Cousin pounces on Naeslund error to win first Ski Cross World Cup

Sixtine Cousin won her first FIS Ski Cross World Cup after Sandra Naeslund missed a late gate on day two's big final in Innichen.

Naeslund, who had won Thursday's race, opened up a typical lead at the start of Friday's big final and appeared to be on track to win a record-extending 40th World Cup.

However, with no opponents near her and the finish line looming, the Swede appeared to clash her own skis together and missed a gate as she skied off the course. With Talina Gantenbein having departed the race in similar fashion earlier on, it left just Switzerland's Cousin and France's Marielle Berger Sabbatel standing, and Cousin held her nerve to claim a maiden World Cup victory.

"It was so cool," Cousin said. "I just convinced myself today was the day and it looks like it was. I had a bit of luck but I think I was pretty solid and I fought until the end every run. It's a bit surreal.

"I'm feeling great. It's crazy. I fought so much for this with nothing given to me. It's a relief because I struggled so much. Finally.

"I missed almost three years. I'm not from a family that skis and I had to do almost everything by myself. It feels good.”

Berger Sabattel finished in second to gain some ground on Naeslund in the overall standings, but the Swede will finish 2023 at the top of the standings on 355, with Berger Sabbatel five points behind her in second.

"It's a perfect start to the season, I am really happy to be five times in the big final," Berger Sabbatel said.

"The race was really different than yesterday. It was also difficult but I'm happy because I was in the fight and it was difficult for everyone."

Marielle Thompson had only just missed out on a place in the big final thanks to a late surge from Cousin in the semi-final, but the Canadian managed to win the small final ahead of Switzerland's Saskja Lack who finished second. Daniela Maier finished third while Thompson's compatriot Hannah Schmidt will finish the year in third place in the overall standings after an eighth-place finish on day two in Innichen.

Emotional Tchiknavorian wins men's race

The men's race was thrown wide open early on when overall leader Jared Schmidt and Canadian team-mate Reece Howden went out in the round of 32. It was Terence Tchiknavorian who capitalised, finishing the big final ahead of Germans Tim Hronek and Florian Wilmsmann, as well as Sweden's Elliott Baralo who crossed the line in fourth.

"I did my job. I did all the jobs during every heat. I'm so happy to win today," Tchiknavorian said. "I did I think one of my best skis of the last month, so I was really happy with that.”

Having not appeared on a World Cup podium since winning in Arosa in 2022, the Frenchman was emotional after crossing the finish line on Friday.

"Because it's not always easy always questioning about if you still are in the game to win races," he explained.

"My last podium was a long time ago and it was not easy for me to get back to my best level and I think I did it today. I need this to continue my season with some good results and some good skiing."

It was the first time any of the quartet had appeared in a big final this season, and the three who ended up on the podium were delighted to kickstart their respective campaigns.

"It was awesome. Crazy fight. The slope was very slow and the field was tight," Hronek said. "I like it here in Innichen, it was crazy good. Innichen here was my first podium and now a podium again."

Third-place Wilmsmann said: "It was a tough race from the first heat on. It was crazy. From the beginning on, you had to fight hard. It was a little bit slower than yesterday so the heats was really compact racing but it was really fun.

"Solid third place. After a bumpy start to the season it's really good."

France's Youri Duplessis Kergomard won the small final ahead of Austrian Johannes Rohrweck, Switzerland's Alex Fiva and Rohrweck's countryman Robert Winkler.

Tchiknavorian will now finish the year on 183 points to leave him second in the overall standings, with Schmidt still well out in front on 312 points. Howden sits in third on 162 points.

The athletes will now take a break for nearly a month before heading out to Nakiska in Canada for the next two races. Qualification takes place on 18 and 19 January 2024, with the races on 20 and 21 January.