With ambitious goals to win a medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in British Columbia and finish in the top 10 overall on the World Cup circuit, this may be the farewell season for Canadian alpine skier Emily Brydon.
The two-time Olympian from Fernie, B.C., has been quietly mulling her retirement.
"I do know that this is a large possibility that this will be my last year, but I try not to think about it at because I just want to enjoy this moment," she said yesterday.
The 29-year-old veteran of the national team claimed her first World Cup podium finish in St. Moritz, Switzerland, when she was just 20. She went on to rack up six more podium finishes, including one win, also at St. Moritz, in 2008. She competed at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, but barely cracked the top 30. In Turin four years later, her best showing was a ninth in the super giant slalom. She thought about quitting then, plagued by poor performances and injuries.
Last season, she finished 29th overall on the World Cup circuit.
"Our team has had some ups and down - kind of reflective of my career from start to finish," she said. "But I feel like I'm in a really good place right now. I'm the underdog again and I like that spot especially going into a home Olympics."
This season, Brydon plans to focus on the speed disciplines and leave the technical events behind. She plans to follow the full World Cup trail right up until the Vancouver Games.
She has her eye on a downhill win as well as a top-10 ranking in at least one discipline. A career wouldn't be complete, she added, without an Olympic medal.
"I'm not 29 years old and still ski racing to be 10th. I'm definitely going for that elusive medal," she said.
The World Cup speed season kicks off at Lake Louise, Alta., in December, but already Brydon is showing confidence. During the Australian New Zealand Cup in August, she captured second-place and third-place results in the super combined and super G, respectively.
It's tough to talk about retirement, but nine months of travel year after year is tough on a ski racer's body, Brydon said.
Men have the luxury of being able to have families and keep up the North American ski racer's lifestyle of touring around Europe, she added.
"I will be finished with skiing when I'm finished with skiing. That's why I've kind of put it out there," she said.
Globe and Mail, Sat Oct 3
