Smith breaks victory record and Howden takes second win in Idre
Jan 24, 2021·Ski Cross
Wow! The first of back-to-back full-length competition as the second part of the Idre Fjäll TRE installment, which was 3 races in 5 days, one 600 m sprint and two long-course races, was already breathtaking and full of excitement. But the last competition day here in Sweden did not disappoint either.
It was the day to show who had still enough fuel left in the tank after so many runs on the course with over 60 elements, causing legs to feel a proper burn down in the finish. A course that always presents excellent opportunities for passing, overtaking and some great action, especially in the bottom part.
Although the visibility was a little challenging and not as clear as on Saturday, it was the same conditions for everybody racing in Idre on Sunday.
Fanny Smith breaks all-time winning record
Saturday’s winner Alizee Baron (FRA), World Champion Marielle Thompson (CAN), and the two Swiss athletes Fanny Smith and Talina Gantenbein made it into the big final of women.
With a super explosive start by Fanny Smith, you could just see and feel the Swiss ski cross ace’s determination to win the last competition of the Idre Fjäll TRE, making it a double-win here in Sweden after Wednesday’s win.
Smith got into first position early on and had quite the margin ahead of Saturday’s champion Alizee Baron with Thompson sitting in third. Baron got into Smith’s wind shadow to gain a little spit and get closer with also the Canadian on her tale, but Smith’s skis seemed to be on fire, getting ahead again, separating from the pack.
While Gantenbein seemed without a chance, sitting in fourth from top to bottom, Thompson tried to use the bottom roller section to her advantage to try a passing move on Baron, however did not gain enough speed to do so.
Fanny Smith, dominantly in the lead from top to bottom, crossed the finish line first to finally break Ophelie David’s all-time winning record of 26 victories, which she had tied on Wednesday’s competition. With 27 wins, Smith is now the all-time most successful ski cross athlete among men and women and seems far from slowing down. Baron claimed second and Thompson rounded out the podium.
“I am happy and really tired. I couldn’t see from the middle of the course, because my goggles were frozen with ice and in every heat after the negative, I hat to clean my glasses, but I am really happy that I did it again today, because it is the toughest race that we have in the season,” Fanny Smith said after race at the flash interview.
Reece Howden in unbeatable shape
German rookie Cornel Renn, together with Saturday’s champion Reece Howden and the Swiss duo Ryan Regez and Jonas Lenherr entered the start gate for the final heat of the day.
While the German had the fastest reaction time out of the gate, Howden managed the start section just perfectly with such perfection that he once again got into the lead of the heat with Lenherr and Regez sitting in second and third respectively and the German in fourth position, although it seemed that Renn could pass in one of the banks, in the end he did not.
Of course it was the last roller section that made everyone hold their breath once again. Howden still in the lead was being chased by Lenherr and Regez, who all of the sudden managed to pass his teammate, who claimed second place on Saturday’s race. Though Regez was not fast enough to pass the Canadian, therefore Howden took home his second win in two days proving that he is in an extraordinary shape at the moment.
Reece Howden commented after the race: “I wanted to do well today too, but I definitely didn’t put too much pressure on myself, as I did yesterday, but in this final heat I got out in front, because I had a good chance and I just went for it and I just skied as fast as I could today and it worked out. I am so happy, this is unbelievable!”
Since the World Cup leaders Fanny Smith (SUI) and Reece Howden (CAN) had a margin over 100 points already entering Sunday’s competition, it was clear that they would keep their golden leader bibs, no matter what would have happened, but of course now they collected even more points to their standings.
Smith counts now a total of 585 points ahead of Marielle Thompson with 378 points. Reece Howden has a total of 470 points, so also still over a 100-point-margin ahead of Ryan Regez in second spot with 341 points.
This means that no matter what, Smith and Howden will still be World Cup leaders after the next competition in Feldberg (GER) next week.
Now it is time to get things packed up and head into direction of Central Europe, where a next pair of races is waiting for the ski cross athletes in Germany’s Black Forrest resort of Feldberg on January 30-31.
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