For Media And Other Inquiries:
Get in TouchReece Howden (Chilliwack, BC) won his 22nd FIS Ski Cross World Cup race, and Marielle Thompson (Whistler, BC) returned to the World Cup podium for the first time since February 2025, as the two Canadians continued to thrill, as they have for so many years, on Saturday in Veysonnaz, SUI.
Howden, the reigning Crystal Globe champion, found the top spot on the podium after skiing to second place on Friday, making the most of a strong start out of the gate in the final and a tight finish at the line to claim his fourth win and fifth podium of his season.
The 27-year-old, nicknamed “Big Rig,” has led the World Cup standings all season, but let his lead slightly dwindle on Friday. After Saturday’s race, Howden’s lead extended to 223 points atop the standings, as he eyes a third-career Crystal Globe after breaking the record for the most World Cup wins ever.
In advancing to the victory, Howden took a more tactical approach in the quarterfinal and raced three heats alongside Germany’s Tim Hronek, who finished second, bringing him to a career total of 36 podiums in 85 starts, landing on the steps in 42 percent of his World Cup appearances.
“I’m just stoked, I totally emptied the tank today. I felt like yesterday, I may have lost a bit of focus in the bottom section, and I wasn’t going to let that happen today,” Howden said. “It’s been unreal to have this kind of consistent success. I’m really grateful and happy that I can ski my best going into the Olympics, and I’m excited for the next race in Val di Fassa, the Dolomites there are gorgeous.”
Meanwhile, Thompson’s return marked an emotional moment as she returned to the podium in her first all-out race of the season, after easing back into competition through three other World Cup starts following her third surgery on her right knee.
The Sochi 2014 Olympic champion and Beijing 2022 silver medalist raced alongside longtime rival, Sandra Näslund of Sweden, in every round, finishing second until the final, where Thompson ensured Näslund paid for a small mistake, claiming the 74th podium of her career.
It also marked the first time that the Swede was left out of the podium honours.
“I’m really happy to land on the podium today after some really tight racing in the final,” Thompson said.“I’m happy with how I skied. I feel like it was pretty strong considering it was my first race back officially. I’m really excited for what's to come. I feel like I’ve been getting better day by day, and I’m looking forward to the next.”
Hannah Schmidt (Ottawa, Ont.) was the only other Canadian woman on Saturday and did not advance past the quarterfinal. At the same time, Kris Mahler (Canmore, Alta) was the second best man, advancing to the quarterfinals, ahead of teammates Kevin Drury (Toronto, Ont.) and Jared Schmidt (Ottawa, Ont.), who were ousted in the 1/8th final.
With the challenging Veysonnaz stop in the rearview, the World Cup circuit now moves to Val di Fassa, ITA, for two races on Jan 30-31, the final event before the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics.
Next races:
Men race SL in Kitzbühel (AUT) January 25
Women race SL in Spindleruv Mlyn (CZE) January 25
Para alpine head to Meribel (FRA) for slalom and giant slalom races from January 27-30
Ski cross race next in Val di Fassa (ITA) January 30 and 31
Follow Canada’s Ski Team this season on Alpine Canada’s website, across our social media accounts and subscribe to our newsletter.