PARTNERS // |
SUPPORTING CHAMPIONS
Dr. Allan Wrigley, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific's resident Biomechanist, on his experience with the men's & women's moguls team from training camp to podium
Q You’ve worked closely with the men’s and women's moguls team for four years; what would you say made the difference in Canada’s preparation for these Games to produce so many outstanding performances?
A I think there were a few key factors: 1) the Canadian athletes are truly the most dominant group of moguls skiers in the world (out of the top 5 men and women at the Olympic Winter Games, 5 were Canadian). 2) the coaching staff is exceptional, and their level of understanding of the complexities of both the technical and tactical aspects of their sport have helped to provide their athletes with that extra edge, 3) the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association has built a comprehensive program to support the coaches and athletes that truly works as an Integrated Support Team.
Q What was the vibe of the team/coaching staff going into Sunday?
A Business as usual. The team and coaches know how good they are. I am sure they felt a tremendous amount of pressure to perform at the level they were expected to, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they carried themselves.
Q How was your expertise in biomechanics and performance analysis utilized in preparation for the Games?
A As a whole, my job leading up to the games was to provide technical results on skiing times, speeds, points, and jump amplitude. This was done for all of our athletes in the camp leading up to the Games, and during all training sessions at Cypress Mountain. During the official training times, I also captured the technical information above on all of the top competitors so the coaches received a comprehensive results report every night highlighting the level at which each athlete was training on that course.
Q What would you say is Alex’s “X-Factor”? What makes him so good?
A Alex can ski with the best of them. However, his acrobatic ability allows him to perform the hardest degree of difficulty tricks, consistently and exceptionally well.
Q What was it like to witness Canada's first Gold medal on home soil, live and in person?
A I was at the bottom of the course, right at the finish barrier. The only others that close were Peter Judge (CEO) and David Mirota (High Performance Director) right beside me. It was one of the most amazing things I have experienced in my life. Being able to shake Alex’s hand and witness up close the elation he displayed after winning is something I will never forget.
Q How do you feel about being an integral part of the team that supported Alex’s preparation for the Games?
A One word….Lucky. There are so few positions like this in Canada, so to have one and then get the chance to work on a team that is this good truly makes one thank their lucky stars.
Dr. Allan Wrigley, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific's resident Biomechanist, on his experience with the men's & women's moguls team from training camp to podium
Q You’ve worked closely with the men’s and women's moguls team for four years; what would you say made the difference in Canada’s preparation for these Games to produce so many outstanding performances?
A I think there were a few key factors: 1) the Canadian athletes are truly the most dominant group of moguls skiers in the world (out of the top 5 men and women at the Olympic Winter Games, 5 were Canadian). 2) the coaching staff is exceptional, and their level of understanding of the complexities of both the technical and tactical aspects of their sport have helped to provide their athletes with that extra edge, 3) the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association has built a comprehensive program to support the coaches and athletes that truly works as an Integrated Support Team.
Q What was the vibe of the team/coaching staff going into Sunday?
A Business as usual. The team and coaches know how good they are. I am sure they felt a tremendous amount of pressure to perform at the level they were expected to, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they carried themselves.
Q How was your expertise in biomechanics and performance analysis utilized in preparation for the Games?
A As a whole, my job leading up to the games was to provide technical results on skiing times, speeds, points, and jump amplitude. This was done for all of our athletes in the camp leading up to the Games, and during all training sessions at Cypress Mountain. During the official training times, I also captured the technical information above on all of the top competitors so the coaches received a comprehensive results report every night highlighting the level at which each athlete was training on that course.
Q What would you say is Alex’s “X-Factor”? What makes him so good?
A Alex can ski with the best of them. However, his acrobatic ability allows him to perform the hardest degree of difficulty tricks, consistently and exceptionally well.
Q What was it like to witness Canada's first Gold medal on home soil, live and in person?
A I was at the bottom of the course, right at the finish barrier. The only others that close were Peter Judge (CEO) and David Mirota (High Performance Director) right beside me. It was one of the most amazing things I have experienced in my life. Being able to shake Alex’s hand and witness up close the elation he displayed after winning is something I will never forget.
Q How do you feel about being an integral part of the team that supported Alex’s preparation for the Games?
A One word….Lucky. There are so few positions like this in Canada, so to have one and then get the chance to work on a team that is this good truly makes one thank their lucky stars.
