There was World Cup ski cross action this past weekend in Val dI Fassa, Italy, and two Canadians came away with medals. On Friday, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Marielle Thompson of Whistler, British Columbia won bronze in women’s action. Then on Saturday, Reece Howden of Chilliwack, British Columbia placed third.
Thompson placed behind gold medalist Jole Galli of Italy and silver medalist Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France. En route to the Big Final, Thompson won the sixth elimination heat, third quarterfinal heat and second semifinal heat.
Howden, meanwhile placed behind gold medalist Simone Deromedis of Italy and silver medalist Florian Wilmsmann of Germany. Howden won the fourth elimination heat, placed second behind Evan Klufts of France in the second quarterfinal heat, and was second to Wilmsmann in the first elimination heat.
In the World Cup men’s ski cross standings, Howden is the leader on the men’s side with 593 points. Deromedis is second with 460 points. It is safe to say that Deromedis may have the slight advantage over Howden at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo, by having the home course advantage and because of his Saturday’s win.
In the World Cup women’s ski cross standings. Thompson is in 17th place with 173 points. Sandra Naeslund of Sweden leads with 668 points.
Howden has now won 36 World Cup ski cross medals (22 gold medals, nine bronze medals, and five bronze medals). Thompson, who won the Olympic gold medal in women’s ski cross at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, has won 75 World Cup medals (36 gold medals, 23 silver medals, and 16 bronze medals).
