Freestyle Skiing

MYRKDALEN-VOSS, Norway - Alexandre Bilodeau finally stopped leaving his best skiing on the training hill - and that has been the difference in his outstanding moguls season.

The 21-year-old native of Rosemere, Que., clinched the overall men's World Cup title with his fourth straight victory Friday.

"Last year and the year before, I was training super well, but as soon as I came to competition I was doing 70 per cent of what I was capable to do,'' Bilodeau told The Canadian Press on Friday. "There was something I wasn't doing in competition.

"Now my training is the same as my competition and I'm really happy about it. That's why I'm consistent. The results came with it.''

The entire Canadian men's team have shaved their heads into mohawk hair styles in solidarity and also in celebration of their second World Cup podium sweep of the season last week in Are, Sweden. The first sweep was in Mont-Gabriel, Que., last month.

"We have six mohawks,'' Bilodeau said proudly. "Having two sweeps this year, it's going to stay in the history of moguls skiing in Canada for sure for a long time.''

But he was the only Canadian on the moguls podium Friday as teammate Vincent Marquis of Quebec City was sixth, his brother Philippe Marquis eighth and Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau of Drummondville, Que., 12th. Maxime Gingras of St-Hippolyte, Que., was eliminated in the preliminary round.

Reigning Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Heil of Spruce Grove, Alta., was fifth in the women's event. Nathalie Bazin of Quebec City was eighth, Jackie Brown of Cambridge, Ont., ninth and Kristi Richards of Summerland, B.C., 11th.

Chloe Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal, sister Maxime Dufour-Lapointe and Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City went out in the preliminaries.

Bilodeau's latest victory gave him an unbeatable 690 points atop the moguls standings with one race left in La Plagne, France, in March.

Frenchman Guilbault Colas trailed Bilodeau with 484 points. Vincent Marquis was battling for third overall with 317 just ahead of Rousseau at 284.

Bilodeau opened this season with three silver medals before catching fire for four victories in a two-week span. He was the youngest man in history to win a World Cup event in 2006 and finished second, third and fourth in the overall World Cup standings the past three years.

Working with a sports psychologist and training alongside Heil has helped Bilodeau find the right mental state for competition.

"The best way to learn is to learn from the best,'' Bilodeau said of Heil. "I know myself better. I know the state I need to be in to perform. It's knowing myself better that I react to things how I should react.''

His current winning streak started on the 2010 Olympic course at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, B.C.

"For sure I'll have to work hard this summer and harder than ever to stay there and to prepare myself towards 2010,'' Bilodeau said. "It gives me confidence. It's not something to slack off.

"I know I can win, but I have to work to win.''

Heil's chances of capturing the overall women's World Cup crown are slim as she trails Hannah Kearney of the U.S. by 81 points.

"I was disappointed with the performance. It is not what I'm looking for,'' Heil said. "It's in these moments that we learn the most. I need to refocus and figure out what I need to do to lay down my top performance.''

Saturday's dual moguls competition was cancelled. The world championships open March 1 in Inawashiro, Japan.

Canada's winter athletes are involved in World Cup and world championships around the world this weekend. The luge team's World Cup finale opened Friday on the Olympic track in Whistler, B.C.

The cross-country ski team is looking for its first medal at the world nordic championship in Liberec, Czech Republic.

Emily Brydon of Fernie, B.C., and Kelley VanderBeek of Chicopee, Ont., are Canada's top racers heading into World Cup women's downhill and super-G races Saturday and Sunday in Tarvisio, Italy.

The world bobsled championships in Lake Placid, N.Y., are underway. Calgary's Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse of Summerside, P.E.I., were fourth heading into Saturday's two final women's runs.

Edmonton pilot Pierre Lueders leads the men's team into Saturday's two-man and Sunday's four-man races.