can go from one to two, three, four and one of 12 of their skiers could be Olympic medalists, making it a renewed sense of confidence to us and claim for our system, our coach and our talent. "
Dale Begg-Smith was an emerging skier when he came through Jindabyne Melbourne six years ago, and spent most of his time becoming technically competent through Australian training programs as he and Jason, now 25, said ski competition pending Australian citizenship for to be processed.
Athletes nominated to the AOC of the SSA selection committee: Aerial skiing – Alisa Camplin, Jacqui Cooper, Liz Gardner, Lydia Ierodiaconou; Alpine skiing – AJ Bear (super-G), Craig Branch (downhill, combined), Jono Brauer (slalom, combined), Brad Wall (giant slalom), Cross-country skiing – Esther Bottomley (Sprint), Clare-Louise Brumley (pursuit, 15km classic), Paul Murray (Sprint) Mogul Skiing – Manuela Berchtold, Dale Begg-Smith, Jason Begg-Smith, Nick Fisher, Michael Robertson, Snowboard – Torah Bright (halfpipe), Holly Crawford (half pipe), Allan Mitchell (halfpipe), Andrew Burton (halfpipe), Ben Mates (halfpipe), Emanuel Oppliger (Parallel giant slalom), Johanna Shaw (parallel giant slalom), Damon Hayler (snowboard cross), Emily Thomas (snowboard cross).
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