Thompson wins back-to-back World Cup ski cross golds, Schmidt claims men’s bronze

For the second straight day, Marielle Thompson is on top of the ski cross world.

The reigning Crystal Globe champion is moving toward a repeat thanks to a dominant performance in Veysonnaz, Switzerland over the weekend. The 32-year-old won both ski cross races on Saturday and Sunday to claim her 34th and 35th World Cup win of her career.

On Sunday, Thompson finished third in qualification, but saved her best performance for last, as she jumped out to an early lead in the final and crossed the finish 0.1 seconds ahead of Germany’s Daniela Maier. Swiss skier Fanny Smith came in third.

Canadian India Sherret, who won bronze in Saturday’s race and had the fastest time of Sunday’s qualification, was kept off of the podium and finished fourth.

Courtney Hoffos rounded out the Top 10 after finishing with the best time in the 1/4 final, to finish in ninth.

Sherret, bronze on Saturday was her fifth podium finish of the season, is still atop the Crystal Globe standings. With back-to-back gold medals over the weekend, Thompson now sits just three points behind Daniela Maier for second place.

On the men’s side, Jared Schmidt is back on the podium thanks to a bronze medal race on Sunday.

The 27-year-old had been held without a medal on the season after topping the podium three times in 2023-24. He raced well enough in the qualification round to earn himself a spot in the final, and finished in third.

Reece Howden, who claimed bronze on Saturday, finished right behind him in fourth place.

There are four stops left on the calendar for the 2024-25 FIS ski season. Next weekend’s competition will take place in Val di Fassa, Italy.

Thompson wins World Cup ski cross gold, Sherret and Howden take bronze

On Saturday, Marielle Thompson, India Sherret, and Reece Howden soared onto the podium at the World Cup ski cross event in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, on Saturday.

Four-time FIS Ski Cross World Cup champion Thompson strengthened her bid for a fifth Crystal Globe with a victory in the women’s final. With packed snow, clear skies, and minimal wind in the Swiss Alps, the 32-year-old delivered a performance that perfectly matched the near-perfect conditions.

Dominating her quarterfinal and semifinal from start to finish, Thompson secured her spot in the Big Final alongside teammate Sherret and Germany’s Daniela Maier—both currently ahead of her in the overall standings.

Maier got off the line quickest in the Big Final, but Thompson made her move in the middle roller section and held onto the lead all the way to the finish line. Sherret, battling for position throughout the race, held on for third, completing a podium that was a reverse of the overall standings.

Teammate Courtney Hoffos finished fourth.

Sherret tops the overall season standings with 545 points, 41 points over Maier. Thompson is third, with 481 points.

On the men’s side, Reece Howden clinched bronze in a photo finish, edging out Japan’s Ryo Sugai at the finish line to secure the final spot on the podium.

Italy’s Simone Deromedis won gold, while French skier Youri Duplessis Kergomard took silver.

In the Big Final, there was little to separate Howden, Duplessis Kergomard, and Deromedis right out of the gate. As Sugai—making his first Big Final appearance of the season—pushed to close the gap, a tangled pole between the Frenchman and Howden gave Deromedis a clear path to the finish.

With this result, Howden earns his 25th World Cup podium.

 “The adrenaline gets flowing pretty heavy,” the two-time Crystal Globe winner said. “But I’m pretty happy with the race today. Felt strong when I was following, strong when I was leading, a few mistakes here and there but it’s really more than I could ask for.”