August 17, 2010 (Whistler, BC) – Sunday saw Gee Atherton (GBR) and Emmeline Ragot (FRA) hammer down the steep rock faces and notoriously technical Canadian Open DH course at Whistler’s Crankworx to take first place in their respective pro divisions in the race presented by Kona.

Ragot is the current UCI Downhill World Champion and Atherton won the men’s title in 2008. They are both moving on from dominating downhill events at Kokanee Crankworx to the Downhill World Championships taking place in Mont-Saint-Anne, starting September 2, 2010. The demanding slopes of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park are an ideal setting to train and prepare worldclass athletes for the demands of the Downhill World Championships.

Atherton, who also won the Dual Slalom at Kokanee Crankworx, had a solid run in the Candian Open DH presented by Kona and swept in at 3:04.14, second place went to pinner Lewis Buchanan (SCO) with a time of 3:09.16 while Justin Leov (NZL) maintained a pace almost exactly the same as Buchanan’s to come in at 3:09.20.

“This was a real tough course to ride today,” says Atherton. “It has been a long season and I am excited to go from here onto the World Championships in Mont-Saint-Anne.”

Emmeline Ragot, who has been competing in various events all week also held on for a solid run. She blazed into first place with a time of 3:37.78, more than seven seconds faster than her first place time in 2009’s Canadian Open DH. Claire Buchar (CAD) took second place with a time of 3:43.12 and up and coming racer Miranda Miller (CAD) took home third with a time of 3:46.85.

Find full event results here.

New for 2010 at Kokanee Crankworx was the crowning of the King and Queen of Gravity. With a total of three downhill events, one enduro and two slaloms, it was high time Kokanee Crankworx gave props to the athletes are out there all festival long doing everything fast. The data and timing teams calculated the results and the pro King and Queen, and amateur Prince and Princess were crowned at the closing of Kokanee Crankworx 2010.

Gee Atherton reigns as King and Emmeline Ragot took home the crown as the Queen of Gravity. Amateur woman Bridgette Leber (USA) and amateur boy Brennan Walstrom (CAN) were respectively appointed the Princess and Prince of Gravity for Kokanee Crankworx 2010.

One last, very special award, was given out as a wrap-up to Kokanee Crankworx. Rob McSkimming, Senior VP of Business Development for Whistler Blackcomb and bike park visionary was given the “Richard Juryn Award.” This award is given in memory of one of Crankworx’s original organizers and is used to recognize individuals who reflect Juryn’s passion, dedication, and enthusiasm for the mountain bike community.

With the Canadian Open DH on the books, Kokanee Crankworx 2010 has come to a record-breaking end.

For those that missed some of the action, daily on-demand video highlights from Whistler Creek Productions can be found online and webcast replays of all the action will start on August 25 with the Dual Slalom. Find the entire schedule of replays here

Keep up to date on all things Kokanee Crankworx through www.crankworx.com, Facebook.com/crankworx and make to follow @crankworx on Twitter.

Kokanee Crankworx is presented by Whistler Blackcomb and the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Whistler has the world’s most diverse offering of mountain bike terrain for all ability levels, attracting all disciplines of mountain biking. With 150 miles of single-track trails throughout the valley, 5,000 vertical feet of lift-accessed downhill runs in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, jump parks, skill centres and 20-plus miles of paved Valley Trail, there’s truly something for every rider.