Canada's Howden wins fourth World Cup ski cross victory of the season

Canada's Reece Howden celebrates his first place finish following the men's final at the World Cup ski cross event at Nakiska Ski Resort in Kananaskis, Alta., Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020. (Jeff McIntosh/CP)

SOLNECHNAYA DOLINA, Russia -- Canadian Reece Howden continued his dominance of the World Cup ski cross circuit on Saturday.

The 22-year-old from Cultus Lake, B.C., got off to a fast start and held on to win his fourth World Cup race this season.

Howden, who had already clinched the overall title last month, beat silver medallist Ryo Sugai of Japan in the big final. Joos Berry of Switzerland took the bronze.

"After those first few heats I was a bit nervous, but as I made my way through it, the confidence came back and when I was sitting in the start gate of the big final, I was feeling so good I just sent it - and I'm so happy with the result," Howden said.

Courtney Hoffos of Windermere, B.C., caught an edge and fell in the women's big final and finished fourth.

"It was a good day overall," Hoffos said. "I had a lot of confidence felt really dialed in my first few heats. I felt like I was skiing well. It was too bad bad that I caught an edge and went down."

Switzerland's Fanny Smith won the event, while Sweden's Sandra Naeslund was second and Austria Katrin Ofner crossed third.

Tiana Gairns of Prince George, B.C. was fifth.

Next up for the Canadians is the World Cup Finals in Veysonnaz, Switzerland.

When submitting content, please abide by our  submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.
We use cookies to improve your experience. Learn More or change your cookie preferences. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies.
close