Music: {allcanada} CANADA'S TURSKI WINS SECOND STRAIGHT GOLD AT X GAMES

Thursday, January 27, 2011

{allcanada} CANADA'S TURSKI WINS SECOND STRAIGHT GOLD AT X GAMES

ASPEN, Colo. -- Canada's Kaya Turski has successfully defended her Winter X Games slopestyle skiing title.

The Montreal native set the pace Thursday with a first-run score of 93.66 in the trick-based skiing event. That score stood up through the next two rounds, giving her a second consecutive gold medal.

"I feel elated right now," Turski said of her back-to-back wins. "I put a lot of pressure on myself. The level of competition here is so high, all the girls killed it. I luckily had a good first run, a great cab 7 and nailed the cannon. That really eased the pressure."

Keri Herman of the U.S. was second with a score of 93.33, while fellow American Grete Eliassen was third with 93.00.

Kim Lamarre of Lac-Beauport, Que., was fifth with a score of 91.33, followed by Jessica Warll of Collingwood, Ont., in sixth (90.66) and Montreal's Maude Raymond in ninth (75.00).

The event uses the same course as snowboarders. Skiers perform tricks on rails, jumps and other obstacles to build up their score.

Skiers are judged on creativity, trick completion and style.