From Whistler, CAN
(November 12, 2022) – Czechia’s Anna Fernstädt cruised to her first career North American Cup gold medal in Whistler, beating the field by over a half of a second.
The three-time IBSF junior world champion opened up a .17 second advantage over Canada’s Jaclyn LaBerge, with defending NAC champion Nicole Silveira under a quarter of a second back in third. USA’s Hallie Clarke, the first race winner, found herself in sixth after one run, .94 back.
On the second run Clarke threw down a big run, the fastest of the race, to move into the lead with five sleds to go. She then picked off Laura Vargas of Columbia and France’s Agathe Bessard before being edged out by Silveira by just .05 to fall to second with two to go.
LaBerge put down a decent second run, but was edged out by both Silveira and Clarke and fell to third, with only Fernstädt to go.
Fernstädt’s second time was nearly identical to her first, and despite not being the fastest of the second heat she had plenty in the bank to take gold. Silveira was second, .66 back, while Clarke finished third, .71 off of Fernstädt’s pace.
LaBerge finished fourth, .06 off of the podium, while Bessard and Vargas rounded out the top six.
Canada’s Grace Dafoe finished seventh, one spot ahead of teammate Tirza Lara in eighth. Payton Spence rounded out the Canadian effort in 11th.
Jackie Narracott, the Olympic silver medalist, did not start.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Anna Fernstädt | CZE | 6 | 5.08 | 5.07 | 54.07 | 54.13 | 1:48.20 |
| 2 | Nicole Silveira | BRA | 13 | 4.97 | 4.95 | 54.28 | 54.58 | 1:48.86 |
| 3 | Hallie Clarke | USA | 7 | 4.87 | 4.89 | 55.01 | 53.90 | 1:48.91 |
| 4 | Jaclyn LaBerge | CAN | 10 | 5.15 | 5.14 | 54.24 | 54.73 | 1:48.97 |
| 5 | Agathe Bessard | FRA | 11 | 5.08 | 5.08 | 54.81 | 54.91 | 1:49.72 |
| 6 | Laura Vargas | COL | 5 | 5.20 | 5.18 | 54.93 | 55.44 | 1:50.37 |
| 7 | Grace Dafoe | CAN | 9 | 5.08 | 5.07 | 55.24 | 55.72 | 1:50.96 |
| 8 | Tirza Lara | CAN | 8 | 5.25 | 5.18 | 55.64 | 55.54 | 1:51.18 |
| 9 | Julia Erlacher | AUT | 4 | 5.00 | 5.01 | 55.85 | 56.06 | 1:51.91 |
| 10 | Shannon Galea | MLT | 2 | 5.36 | 5.42 | 57.30 | 57.79 | 1:55.09 |
| 11 | Payton Spence | CAN | 1 | 5.49 | 5.55 | 57.71 | 57.77 | 1:55.48 |
| 12 | Ana Torres Quevedo | ESP | 3 | 5.55 | 5.67 | 59.62 | 59.42 | 1:59.04 |
| DNS | Jaclyn Narracott | AUS | 12 | DNS |
