No joy for Leu

Leu crashes to earth along with her Olympic dream Keystone

Swiss gold medal hope Evelyn Leu fell well short of a podium place on Monday after twice falling in the final of the freestyle skiing aerials.

Although boasting one of the most difficult routines, Leu saw her medal chances dashed when she lost control during both her jumps.

The 25-year-old from canton Basel had recorded the highest marks in qualifying for Monday’s final but in the end, following her two tumbles, had to settle for 11th place.

Having also proven during qualifying that she can jump higher and better than anyone on her best days, Leu said she had no regrets about Monday’s performance.

“If I had another chance I wouldn’t change a thing,” Leu insisted. “I took the risk (of a demanding jump) knowingly, because I wanted to wanted to win and not just take part.”

The Swiss freestyler said that her week in Salt Lake City would remain in her memory as an “unforgettable experience.”

“The two falls won’t change that,” she added.

Instead of finding its way around Leu’s neck, the gold medal went to Australia’s Alisa Camplin with Canada’s Veronica Brenner winning the silver and Deidra Dionne, also of Canada, taking the bronze.

swissinfo