In the sport of aerials, the Chinese have become the deepest nation in recent years and will be expected to dominate the podium at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
However on Thursday, there was one Canadian aerialist that surprised many by finishing in second place in the men's competition at the 2013 World Freestyle Skiing Championships in Oslo, Norway.
According to the FIS website, Travis Gerrits of Milton, Ontario had a career day in posting 117.73 points to win the World Championship silver medal. Guangpu Qi of China won the gold medal with 138 points and Zongyang Jia of China finished in third place with 99.09 points. Mengtao Xu meanwhile won the Women's World Aerials Championship and provided the Chinese sweep.
With the strong result, Gerrits will become a contender in men's aerials at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. The 21 year-old won a world championship medal despite never having won a World Cup race. He has finished in second place at a World Cup before however-- at a competition in Deer Valley, Utah and Val Saint Come, Quebec.
Canada has won two silver medals and two bronze medals in aerials at the Olympic Winter Games. At the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Philippe LaRoche of Lac Beauport, Quebec and Lloyd Langlois of Sherbrooke, Quebec finished in second and third respectively in the men's competition, while at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Veronica Brenner of Scarborough, Ontario and Deidra Dionne of North Battleford, Saskatchewan finished in second and third place respectively in the women's competition.
Men's aerials will take place at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi on February 17.
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