WEST VANCOUVER, B.C. — There will be no Olympic medal for Canadian ski-cross racer Chris Del Bosco after the medal favourite crashed on the second-last jump in Sunday’s final at the Winter Olympics.
The crash-and-bang sport is making its debut at the Vancouver Games.
Michael Schmid of Switzerland won the gold ahead of Andreas Matt of Austria and Norway’s Audun Groenvold, who took advantage of Del Bosco’s fall to grab the bronze.
Del Bosco — an American who has dual citizenship through his father — started slowly but worked his way into third before losing his balance and landing heavily on his side.
He received medical treatment on the course but appeared to be OK.
“Chris was sitting in a great position to stand on top of that podium today,” said Whistler’s Davey Barr, a late Canadian team injury replacement who finished sixth. “Yeah it was heartbreaking.”
“That’s pretty typical of Del Bosco fashion right there,” he added. “Leave it to the last minute and try and make it all happen — and more often than not he actually does it.”
Del Bosco, 27, was born and raised in Vail, Colo. His father is a native of Sudbury, Ont., who went on to play hockey at the University of Denver.
While Sunday’s result was disappointing just getting to the Olympics was a victory for Del Bosco.
A natural on the slopes, he was once considered one of the best junior alpine skiers in the U.S. He spent years on the development team but a positive marijuana test when he was 17 ended his hopes of making the squad.
Soon he began a struggle with alcohol, nearly dying five years ago, when he was found partially submerged in a frigid creek in Vail. A passerby heard his cries for help and 911 was called. Del Bosco, who has admitted to occasionally blacking out during his drinking binges, suffered a fractured neck that night but isn’t sure how.
He sought treatment with a nudge from his sister Heather Centurioni and successfully completed a 90-day program. But he resumed drinking shortly after winning bronze at the 2006 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo.
But the binges caught up with him again. Del Bosco was arrested for his third DUI and served 10 days in jail, along with house arrest and community service. It was then that he decided to give up drinking for good, and returned to a treatment centre for help.
Del Bosco hasn’t had a drink since July 11, 2007.