1ST LEAD Serwa triumphs for another Canada gold show in ski cross By Kristina Puck, dpa

Pyeongchang, South Korea (dpa) - Kelsey Serwa captured gold ahead of team-mate Brittany Phelan to continue Canada‘s winning streak in the women‘s ski cross in freestyle skiing at the Winter Games on Friday.Serwa, who was silver medallist in Sochi four years ago, led from the front in the final, while Phelan overtook Fanny Smith of Switzerland and world champion Sandra Naeslund of Sweden. Smith edged Naeslund for bronze.Serwa‘s win is the third gold in a row at the event for Canada. Ashleigh McIvor had won the inaugural women‘s ski cross gold medal in 2010, while Marielle Thompson claimed victory for the Canadians in 2014. Brady Leman had won the men‘s race on Wednesday.Thompson‘s hopes of another medal in her first competition since a cruciate ligament injury went with a fall in the first heat.Fellow Canadian India Sherrett needed treatment on the course after crashing in the heats before being ferried off. She was taken to hospital for observation but the nature of her injury was not immediately known.Sherwa said it was "unbelievable" to have another 1-2 for Canada after she finished behind Thompsopn in Sochi."Not only that, to go one (win gold) on the men‘s side too, with our team-mate Brady (Leman), is really surreal. I think it speaks volumes about how strong our programme is."She added: "I had a plan and executed it, and was so fired up. And to be there with my team-mate and best friend Britt (Phelan) too."Both 28-year-old Serwa and 26-year-old Phelan are former alpine skiers.Phelan finishing 15th in the alpine ski slalom in Sochi before switching to ski cross in 2015, while Serwa was a member of the Canadian alpine skiing national development team. She switched to ski cross after hearing it would be a new event at the Vancouver Games, where she finished fifth.Smith, the 2013 world champion, was on the Olympic podium at her third attempt after finishing seventh in Vancouver and eighth in Sochi.Smith, Naeslund and Phelan were neck and neck for a time and there was contact as they tried to find space, but Smith said this was normal for ski cross."It‘s ski cross at the end. We are not doing alpine (skiing)," she said on hearing Naesland was unhappy with the contact."We are four against each other and you need to keep your space. For sure we pushed, but she pushed, I pushed. We were equal in this fight, we were both there and we both did the same. That‘s what ski cross is."