If he was once his great opponent on the slopes, Alexandre Bilodeau was among the first to text Mikaël Kingsbury to congratulate him on his two new titles he had won at the World Championships over the weekend.
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Mikaël Kingsbury, undisputed double world champion
“It’s nice to see that it’s a guy like Mik who gets young people to be active, be it in freestyle skiing, other sports or even other disciplines,” argued Bilodeau brilliantly, taking care to put his vacation in western Canada on a break on Sunday, the time for an interview. A guy like him comes to make young people dream.
In terms of Kingsbury’s eight world titles, the two-time Olympic gold medalist in the same discipline has all his respect for his Quebec compatriot.
“He has never been matched, he is a terrific, qualified bilodeau who has been personally crowned three times in a row (2009, 2011 and 2013). What you need to understand is that the World Championships only happen every two years. It’s an important meeting, a bit like the mini Olympics. And Mikaël manages to execute blow after blow.”
“Mikael is getting older and despite his age, he’s still winning,” Bilodeau remarked about the 30-year-old skier. It proves the athlete and the person he is. I can also say from experience that the most difficult thing is to be at the top because you want to stay there. The goal for everyone on the track is to catch up with Mikaël. He must be mature.”
A model for Kingsbury
Before retiring in 2014, two years after beating Kingsbury at the Sochi Olympics, Bilodeau was just the target for young Mik.
“Alex Bilodeau was a model, Kingsbury recognized on Sunday. He is one of those who paved the way for me.”
“I hate comparing sports or eras, but what Mikaël does is exceptional,” Bilodeau added.