What's better than one ski cross victory on a given weekend? Two, of course, and Marielle Thompson just pulled it off.
Roughly 24 hours after topping the podium in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, Thompson did it again under clear blue Sunday skies for her 35th World Cup win and 72nd medal in total. She had to overcome an inauspicious beginning, however: losing her pole in the start gate.
The Whistlerite remained poised to earn another cowbell, the prize normally awarded to Veysonnaz champions. Daniela Maier netted silver for Germany, and bronze ended up with Swiss contender Fanny Smith.
"I just wanted to leave everything out on the track and I think I did that, so I’m super happy,” Thompson said in a press release, maintaining third in the overall standing with 581 points. "This course, if you lose any speed, it's kind of the end. So in the final, it was everything I had left in the tank and it paid off. Unfortunately I dropped my pole, but I did a phantom poll and it gave me some extra speed, I think.
"Who needs a pole if you have two cowbells, right? I guess I need some cows. I already have a cattle dog."
Jared Schmidt clocked in for third: his first podium since a Dec. 12, 2023 win in Innichen, Italy. The Ottawa native now owns half a dozen World Cup medals.
France’s Youri Duplessis Kergomard led the men’s race, with Swede David Moaberg in the runner-up hole.
"It feels amazing; it's been a minute since I've been on the box, and I’m feeling really good mentally right now," Schmidt stated after the race. "I didn’t think too much about the skiing; it was kind of automatic and felt like my old self. It was nice to battle my way through, take it heat by heat, and just remember to breathe and have fun with it.
"I'm really happy with my performance, but I'm also happy with my mental performance. It’s a fun weekend. I love it here; you can't ask for a better race environment."
India Sherret and Reece Howden each grabbed bronze on Saturday but were relegated to fourth come Sunday. However, Sherret remains atop Crystal Globe rankings with 595 points.
She commented in a release: "I’ve kind of been working on staying relaxed. I have a bit of a tendency to get a little uptight, a little tense, and not breathe when I make mistakes, but just working on staying in the moment and having fun [this season] because racing is a lot of fun."
Meanwhile, Howden is up to 406 points and fourth overall.
Click here for more results from Veysonnaz.
