Canada’s Reece Howden narrowly missed securing his fourth consecutive gold medal at a World Cup ski cross event held in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. Despite leading most of the big final race, the skier from Cultus Lake, B.C., had to settle for silver as French competitor Youri Duplessis-Kergomard surged past him towards the end of the course. Switzerland’s Tobias Baur claimed the third spot on the podium with a bronze medal finish.
Maintaining his dominance, Howden maintained his position at the top of the tour standings, amassing a total of 433 points in the ongoing season. Duplessis-Kergomard is the closest contender, trailing the Canadian by 152 points. In a separate event, Canada’s Jared Schmidt secured the second position in the small final, securing a sixth-place overall finish.
On the women’s side, Sweden’s Sandra Naeslund clinched the gold medal, while Germany’s Daniela Maier and Austria’s Katrin Ofner secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt emerged as the top Canadian finisher, winning the small final and securing the fifth position overall for the day.
The ski cross action in Veysonnaz will continue on Saturday, with live streaming coverage available on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem starting at 8 a.m. ET.