Kelsey Serwa

Last updated

Kelsey Serwa
Kelsey Serwa 2014-06-06.jpg
Kelsey Serwa in Calgary, 2014
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Born (1989-09-01) September 1, 1989 (age 34)
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Ski clubBC Ski Cross
World Cup career
Seasons10 – (20092014, 20162019)
Starts83
Podiums20
Wins8
Overall titles0 – (7th in 2011)
Discipline titles0 – Ski cross (3rd in 2009, 2011)
Medal record
Women's freestyle skiing
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Pyeongchang Ski cross
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Sochi Ski cross
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2011 Deer Valley Ski cross
Winter X Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2011 Aspen Ski cross
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Aspen Ski cross
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2010 Aspen Ski cross

Kelsey Serwa (born September 1, 1989) is a Canadian retired freestyle skier who was a member of the Canadian national ski cross team. She won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She is the 2011 FIS World Champion and two times Winter X Games champion. In addition, she has won a bronze medal at the 2010 X Games.

Contents

Competitive career

Serwa won a national championship in 2009 at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, defeating world champion Ashleigh McIvor. [1] Serwa won her first world cup event on January 13, 2009 at the Alpe d'Huez course after these finals were canceled on the 2009–10 Freestyle Skiing World Cup. [2] Serwa won her first outright world cup race later that season at Lake Placid on January 24, 2010. [3]

At the 2010 Winter X Games two weeks before the Olympics, Serwa managed to win a bronze at the famous cash event, fellow countrywoman Ashleigh McIvor had finished second. [4] Serwa was a member of the Canadian Olympic team that competed in Vancouver in her home province of British Columbia. Serwa's bronze at the Winter X Games and third overall ranking on the world cup put her in as a medal favourite at the Olympics in Vancouver. She advanced to the semi-finals, but finished third in her heat and did not make the medal final. However, she competed in the "small final", which she won, finishing fifth overall.

During the next season Serwa won the gold at the X Games with a dramatic finish flying 150 feet in the air and crashing out badly injured, but the champion. [5] Serwa carried her X Games winning momentum into the 2011 World Championships. There she qualified as the fourth fastest skier, Serwa then went on to finish first in the final ahead of teammate Julia Murray. [6] With the victory she completed the seasonal sweep of the two biggest ski cross events in the world.

On February 21, 2014, Serwa won silver in women's ski cross during her second Olympics, finishing behind gold medalist and Canadian teammate Marielle Thompson.

Serwa suffered a training accident in December 2016 and considered retirement from ski cross, but ultimately returned to the sport following knee surgery. She subsequently earned a place on Canada's ski cross team for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. [7] Serwa went on to win the gold medal in women's ski cross, with her teammate Brittany Phelan winning the silver medal. [8]

On July 4, 2019, Serwa announced her retirement from competitive ski cross, after ten years on the national team. [9]

Personal life

Serwa's grandfather, Clifford Jack Serwa, was a co-founder of the Big White Ski Resort, and later a longtime member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia representing Okanagan. Serwa married Stan Rey, a retired competitive ski cross athlete, in 2019. She began studying kinesiology at the University of British Columbia at Okanagan. [10]

World Cup results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS). [11]

Season standings

 Season  Age OverallSki crossCross Alps Tour
2009 19123
2010 20114
2011 2173
2012 22299
2013 23194
2014 247317
2015 25did not compete
2016 26318
2017 271342417
2018 282776
2019 29328

Race Podiums

SeasonDateLocationDisciplinePlace
2008–09 5 January 2009 Flag of Austria.svg St. Johann in Tirol/Oberndorf, Austria Ski Cross 3rd
20 March 2009 Flag of France.svg La Plagne, FranceSki Cross2nd
2009–10 13 January 2010 Flag of France.svg Alpe d'Huez, France Ski Cross 1st
24 January 2010 Flag of the United States.svg Lake Placid, USASki Cross1st
12 March 2010  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Grindelwald, SwitzerlandSki Cross1st
2010–11 18 December 2010 Flag of Italy.svg Innichen, ItalySki Cross2nd
12 January 2011 Flag of France.svg Alpe d'Huez, FranceSki Cross1st
16 January 2011 Flag of France.svg Les Contamines, FranceSki Cross2nd
13 March 2011 Flag of Sweden.svg Branas, SwedenSki Cross2nd
19 March 2011 Flag of Norway.svg Myrkdalen-Voss, NorwaySki Cross2nd
2011–12 17 December 2011 Flag of Italy.svg Innichen, ItalySki Cross1st
18 December 2011 Flag of Italy.svg Innichen, ItalySki Cross1st
2012–13 23 December 2012 Flag of Italy.svg Innichen, ItalySki Cross1st
15 January 2013 Flag of France.svg Megève, FranceSki Cross2nd
19 February 2013 Flag of Russia.svg Sochi, RussiaSki Cross1st
2013–14 21 December 2013 Flag of Italy.svg Innichen, ItalySki Cross2nd
2015–16 20 December 2015 Flag of Italy.svg Innichen, ItalySki Cross2nd
28 February 2016 Flag of South Korea.svg Bogwang, South KoreaSki Cross2nd
2017–18 7 December 2017 Flag of France.svg Val Thorens, FranceSki Cross3rd
2018–19 20 January 2019 Flag of Sweden.svg Idre, SwedenSki Cross3rd

Olympic results

 Year  Age Ski Cross
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg 2010 Vancouver 20 5
Flag of Russia.svg 2014 Sochi 24 2
Flag of South Korea.svg 2018 Pyeongchang 28 1

World Championships results

 Year  Age Ski Cross
Flag of Japan.svg 2009 Inawashiro 195
Flag of the United States.svg 2011 Deer Valley 21 1
Flag of Norway.svg 2013 Voss 23   DNS [a]
Flag of Austria.svg 2015 Kreischberg 25did not
compete
Flag of Spain.svg 2017 Sierra Nevada 27
Flag of the United States.svg 2019 Solitude Mountain 295

a. 1 Kelsey Serwa suffered a knee injury in the training and was unable to compete in the race. [12]

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References

  1. "Kelsey Serwa & Dave Duncan Crowned this years Canadian Champions at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary". Pacific Sport. January 13, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  2. "Canadians Savour Long Awaited Wins". Toronto Star. January 13, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  3. "Double gold for Canada in skicross". CBC News. January 24, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  4. "Canadian ski cross team takes 5 of 6 podium spots". Vancouver Sun. January 31, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.[ dead link ]
  5. Gary Kingston (February 2, 2011). "Serwa hurtin' but good as gold". Vancouver Sun . Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  6. "Del Bosco, Serwa win ski cross worlds". CBC Sports. February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  7. "Canada's Marielle Thompson looks to cap improbable comeback in women's ski cross". CBC Sports. February 21, 2018. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  8. "Canada's Kelsey Serwa wins gold, Brittany Phelan grabs silver in women's skicross at Winter Olympics". The Globe and Mail . February 22, 2018.
  9. Spencer, Donna (July 4, 2019). "Canada's Kelsey Serwa retires from ski cross as reigning Olympic champion". CBC Sports .
  10. MacNaull, Steve (November 28, 2020). "Catching up with the Okanagan's favourite Olympic gold medalist". Kelowna Now.
  11. "Kelsey Serwa". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  12. Marois, Michel (March 11, 2013). "Ski acrobatique: le Canada survole les Mondiaux". La Presse (in French). Retrieved February 23, 2018.