Results: Canadian DH National Championships - Panorama Mountain Resort

 According to his Instagram acount he's riding bikes with blenky and some other.

 @bizutch: I don't think that's the case at all. If he doesn't want to compete for the sleeve, he doesn't have to. He'll be at world champs representing Canada, so what more do you want? The Canadian championship is for personal accomplishment, and has nothing to do with his responsibility as an athlete.

 @bizutch: I get your angle here, but I still disagree.

If he's the best rider in the country (I'm not disagreeing that he is), than he's morally obligated to compete? Wouldn't that make the outcome a somewhat of forgone conclusion, and he's actually freeing up a space for some others to have the championship honor? If it's not somewhat of a foregone conclusion, then what about Magnus and Hugo, are they morally obliged to race?

Referring to your first post, MSA is the countries biggest race weekend, and you can bet he'll be there. WC is a demanding job, and a little R&R would probably help him represent his country at both MSA and the upcoming World Championships. I think most Canadian race fans would expect him to do everything he can to succeed at his actual job, where we happen to be able to cheer him on during the live feed.

And "undermine the sport"? A bit drastic, no?

 @mammal: Undermining the sport is a very real thing when the best athletes in your country deem it's premier event unimportant enough they do not attend.

When the stars of your country attend, it elevates the event. Rising tide raises all ships.

 @mammal: Imo it's an honor to be crowned Canadian champ and I lost respect for spoiled Finn for not showing up. All the other Canadian w/c racers showed up and were true class acts in doing so. I know there were many young racers hoping Finn would show up and were disappointed with the no show. #notafinnfananymore

 @bizutch: spot on, to bring racing to a higher level in Canada we need the W/C racers to show up. Especially riders like Finn.

 @bizutch: I would venture that if you ask Gwin or any other rider for that matter, a WC overall or Worlds is a much 'bigger' win than a national champs, especially because of the depth of field competing.

 @d-man: I was there with my kids all day Sunday and they were disappointed that Finn didn't show.

 @knibby: Yeah, I thought of that more than anything else. At US Nationals in NC a few years back, there were all of a sudden rows upon rows of kids coming out of the woodwork with their dads after the race to try to get a pic with Gwin. When I was racing as many Nationals as possible, kids at DH races was unheard of, let alone them having heroes in the sport they wanted to meet.

 @VPS13: Nobody is arguing that. If you want to elevate a sport in your home country, rather than reduce it's prestige, you show up for Nationals. It's not a debate at all. It's a fact. When the stars of your country don't value the sleeve, you devalue your country's most prestigious event.

Again, I don't know Finn's reason. Only he can speak to his absence.

 Because although Miller is WC, the fastest woman on the day in Cairns was Myriam Nicole and she has been getting the results you might expect from the World Champ.

 @PhillipJ I think you’ll find Tracey Hannah has the best speed by a long way. But Miranda deserved to win as she was strong all weekend and actually held a run together

 @wilson12359: I mean that the person who took the least time from start to finish in their race run was Myriam Nicole and the timing problems were swept under the rug.

 I agree. She was putting in solid times as a privateer and I was stoked to see her get a full factory ride, expecting it to be a big boost to her performance. Not gonna argue her World Champs win, but her performance in the WC series has been underwhelming. I am definitely curious over what's going on if any and the lack of discussion is curious

 It's alot of pressure. Look at the guys for example. Loic only won 1 world cup in his career, but he won world champs a couple times and everyone is up his ass. Look who won french national champs. Vige is good but the field was stacked. It's racing. She won. Shes having issues this year. It's part of it. Highs and lows. Give it a break!!!

 Miranda has been plagued by an old wrist injury that flared up again. I had the same injury, dislocated lunate and I pretty much quit racing because of it. Gnarly to imagine her racing world cups as mine has never been the same since.

 When all female competitors stay on their bikes and put down good runs, her times can't compete. When her competition can't stay on their bikes but she manages to, then she places well. That's the fact, and that's racing.

 @makripper: Vige and the others top guy (Bruni, Pierron...) didn't run with the same weather condition.

 @PhillipJ: I agree. I think the uci messed up and was to embarrassed to give the gold to Nicole. I believe no one saw any evidence of Nicole’s time.

 @cluzboy: welcome to racing bro

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 @kusanagi72 isn't talking about World Champs itself you morons. He's asking what has happened to her results since last year?

I did read on her feed in a social media post some time back that returning to form this year has had some monster hurdles for her, possibly ones she hasn't felt comfortable making public and possibly something the media (since so far MTB media has remained relatively TMZ free) have been respectful about not prying into or speculating on.

Whatever her situation, I hope she comes around. Great person & rider.

 F'k yeah. Claire Rips.

 bigtime noted. that beautiful lady shreds.

 LE U

 I still like Harry Bush


....but what's the deal with some USA kid taking 10th away from one of our northern brothers?

 Hugo is so fast! And consistent too.

 a very Canadian name Ainhoa ; ). Zorionak !

 Back on air till we get the conversion kit for the new fork done! But has been on our springs up until the weekend.

 Nah hes from the states.

 @makripper: Giant Factory bio has him as canadian but living in Cali...
www.giant-bicycles.com/ca/teams-and-riders/giant-factory-off-road-team/3/mckay-vezina/975

 @mammal: his family lives in Cali tho. Wierd

 @makripper: Relocated, no doubt.