Reece Howden, a Canadian skier from Cultus Lake, B.C., further solidified his position as the most successful men’s ski cross racer by clinching his 24th World Cup gold medal in Montafon, Austria on Thursday. With this victory, Howden secured his sixth win out of 12 races this season, expanding his lead in the overall standings. His current points tally of 843 puts him on track for a potential fourth season title, as he nears the end of the campaign.
Expressing his satisfaction with the track conditions, Howden praised his team and technicians for their efforts in managing the challenging wet snow conditions. Looking ahead, he expressed excitement about returning to Canada to compete at Craigleith Ski Club near Collingwood, Ont., in the upcoming races.
Simone Deromedis of Italy claimed the silver medal in Friday’s race and remains Howden’s closest competitor in the overall standings, trailing the Canadian by 247 points with four races remaining in the season. Alex Fiva of Switzerland secured the bronze medal in the competition.
In the women’s category, Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt finished fourth in the big final, marking her fourth top-five finish of the season. Meanwhile, Marielle Thompson of Whistler, B.C., and Tiana Gairns of Prince George, B.C., placed ninth and 12th, respectively. Sandra Naeslund of Sweden emerged victorious, with Daniela Maier of Germany and Jole Galli of Italy claiming the silver and bronze medals. Naeslund leads the season standings with 968 points, holding a 165-point advantage over Maier.
Schmidt leads the Canadian contingent in the overall women’s standings, holding the seventh position with 393 points. As the season progresses, there are two more stops remaining on the World Cup ski cross circuit.