Thénault disappointed after 7th in aerials

Canadian freestyle skier Marion Thénault finished seventh in the women's aerials on Friday at the Milan Cortina Olympics, just like she did in Beijing 2022. This time, the result was a bitter pill to swallow.

LIVIGNO – Canadian freestyle skier Marion Thénault finished seventh in the women’s aerials on Friday at the Milan Cortina Olympics, just like she did in Beijing 2022. This time, the result was a bitter pill to swallow.

“I wanted a medal,” said Thénault, whose usual wide smile had disappeared. “For sure I’m disappointed.”

The 25-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que. just barely missed being within the top six that move forward to the super final. Her first finals jump was a back full-full-full that scored her 103.89 points — the same jump that vaulted her to the top of the qualifier earlier in the day.

She held on to the sixth and final spot until near the end, when American Kaila Kuhn, the reigning world champion, earned a 109.90 on the same jump, pushing the Canadian to seventh.

Thénault was last to go and launched into a back lay-full-full, but scored a 101.90 that was not enough to move her up the rankings.

“I’m clearly disappointed to not be in the super final,” Thénault said. “It’s hard, because I know I’m capable, but I landed too deep (on my skis) in the final. It’s my fault.”

Canadian trainer Jeff Bean said the slight mistake on landing was costly for Thénault.

“If she had landed that, it’s done. It’s the best lay-full-full she ever did,” he said. “She was just a little too much on her heels and a little too far forward, but we’re talking millimetres. The jump was magnificent. The job was done.”