WOMEN Hannah Kearney
U.S. FREESTYLE SKIER OF THE YEAR
Hannah Kearney kept it no secret that her primary objective of the season was winning an Olympic
gold medal — a goal she realized on the rainy Cypress slopes in February. Four World Cup wins and a
national title convinced us to hand her the award for the second consecutive season. Honorable mention
goes to fellow U.S. bumper Heather McPhie, who grabbed her first World Cup win this season and won
a points tiebreaker over Kearney to land second overall.
MEN Alexandre Bilodeau
Canadian FREESTYLE SKIER OF THE YEAR
When moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau won at Cypress Mountain, the national
pressure valve was released. Canada, at last, had won Olympic gold on home
soil, and though the Canucks faltered in the alpine events, a certain momentum
from Bilodeau carried all the way through the Games to the hockey team’s feat
on the final day. All told, Canada won 14 gold medals, the most of any country,
and Bilodeau and his brother on the sidelines won hearts worldwide. Bilodeau
also pulled in a World Cup win and three more podiums to finish the season
fourth overall.
WOMEN Justyna Kowalczyk
INTERNATIONAL NORDIC SKIER OF THE YEAR
Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk not only won the overall World Cup for a second
straight year, but also scored points in each race she entered. This winter, she
won six World Cup races, landed on the podium 11 times and became the first
and only woman in history to win more than 2,000 points in one World Cup
season. At the Olympics, she won the 30K mass start event, earned silver in the
individual sprint and bronze in the 15K pursuit and also took this winter’s Tour
de Ski crown. Kowalczyk wins this award because of her consistency; also, her
extraordinary willpower and determination are palpable. An honorable mention goes to Marit Bjoergen of Norway, who finished second overall in World
Cup points but won five medals at the Vancouver Games.
