Canadian Olympic gold medalist Brady Leman of Calgary, Alberta won a gold medal in a World Cup men’s ski cross event in Blue Mountain, Ontario on Saturday. For Leman, it was his fifth World Cup gold medal and 24th World Cup medal.
Leman was one of two Canadian Olympic gold medalists to earn a medal on Saturday in Blue Mountain. Marielle Thompson of Vancouver, British Columbia won a silver medal in the women’s World Cup ski cross event.
In the men’s ski cross competition at Blue Mountain, Leman beat a field in the final that included silver medalist Bastien Midol of France, bronze medalist Johannes Rohrweck of Austria and Marc Bischofberger of Switzerland, who finished in fourth place. Leman finished in first place in the final four heats after finishing second to Armin Niederer of Switzerland in the round of 64.
In the women’s ski cross competition at Blue Mountain, Thompson finished behind gold medalist Fanny Smith of Switzerland and ahead of bronze medalist Alizee Baron of France. Canadian Olympic silver medalist Brittany Phelan of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec also qualified for the final and finished in fourth place.
Leman is now in fourth place in the World Cup men’s ski cross standings with 368 points. Midol leads with 498 points. Thompson continues to lead the World Cup women’s ski cross standings. She has 795 points, 45 more points than Smith.
It was Leman’s third World Cup win at Blue Mountain. He previously won in 2012 and 2017. Leman’s other World Cup wins came in Innichen, Italy on December 17, 2011 and Idre Fjall, Sweden on February 12, 2017.
Leman won the gold medal in men’s ski cross at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. Thompson won the gold medal in women’s ski cross at the 2014 Olympic Winter in Sochi. Phelan won the silver medal in women’s ski cross at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The medals for Leman and Thompson will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
