Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to North Bay native, Steve Omischl, who just last week captured the gold medal for the world freestyle ski championship in Ruka, Finland.
Steve performed two jumps in the event, including a quad-twisting triple somersault, which Steve claimed was the best he had ever done. This marks Canada's first men's aerials gold since 1997 and the sixth since the inaugural worlds in 1986.
Omischl's win comes as no great surprise. The 26 year old has been a dominant force on the world cup circuit for the last several seasons. He won the overall title in 2004 and finished second this year. With this victory, Steve Omischl is now considered the man to beat leading up to next year's winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
On behalf of the people of Nipissing--Timiskaming and all hon. members, I would like to congratulate Steve Omischl on a job well done. His community and, indeed, his entire country are proud of him. He should keep reaching for the stars.