Canada’s Alexandre Bilodeau slides in the finish area
during men’s freestyle skiing moguls finals on
Cypress Mountain at the Vancouver 2010 Winter
Olympics, February 14, 2010. Bilodeau won the
Gold Medal in the event. REUTERS/Lyle Stafford (CANADA).

An entire nation breathed a collective sigh of relief on Feb. 14, all thanks to a 22-year-old Rosemère native.

Freestyle skier Alexandre Bilodeau ended a 34-year-old draught as he became the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal on home turf. At the men's moguls skiing event held on Cypress Mountain near Vancouver, Bilodeau delivered a nearly flawless performance in front of a crowd of screaming hometown fans.

"I still can't believe it," Bilodeau said the day after his win. "I won the lottery by participating in the Olympics at home, and now I won the lottery again by winning (Canada’s) first gold medal.”

Bilodeau easily breezed through the qualifying round held earlier in the day, earning himself the second place overall behind Frenchman Guilbault Colas. For his final run, Bilodeau sped down the hill with ease, pulling out his signature double full-twist back flip on the first jump. He was lightening-fast down the second half of the course and executed a soaring back-flip for his second jump. He recorded the second fastest time of the day and earned a score of 26.75, just 0.17 above Canadian-born Dale Begg-Smith of Australia, to capture the first Canadian gold medal of the Vancouver Olympics.

Following a disappointing 11th place finish at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Bilodeau spent the four following years working hard on improving his skills. He had an incredible year in 2009, reaching the podium on the World Cup circuit on many occasions and winning the FIS Crystal Globe.

PHOTO: Reuters

Canada’s gold medalist in men’s moguls freestyle skiing, Alexandre Bilodeau, holds his medal during the presentation ceremony at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, February 15, 2010. REUTERS/ Chris Helgren (CANADA)

As overwhelmed as he is about being the first Canadian to win gold at these Olympics, the ever modest Bilodeau said he couldn't have done it without the support of his family and fans. He also commended the hard work of his teammates – Maxime Gingras, Vincent Marquis and Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau, the last two of which came in fourth and fifth place respectively. Bilodeau joked about how he is not used to all this sudden media attention. “I never expected this to be so big. I’m no more a hero than the (athlete) who will win gold tomorrow or the next day,” he said. “I’m kind of looking forward to the next person to win gold so we can hit the media circuit together!”

Bilodeau also praised the support of the homegrown crowd. “There is nothing like competing at home – the support was incredible,” he exclaimed. “The mountain was shaking with energy, and we all knew that whatever happens, the crowd would be behind us. We all felt it, and it was extra special as Canadians.”

The Rosemerite explained how the support of his family, especially of his older brother Frederic, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was essential to this important win. He credits Frederic for helping him find inspiration through the little things. “Essentially, he brings me back to earth – whenever I don’t feel like training, I just call him, and he gives me the inspiration to go out there and train,” he said. “He never complains, and he inspires me to give my 110%, because if given the chance, I know he would.” 

Bilodeau will be staying in Vancouver for the remainder of the Olympics before heading to Japan for a World Cup event in March.