Canada’s Reece Howden narrowly missed out on securing his fourth consecutive gold medal at a World Cup ski cross event in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, on Friday. The athlete from Cultus Lake, B.C., led the big final for most of the race but settled for silver as French skier Youri Duplessis-Kergomard surged ahead towards the end of the course. Switzerland’s Tobias Baur claimed the bronze medal.
Maintaining his position at the top of the tour standings, Howden has amassed a total of 433 points this season. Duplessis-Kergomard follows closely behind, trailing the Canadian by 152 points. In the men’s small final, Canada’s Jared Schmidt secured second place, finishing in sixth overall.
On the women’s side, Sweden’s Sandra Naeslund clinched the gold medal, while Germany’s Daniela Maier and Austria’s Katrin Ofner earned silver and bronze, respectively. Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt emerged as the highest-ranking Canadian, winning the small final to secure fifth place overall.
Competition will continue in Veysonnaz on Saturday, with live streaming coverage available on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem starting at 8 a.m. ET.
