Just like last weekend only two Americans were able to advance from the qualifying heats at the ICF Slalom World Cup event. This weekend in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain those two are both Olympians who didn’t compete last weekend. Casey Eichfeld qualified in the men’s C1 while Michal Smolen qualified in the men’s K1. Eichfeld qualified for the semifinals with a 15th place finish in the first C1 heat. Eichfeld’s time of 97.49 was 5.07 behind the top time and less than a second ahead of not qualifying from the heat. Smolen was unable to qualify from the first men’s K1 heat after finishing 42nd in 94.48, just over a second short of qualifying. He grabbed one of the ten spots available from the second heat by finishing sixth in 90.42, over a second and a half clear of 11th.
In other action…
Men’s C1: Zachary Lokken just missed out on qualifying as he was 12th in the second qualifying heat, missing the semifinals by 1.71 seconds after picking up a two second penalty on his fourth gate and finishing in 100.51. Tyler Smith was 23rd in the second heat and over five seconds back with no penalties.
Women’s C1: Sage Donnelly, who didn’t compete last weekend, finished eighth in the second qualifying heat but 1.03 behind the five semifinals qualifier. Donnelly took four penalty points which cost her a spot.
Men’s K1: Richard Powell finished 31st in the first heat, missing qualifying by just 0.06 seconds despite not picking up any penalties in 93.39. The same time wouldn’t have advanced him in heat two but his time and he picked up four penalty seconds in a 95.34 finish that was 21st, and about three and a half seconds shy of qualifying. Tyler Westfall was 33rd in the second heat in 99.38.
Women’s K1: Olympian Ashley Nee did not take part in either of the heats while Anna Maria Ifarraguerri finished 25th in the second heat in 113.64, over 10 seconds back of the qualifiers.
Men’s C2: Devin McEwan and Eichfeld finished eighth in the second qualifying heat, missing a top five qualifying spot by over six seconds.
Eichfeld in the C1 and Smolen in the K1 will both take part in the semifinals on Saturday with the finals for those events later in the day. Also on Saturday will be the men’s K1 cross event and the women’s K1 cross event. Powell and Tyler Smith are entered in the men’s event, where Powell took third last weekend, while Donnelly and Nee are entered in the women’s event.
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La Seu d’Urgell Preview
