The X Games gave some Canadian Olympic contenders a big lift

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With the start of competition in Beijing now just nine days away, the winter Olympic sports schedule was noticeably lighter over the weekend. But Canadian snowboarders and freestyle skiers still managed to rack up eight medals at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado, giving their Olympic podium hopes a lift in the process. Here's a look at the standouts:

Mark McMorris: After capturing back-to-back Olympic bronze medals in slopestyle, the snowboard star looks poised for an upgrade. He won the X Games men's slopestyle title for the sixth time on Saturday, which turned out to be Canada's only gold of the meet. Though McMorris finished a disappointing fourth in the men's big air event, he's a strong Olympic medal contender in that one too as the reigning world champion.

Max Parrot: Speaking of dual medal contenders, Parrot took silver in the men's snowboard big air on Saturday, was the runner-up to McMorris at last year's worlds, and was the men's slopestyle silver medallist at the 2018 Olympics. And don't forget about Seb Toutant. He skipped the X Games, but Toutant is the defending Olympic men's snowboard big air champ and he captured a slopestyle silver at last year's worlds. With these guys leading the way, Canada has a chance to land three men on the podium in both the big air and slopestyle snowboard events in Beijing.

Laurie Blouin: The reigning women's snowboard big air world champion and 2018 Olympic slopestyle silver medallist had a meh X Games, taking bronze in the slopestyle on Friday before finishing fifth in the big air. But, like the men mentioned above, Blouin is fully