Omischl wins season opener

Steve Omischl started off with an impressive first place finish at the first aerial freestyle skiing event of the season taking place this weekend in Changchun, China.
The defending World Cup overall men’s aerials champion started off the 2007-08 season with a bang by distancing himself from a field that included the 2006 Olympic champion.

“I couldn’t have done a better first jump and I had a very good second jump,” remarked the 29-year-old on the Canadian Freestyle Ski website.

Omischl took the lead in the Freestyle FIS World Cup Friday by nailing his opening jump, a quadruple-twisting triple somersault, performed with a double twist on the first revolution.

“The weather was perfect. I just felt very relaxed,” added Omischl, who won before a sparse crowd that consisted mainly of about 300 children brought in for the event.

“I hate to say it, but it was kind of easy. I’m just extremely happy,” concluded the native of North Bay, Ont., whose goal is to lead this season’s overall World Cup standings from start to finish.

Omischl’s winning score of 247.55 came at Changchun Lianhuashan Ski Resort where the only other Canadian competing was Warren Shouldice of Calgary. Shouldice scored 216.85 for seventh place. Anton Kushnir of Belarus was second in 237.33 and Olympic champion Xiaopeng Han third in 236.11.

The second of back-to-back aerials finals on Lianhua Mountain takes place Saturday.

Omischl’s victory comes a day after Laurentian Ski Hill in North Bay named a run after him at a press conference.