Canadians win gold, silver medals at World Cup ski cross event in France
Jared Schmidt wins men's big final, Britt Phelan 2nd in women's competition
Canadians captured a pair of medals from Day 2 of the World Cup ski cross stop in Val Thorens, France, on Friday.
Canada's Jared Schmidt was the second skier across the finish line in the men's big final but was awarded the gold medal.
French skier Youri Duplessis Kergomard was disqualified for contact with another competitor in the big final, handing the win to Ottawa's Schmidt.
It was Schmidt's first career World Cup victory. The 26-year-old had previously won two bronze medals, both in 2021.
"It was a crazy day," Schmidt said. "We woke up this morning and saw the fresh snow on the ground and we were all kind of wondering what was going to happen, but the course crew did a great job cleaning the course off.
"We ended up having a great race. The cards kind of played into my favour today, I got lucky a few times, but I was always in the right spot, making passes and battling it out and ended up winning. It's pretty crazy."
WATCH | Schmidt races to 1st career World Cup win:
Sweden's David Mobaerg was bumped up to silver and Johannes Rohrweck of Austria did not finish the race.
Reece Howden, of Cultus, Lake, B.C., was second in the small final for a sixth-overall finish.
WATCH | Schmidt discusses milestone victory:
On the women's side, Britt Phelan will be bringing home a silver medal from Val Thorens.
The Mont-Tremblant, Que., native finished 0.23 seconds back of gold medallist Daniela Maier of Germany.
It was the 30-year-old Phelan's 13th career World Cup medal.
"It was a battle out there. Super happy with the day and my approach and making some sweet passes," said Phelan, an Olympic silver medallist in ski cross at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. "I didn't really know what to expect coming here, I just wanted to focus on my skiing. Body's been feeling good, knees are feeling good and everything so I just felt free to just rely on experience and just let the skis take me down the hill — total intuition."
WATCH | Phelan captures silver medal:
Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France rounded out the medal winners, taking bronze, while Sandra Naeslund of Sweden was fourth.
Phelan had advanced to Thursday's big final but finished off the podium in fourth place.
Fellow Canadian Marielle Thompson, of Whistler, B.C., finished fifth overall by winning Friday's small final.
Canada's Hannah Schmidt was also in the small final, but did not finish.
The next World Cup stop is next week in Arosa, Switzerland
With files from The Canadian Press
