Thompson clinches fourth career Crystal Globe with gold in season finale
After winning her sixth gold medal of the 2023-24 season at the FIS Ski Cross World Cup, Marielle Thompson capped off a remarkable campaign by clinching the fourth Crystal Globe of her career in women’s ski cross.
Thompson headed into the day in Idre Fjäll, Sweden with an overall lead in the FIS Cup standings despite a fifth place finish in the first race of the weekend.
She left no doubt on Saturday as she clinched the Crystal Globe in the semi-final round. Still, she was able to cap off the season with another gold in the final.
“When they told me I won the Crystal Globe just my making it to the Big Final, I kind of just felt free. It’s kind of been looming over me,” Thompson told FIS following the race.
It took the 31-year-old eight races before she won her first gold of the season in late January in St. Moritz, Switzerland. But then she went on the run of her career, claiming six of the remaining nine races to propel her to the Crystal Globe.
READ: Canadian double on the podium in St. Moritz
Thompson’s legacy in ski cross now spans two decades. She won her first Globe in 2012, adding two more in 2014 and 2017, and now has made a stunning resurgence to claim another World Cup title seven years later.
Her teammate, Brittany Phelan, won bronze in the race after claiming gold in Friday’s race. Phelan finished the season with a career-high eight podiums, and claimed the overall bronze in the World Cup standings.
France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel took second place on Saturday, and also finished in second in the cup standings.
Canadian skiers enjoyed a stellar season overall, as four Canadians found themselves within the overall Top 10.
Hannah Schmidt finished in fourth place after a strong first half of the season, and India Sherret, who claimed silver on Friday, finished in sixth. It’s the highest finish of their respective careers.
On the men’s side, Reece Howden finished in fourth to clinch the overall silver for the season. He finished 59 points shy of Sweden’s David Mobaerg who also took home gold on Saturday. Howden was the defending World Cup champion in men’s ski cross.
Phelan and Sherret claim double podium on first day in Idre Fjäll
Three Canadians found the podium on Friday at the final FIS Ski Cross World Cup in Idre Fjäll, Sweden.
Brittany Phelan and India Sherret punched a 1-2 finish in the women’s race, just one week after the two of them, plus Marielle Thompson, swept the podium at the World Cup in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. It was Canada’s first podium sweep in a women’s ski cross World Cup in 14 years. For Friday’s event, Phelan and Sherret were joined on the podium by Saskja Lack of Switzerland.
The win marks Phelan’s second-ever World Cup gold, with the first occurring in February of this year. She has 19 career podiums.
Thompson finished in fifth on Friday, winning the small final. She remains at the top of the women’s overall standings, with her eyes set on the Crystal Globe that will be awarded at the end of the weekend. Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France sits behind her, followed by Phelan.
On the men’s side, Reece Howden raced to the bronze medal position behind David Mobaerg of Sweden and Simone Deromedis of Italy. Mobaerg leads the overall men’s standing, followed by Alex Fiva of Switzerland, and then Howden.
The athletes have one final chance to snag points during the final races on Saturday.