Kevin Drury, Marielle Thompson battle snow, wind to win ski cross gold
Canadians excel in wide-open World Cup races before family, friends in France
A week after they reached the ski cross podium in Sweden, Canada's Kevin Drury and Marielle Thompson stood at the top following their respective races on Saturday in Megève, France.
Drury, from Toronto, described the men's race as "incredible" after extending his World Cup lead through 10 races.
"Such a battle out there with the snow and wind," the 31-year-old told Alpine Canada. "I just tried to stay as calm and composed as possible up top because I knew I had the speed on the bottom."
On Jan. 26, Drury earned a silver medal at Idre Fjall, one week after finishing second at the lone Canadian stop at Nakiska in Alberta.
WATCH | Drury races to gold:
Like Drury, the 27-year-old Thompson also shone in front of family and friends on Saturday after grabbing bronze in Sweden.
"I feel like I skied as well as I could and really brought out my best skiing in the final," the Whistler, B.C., resident said Saturday.
WATCH | Big Air Mar claims gold:
Calgary's Brady Leman was 10th in the men's race after winning silver at Megeve in 2015.
Other Canadian results:
- Chris Del Bosco (Montreal) — 12th
- Kris Mahler (Canmore, Alta.) — 36th
- Zach Belczyk (Banff, Alta.) — 39th
- Ned Ireland (Lake Country, B.C.) — 48th
- Abby McEwen (Edmonton) — 12th
- Britt Phelan (Mont-Tremblant, Que.) — 13th after not finishing quarter-final run.
The next World Cup event is Feb. 23 in Sunny Valley, Russia, following the cancellation of next weekend's races in Feldberg, Germany.