Ski cross: Marielle Thompson secures second straight World Cup victory

Canadian women maintained their presence on the podium at the FIS Ski Cross World Cup event in Bakuriani, Georgia, on Saturday.

On a warm day with soft snow and a depleted field, Marielle Thompson shook off the conditions to win her second straight World Cup gold medal. Teammate Brittany Phelan captured the silver medal. Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France completed the podium with bronze.

Thompson’s win marks the sixth straight gold medal for the Canadian woman this season on the World Cup ski cross circuit.

Thompson clinched her third win of the season and secured the 28th World Cup victory of her illustrious career. She now has the third-most wins of any female ski cross racer in World Cup history. Today’s gold medal not only adds to her impressive tally but also propels her into the lead of overall standings and moves closer to her fourth career Crystal Globe.

“It is a bonus to be back as the overall leader, I think it has been more than a year for me, so that is very special,” the three-time Crystal Globe winner said.

Thompson surged ahead with a powerful final run. Amidst a day marked by challenges for many, she maintained her top form.

“The final, I think I nailed everything better than previous rounds. The other round was a little rough. I don’t think I could have done that much better. That is a really good way to end the day,” Thompson said.

READ: Ski cross: Canadians cap dominant weekend with three more medals

Behind Thompson, the podium looked the same as the final last weekend in Alleghe, Italy. Phelan secured the silver medal once again, for her fourth podium of the season. Phelan now has 16 World Cup podiums and remains in fourth position in the overall season standings.

“I have been feeling pretty good on my skis, getting into the final and on the podium, it feels like it is all coming together. It is cool to see my hard work paying off,” Phelan said.

India Sherret won the small final to finish fifth overall. On the men’s side, Jared Schmidt was the top Canadian finisher, taking 11th place.

The FIS Ski Cross World Cup circuit heads to San Pellegrino, Italy next weekend.