Bilodeau ends long wait for home gold

Canada's long wait for a home Olympic gold medal is over after freestyle skier Alex Bilodeau claimed victory in the men's moguls.

Bilodeau won a gold medal at Cypress Mountain with a score of 26.75, ahead of Canadian-turned-Australian and defending champion Dale Begg-Smith who took silver with 26.58. American Byron Wilson was third with 26.08.

Bilodeau's win ends an unfortunate hoodoo for Canada, who hosted the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Calgary without winning a gold medal in either Games.

And the victory, secured with the penultimate run of the evening, was made all the sweeter for the hosts as the 22-year-old displaced Vancouver-born Begg-Smith, who turned his back on his native country following a fall-out with the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association.

A jubilant Bilodeau vowed: "The party is just starting for Canada. There are so many good golds to come and I'll try to keep a bit of voice for them.

"It is too good to be true and I don't think I realise yet (what it means).

"At the top (of the course) I said 'I'm ready'. I went out and I knew what to do."

Bilodeau dedicated his gold to watching older brother Frederic, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

"My brother is my inspiration," he added.

"He has grown up with a handicap that puts everything into perspective."