October 26, 2012 - Canadian Athletes Compete in International Championships

On October 26, 2012, you saw Canadian athletes competing at the highest levels across multiple disciplines. Kyle Croxall clinched the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship with 3,000 points, while his brother Scott finished 3rd. Jessica Zelinka swept three Athletics Canada awards after breaking Canada's heptathlon record. Perdita Felicien claimed her 10th national hurdles title, and Zachary Plavsic delivered Canada's best-ever Olympic windsurfing result with an 8th-place finish. There's much more to discover about each athlete's remarkable achievements.

Key Takeaways

• Kyle Croxall clinched the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship in Quebec City, earning his 11th career win and 3000 total season points.
• Quebec City's Red Bull Crashed Ice finale drew over 100,000 spectators on the streets of Old Quebec for the seventh consecutive year.
• Scott Croxall finished 3rd in the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship standings with 2300 season points.
• Perdita Felicien claimed her 10th Canadian national title in the 100m hurdles on October 26, 2012, a decade after her first in 2002.
• Jessica Zelinka swept three categories at the 2012 Athletics Canada annual awards, including the prestigious Jack W. Davies Trophy for outstanding athlete.

Kyle Croxall Wins 2012 Canadian Ice Cross Shoot-Out

Red Bull Crashed Ice touched down in Quebec City for its seventh consecutive year in 2012, bringing elite ice cross competition to the historic streets of Old Quebec.

You'd have watched Kyle Croxall's championship strategy unfold perfectly as he dominated the Canadian National Shoot-Out on March 15th. His rigorous training regimen clearly paid off, propelling him through a competitive field where the fastest 64 Canadian skaters advanced to the Elimination Round.

Competitors were seeded into brackets of four, with the two fastest from each bracket advancing to the Finals. Croxall had entered Quebec City leading World Championship standings with 2200 points and secured victory on Saturday, March 17th, pushing his total to 3000 points and clinching the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship title. The 550-meter Quebec City course, recognized as the longest, fastest, and toughest track of the World Championship series, served as the ultimate proving ground for the season's final showdown. This victory marked his 11th career win, further cementing his legacy as one of the sport's most accomplished competitors. Much like Crashed Ice's bracket-style elimination format, the NFL's Punt, Pass, and Kick competition also uses a multi-round advancement structure where top performers progress through successive levels to compete on a national stage.

Scott Croxall and the Crashed Ice Brothers Taking Over

While Kyle Croxall was cementing his World Championship title in Quebec City, his younger brother Scott was right on his heels, finishing the 2012 season in 3rd place with 2300 points. This sibling rivalry kept fans on edge throughout all four stops — Saint Paul, Valkenburg, Åre, and Quebec City. Scott trailed Kyle's 3000 points and Arttu Pihlainen's 2960 points, yet he still outpaced Adam Horst's 2190 points to secure his podium spot.

You can see how the Croxall brothers' ice dominance reshaped the 2012 season, with both competitors hailing from Mississauga, Ontario. Scott's 7 career wins across 57 races prove he's no sidekick to his older brother — he's a legitimate force racing down tracks at up to 80 km/h. The Quebec City course, stretching 584 meters long with a vertical drop of 60 meters, made every race a true test of strength, speed, technique, and strategy. The season finale drew an expected crowd of more than 100,000 spectators to the streets of Old Quebec, underscoring just how much the sport had captured the public's imagination. Much like coffee, which holds the distinction of being the most popular everyday beverage in the world with over 2 billion cups consumed daily, Crashed Ice had developed a devoted following that showed no signs of slowing down.

Jessica Zelinka Sweeps the 2012 Athletics Canada Awards

Sweeping three categories at the 2012 Athletics Canada annual awards, Jessica Zelinka claimed the Jack W. Davies Trophy as outstanding athlete of the year, earned most outstanding track athlete honors, and took Combined Events Athlete of the Year.

The award significance reflects a dominant season that showcased her remarkable record progression — she broke Canada's heptathlon record for the third straight time, setting a personal best of 6,599 points at the Calgary Olympic trials on June 28.

She also won the Canadian heptathlon title and clocked 12.68 seconds in the 100m hurdles, qualifying for London 2012 in both events. Her path to this level of success was not without adversity, as she had taken the 2009 season off to have a daughter with partner Nathaniel Miller before returning to competition in 2010.

Finishing 6th in the heptathlon and 7th in the 100m hurdles at the Olympics, Zelinka's awards were selected by the Athletics Canada Awards Committee from community nominees. The Phil A. Edwards Memorial Trophy for track events was tied with Phylicia George, who also achieved a personal best of 12.65 seconds in the 100m hurdles at the Olympic Games.

Perdita Felicien Claims Her 10th Canadian Hurdles Title

Perdita Felicien claimed her 10th Canadian national title in the 100m hurdles on October 26, 2012, cementing her status as the event's most dominant figure in Canadian history. Her journey began with a 2002 national title, and she's never looked back since.

You can trace Perdita's dominance through her remarkable career achievements: a 2003 World Championship gold medal, a Canadian record of 12.46 seconds set in 2004, and consistent national championship victories spanning a decade. Her hurdles technique, refined during her University of Illinois career where she set UI, Big Ten, and NCAA records, became her foundation for sustained excellence.

Felicien's tenth title wasn't just a number—it represented years of disciplined, technically precise hurdling that no Canadian woman has matched. She had previously won the 2011 Harry Jerome International Track Classic in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.79 seconds, demonstrating her continued competitive edge in the years leading up to her record-setting tenth title.

Felicien also captured the 2004 World Indoor Championship in the 60m hurdles, further illustrating the breadth of her dominance across both indoor and outdoor competition during her storied career.

Zachary Plavsic Delivers 8th-Place Finish at London Olympics

Zachary Plavsic capped his London Olympics campaign with an 8th-place finish in Men's RS:X Windsurfing, Canada's best-ever result in the event. His Olympic progression from 23rd at Beijing 2008 to 8th at London 2012 reflects years of refined windsurfing technique and competitive development.

Entering Weymouth's medal race with 80 net points, he'd a realistic shot at finishing 5th overall. His international results support this trajectory — you'd note his 2nd-place finish at the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup and 4th at the 2007 Pan Am Games as key milestones.

Born in Vancouver with Serbian roots, Plavsic started sailing at eight and overcame a serious knee injury before Athens 2004 to reach two consecutive Olympic Games. He is also recognized in the Olympic Serbs in the Diaspora listing, which highlights athletes of Serbian heritage competing internationally. Plavsic is widely regarded as Canada's top male windsurfer, a distinction that underscores the significance of his achievements on the international stage.