Canadians miss the podium at ski cross world championships

Feb 13, 2021 | 5:05 PM

IDRE, Sweden — Courtney Hoffos finished fifth at the women’s ski cross world championship on Saturday while fellow Canadian Reece Howden took fifth place in the men’s competition.

Sweden’s Sandra Naeslund won women’s gold ahead of Switzerland’s Fanny Smith and Alizee Baron of France. Hoffos, from Windermere, B.C., won the small final in her first worlds appearance.

“I had some really good sections and skied well,” she said. “I tried to piece together a full run and I did that at the end. It was a good day.”

Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt was 10th and Marielle Thompson of Whistler, B.C., was 11th. Tiana Gairns of Prince George, B.C., was 13th and Zoe Chore of Cranbrook, B.C., was 14th.