Ski Cross: Marielle Thompson pulls off gold-medal hat trick

Marielle Thompson is unstoppable right now. The Canadian ski cross star notched her third straight gold medal at the Ski Cross World Cup in Val di Fassa, Italy.

Following a thrilling one-two finish last week in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, Thompson narrowly outpaced France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel at the finish line, extending her impressive winning streak. Thompson held second place for most of the event before capitalizing on her French rival’s slight misstep midway through the race to surge into a lead she would not surrender.

Canadian teammate Courtney Hoffos rounded the podium in third place for a bronze medal. Abby McEwen competed in the B final, earning a sixth-place finish. Reece Howden was the top Canadian, securing seventh place on the men’s side.

This victory propels Thompson to the top of the ski cross overall standings, where she now holds a 36-point advantage over her closest challenger, teammate India Sherret. Sherret narrowly missed the podium on Saturday, finishing fourth in an almost entirely Canadian final. As the reigning Crystal Globe holder and 2023-24 champion, Thompson now boasts 36 career wins, a remarkable milestone for the British Columbia native.

The athletes are set to return to the Italian slopes on Sunday for the weekend’s second stage of competition.