Hannah Kearney, the 23-year-old Vermonter who honed her skills with Waterville Valley’s Black and Blue Trail Smashers Ski Club, turned in one of her best performances in the World Cup moguls Sunday, winning in Suomu, Finland, as she prepares for a second Olympic berth.
“I made no mistakes this time and when I ended in first place, it was very satisfying,’’ she said after the race. “I did probably the best [helicopter spin] I’ve done the whole week off the bottom air.’’
Also on the podium were Canadians Kristi Richards (second) and Jennifer Heil.
Two US men reached the moguls podium - Bryon Wilson (second) and Nate Roberts as Swiss star Jesper Bjoernlund got the win. Michael Morse, a Duxbury native, placed eighth.
It was the last event before the US Olympic Trials begin in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Dec. 23.
Bode Miller, the Easton, N.H., native, was unable to ski in last weekend’s giant slalom at Val d’Isere, France, because of an ankle sprain suffered while playing volleyball. But according to US Alpine coach Sasha Rearick, Miller should be ready to race this weekend in Val Gardena, Italy.
Miller, two-time overall World Cup champion and winner of four World Cup discipline titles, had established a reputation for trying to ski every race on the circuit, an extremely tedious schedule. He once skied 136 straight races, and holds the US record with 31 World Cup victories.
Last week, Miller followed his trainer’s advice and pulled out of the race to avoid compounding the injury leading up to the Vancouver Olympics. Last season, Miller injured his ankle in an early-season downhill crash at Beaver Creek, Colo., and the injury bothered him until he pulled out of competition before the end of the season.
