Canadian Elena Gaskell captures Crystal Globe after bronze at home

Mar 16, 2019 | 3:15 PM

QUEBEC — Canadian Elena Gaskell earned the Crystal Globe for the 2018-19 freestyle skiing big air campaign after capturing a bronze medal in the season-ending World Cup on Saturday.

The native of Vernon, B.C., got 158 points on the day, good enough to secure the 2018-19 championship.

Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud took gold and Kea Kuehnel of Germany was second.

“I’m speechless. I’m so happy,” Gaskell said. 

“I had a good season, even if there were little injuries along the way that meant I couldn’t train as hard as I would have wanted, but in the end I was able to ski well at the right time.”

Yuka Tsubota of Whistler, B.C., was fourth and Megan Oldham of Parry Sound, Ont., was fifth.

On the men’s side, Philippe Langevin of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was the top Canadian, finishing fifth. Max Moffatt of Caledon, Ont., was sixth.

Lukas Muellauer of Austria took gold, while Faban Boesch and Andri Ragettli of Switzerland earned silver and bronze, respectively.

Meanwhile, Laurie Blouin of Stoneham, Que., won silver in the snowboard big air event at night.

The X Games champion finished behind American Julia Marino. Slovakia’s Klaudia Medlova was third.

Toronto’s William Buffey was the top Canadian in the men’s big air event, placing sixth.

Seppe Smits of Belgium, Kalle Jarvilehto of Finland and Jonas Boesiger of Switzerland finished first through third.

The Canadian Press