Erik Guay
Encyclopedia
Erik Guay is a Canadian
alpine skier
from Mont-Tremblant, Québec. Guay is best known winning the discipline trophy in Super G
during the 2010 World Cup season
and for winning the downhill at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011.
In Guay's best events, the speed events of Super-G and downhill
, he has finished in the top three in 13 World Cup races through the end of the 2010 season. In 2003
, he finished 2nd in a downhill at Lake Louise
, his first podium. He finished in second twice in 2005 in the Super-G and third once in downhill. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
, Guay, who suffered an injury two weeks before the Olympic Games
, had to withdraw from the downhill but finished in fourth place in the Super-G. On February 24, 2007 he won the World Cup downhill race at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
, Germany. He was the first Canadian to win a World Cup men's downhill race since 1994, and the first man ever from Québec. Guay's performance in the downhill discipline over the 2007 season
was sufficient to place him in third position in the World Cup discipline standings at season end.
In 2009
, Guay achieved ten top-10 finishes in World Cup speed events but reached only one podium, a third. Finally, in 2010
, after starting the season the same way, Guay broke through after two fifth-place finishes in the speed events at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
. He achieved three straight podiums during March, including wins in the last two Super G races of the season, which enabled him to come from far behind and win the World Cup
discipline trophy in Super G. Guay became the first Canadian man to win a crystal globe for a discipline title since Steve Podborski
in 1982
.
During the 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup
Guay struggled with back issues forcing him to miss events at both Kitzbuehl and Wengen
. During the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011 Guay won the downhill
after not finishing the Super-G earlier in the week. The win was Guay's first World Championship medal, and the second time a Canadian had won the downhill, after John Kucera
in 2009.
(1 downhill, 2 Super-G)
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
alpine skier
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
from Mont-Tremblant, Québec. Guay is best known winning the discipline trophy in Super G
Super Giant Slalom skiing
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
during the 2010 World Cup season
2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany....
and for winning the downhill at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011.
Career
Erik Guay was five when he competed in his first ski race, and when he was twelve his father, himself a ski team coach, took him for professional coaching.In Guay's best events, the speed events of Super-G and downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
, he has finished in the top three in 13 World Cup races through the end of the 2010 season. In 2003
2003 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 37th World Cup season began in October 2002 on Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2003 at the World Cup finals in Lillehammer, Norway. The overall winners were Stephan Eberharter of Austria and Janica Kostelić of Croatia....
, he finished 2nd in a downhill at Lake Louise
Lake Louise Mountain Resort
The Lake Louise Ski Area is a ski resort located in Banff National Park, near the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It can be reached from Banff, from where it is a 35 to 45 minute drive west on Trans-Canada Highway, or Calgary, a 2-hour drive...
, his first podium. He finished in second twice in 2005 in the Super-G and third once in downhill. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, Guay, who suffered an injury two weeks before the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, had to withdraw from the downhill but finished in fourth place in the Super-G. On February 24, 2007 he won the World Cup downhill race at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, Germany. He was the first Canadian to win a World Cup men's downhill race since 1994, and the first man ever from Québec. Guay's performance in the downhill discipline over the 2007 season
2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the...
was sufficient to place him in third position in the World Cup discipline standings at season end.
In 2009
2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December...
, Guay achieved ten top-10 finishes in World Cup speed events but reached only one podium, a third. Finally, in 2010
2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany....
, after starting the season the same way, Guay broke through after two fifth-place finishes in the speed events at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. He achieved three straight podiums during March, including wins in the last two Super G races of the season, which enabled him to come from far behind and win the World Cup
2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany....
discipline trophy in Super G. Guay became the first Canadian man to win a crystal globe for a discipline title since Steve Podborski
Steve Podborski
Stephen Gregory Podborski, is a Canadian former World Cup and Olympic downhill ski racer with Ukrainian ancestry.-Racing career:...
in 1982
1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the U.S. repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title....
.
During the 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup
2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February...
Guay struggled with back issues forcing him to miss events at both Kitzbuehl and Wengen
Wengen
Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...
. During the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011 Guay won the downhill
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011 – Men's downhill
The Men's Downhill competition at the 2011 World Championships was the fourth race of the championships, run under spring-like conditions on Saturday, February 12th. At the start of the race at 11:00 am CET, the temperature was 3 C at the starting gate and 9 C at the finish area...
after not finishing the Super-G earlier in the week. The win was Guay's first World Championship medal, and the second time a Canadian had won the downhill, after John Kucera
John Kucera
John Kucera is a World Cup alpine ski racer, a member of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. He races in all five alpine disciplines, focusing on the speed events of downhill and Super-G. He is the current world champion in the downhill, but has been sidelined due to injury since November 2009...
in 2009.
Personal life
Erik is married to Karen and has a daughter, Logann Elizabeth Guay, born in January 2009. Erik, Karen and Logann moved to Calgary from Quebec in the summer of 2010.Season titles
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 2010 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.... |
Super G |
Individual victories
3 total wins(1 downhill, 2 Super-G)
| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 24 February 2007 2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the... |
 GarmischGarmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria... |
Downhill |
| 7 March 2010 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.... |
 KvitfjellKvitfjell Kvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow. Based near the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, the resort offers 23 pistes: 5 green , 9 blue , 6 red , and 3 black... |
Super-G |
| 11 March 2010 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.... |
Garmisch Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria... |
Super-G |