Canada’s Reece Howden wins gold at World Cup ski cross event in Italy
Canada’s Reece Howden Secures Gold at Ski Cross World Cup in Innichen, Italy
Reece Howden, hailing from Cultus Lake, B.C., emerged victorious on Saturday at the ski cross World Cup stop in Innichen, Italy. Howden, the sole Canadian to advance to the finals, held off Switzerland’s Alex Fiva to claim the gold medal. Italy’s Simone Deromedis rounded out the men’s podium by clinching the bronze medal.
This triumph marks Howden’s second win of the season, following his earlier gold medal in Arosa, Switzerland. With 296 points, Howden currently sits in second place in the men’s overall standings, trailing behind Germany’s Florian Wilmsmann who leads with 310 points.
Moving on to the women’s competition, India Sherret from Cranbrook, B.C. made it to Saturday’s big final in Innichen but unfortunately did not finish the race. Germany’s Daniela Maier secured the gold medal, while Italy’s Jole Galli and France’s Marielle Sabbatel Berger claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
In the small final, Canadian skiers Hannah Schmidt from Ottawa, Marielle Thompson from Whistler, B.C., and Courtney Hoffos from Windermere, B.C. took the top three spots. Sherret currently leads the Canadian contingent in the World Cup standings with 325 points, closely followed by Thompson with 320 points. Maier leads the overall standings with 369 points.
As the World Cup circuit heads into the holiday break, the next event is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 14 in Reiteralm, Austria. Stay tuned as the excitement continues to unfold in the world of ski cross racing.
