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ZHANGJIAKOU, China – For the first time since the sport became part of the Olympic Winter Games program, Canada did not reach the top of the podium in women’s ski cross Thursday in Beijing. But it’s not for lack of trying.

British Columbian Marielle Thompson came from behind in the final moments of the race to finish second and take the silver medal.

This is his second Olympic medal after winning gold at the Sochi Games in 2014.

Thompson was second only to Sweden’s and reigning world champion Sandra Naeslund. Germany’s Daniela Maier completed the podium in controversy, after a lengthy race review led to the relegation of Switzerland’s Fanny Smith.

Trailing for most of the race after a poor start, the 29-year-old Canadian made a bold move after turn five, elbowing Smith to complete her comeback.

“I saw that on this undulating portion, the two other skiers in front of me rose in the air. I realized then that if I stayed on the ground and made a clean turn, I would have enough speed to get ahead of them, explained Thompson. It functioned. »

Thompson was all the happier that she hadn’t been able to do herself justice at the PyeongChang Games. After surgery on her right knee for a torn ligament, she had just a few months to prepare and finished 17th.

His preparation was going well this time, until last March, when a second surgery on the same knee was made necessary following a new ligament tear.

“Coming into the winter, I didn’t know what I would look like against his girls because I hadn’t raced in a while,” she said. I found my rhythm in December and built my confidence from race to race after that, bringing me here with my best ski. Couldn’t have asked for better.

“Sochi, I arrived there as the No. 1 in the world. It was my first Games, so obviously this medal is special to me. But this one, after two major knee operations and all the work I had to put in to get here, it feels great. It’s really good to realize that all that hard work has paid off. »

However, Thompson was never able to close the gap created by Naeslund, who was imperial all day on the track at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou.

“It’s okay that Canada didn’t win the gold: Sandra deserves it so much. She was super quick in every race, it’s well deserved,” said Thompson.

Controversial

The tone was not so harmonious on the third step of the podium, where Maier found herself after a race review that lasted a good ten minutes.

Down the stretch, after Thompson had touched Smith while passing her, Maier’s right ski, then fourth, touched the back of Smith’s left ski. The latter was thrown off balance and in doing so, she accidentally bumped into Maier, who had to slow down so as not to fall.

Smith crossed the finish line in third place, much to the dismay of Maier, who took a long time to dry her tears and go to congratulate her opponents, before being awarded the bronze medal a few minutes later. .

Distraught and having accepted her fate, Maier seemed not to believe that Smith had just been removed. She has also pointed several times to the Swiss, shaking her head ‘no’, as if to say that Smith should be on the podium during the official ceremony.

“It’s a decision that makes no sense,” said the head coach of the Swiss delegation, Ralph Pfaffli. No ski cross athlete would intentionally do this, as Marielle Thompson did not intentionally bump into Fanny Smith moments earlier,” he said in French.

With the French-speaking journalists, he added that Switzerland did not intend to file a protest.

“It wouldn’t be good for the sport. You don’t let an athlete receive her medal at the ceremony and take it away the next day when a decision is made. »

To English-speaking journalists, however, he hinted that Switzerland could contest.

“My bosses are studying what they can do. But all that would do is remove the yellow card from Fanny’s card. It wouldn’t change the ranking. »

Four Canadians in the top-7

The four Canadian women entered in the competition advanced to the semi-finals. However, only Thompson qualified for the Grand Final.

Quebecer Brittany Phelan won the small final for fifth place. Fellow countrymen Courtney Hoffos and Hannah Schmidt followed in sixth and seventh place respectively, ahead of Australia’s Sami Kennedy-Sim.

Phelan missed the final by three hundredths of a second, as down the stretch Smith lost control of his skis and clipped the Mont-Tremblant native, preventing him from capping her at the very end.

“You’re at the Olympics and everyone wants to be on the podium, but only three girls will do that,” said PyeongChang silver medalist Phelan. It is certain that I am a little disappointed. I was in tough waves all day and in the semis I made a small mistake. It was decided at the photo finish. It’s racing. Everyone is pushing hard and I came a little short. (…) At the same time, Canada finished on the podium and I will be back in 2026.”

For Schmidt, this Canadian contingent in both finals proves the strength of the national ski cross program.

“There were seven girls (in Canada) fighting for those four spots. It shows the depth of our program. »

“It’s best when you can split up through the waves, but at the end of the day it’s crazy to be with your teammates,” added Hoffos. I’m always happy to see my teammates progress if I can’t. It shows how strong we are. »