Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes ski jumping to new lengths at world championships
Published on: January 14, 2016
Calgary’s Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes shattered his Canadian ski jumping distance record at the ski flying world championships in Tauplitz Bad Mitterndorf, Austria on Thursday.
Flying 212.5 metres in qualifying, the 24-year-old eclipsed his own mark of 205 metres, set in 2013 in the Czech Republic. At that time, he was the first Canadian to fly farther than 200 metres.
Even more impressive is the fact Boyd-Clowes took a year-long break from the sport following the 2014 Sochi Olympics and only returned to World Cup competition in November.
“Usually once an athlete takes a year plus off it doesn’t come back as well as everyone wants … especially for the athlete,” noted Canadian ski jumping head coach Gregor Linsig in an e-mail from Japan where he is preparing for World Cup competitions there with Canadian female ski jumpers Atsuko Tanaka and Taylor Henrich, both of Calgary.
“He’s in a good spot now, physically and mentally,” Linsig added about Boyd-Clowes. “He has committed himself 100 per cent to live in Europe and train with the American Team and it’s paying off.
“It’s very impressive to see him fly that far, hopefully this weekend can be a new highlight for him, everyone is so happy for Mac.”
Even with the lengthy distance, competition is stiff. Boyd-Clowes sits 19th after the qualifying round and will have some big ground to make up on Friday to catch leader Anders Fannemel of Norway.
He is peaking at the right time, though. Boyd-Clowes’ top result of the World Cup season is a 20th in Willengen, Germany, which came last weekend.
JEFFERSON HAGEN, CALGARY HERALD
