Schmidt surges ahead in Ski Cross standings with third consecutive win

Jared Schmidt made it a hattrick of FIS Ski Cross World Cup victories as he won the first race in Innichen to surge ahead in the men's overall standings.

Schmidt headed to Italy on the back of winning the second race in Val Thorens and the night race in Arosa, and on Thursday he won a third consecutive big final after another dominant performance in which he was rarely troubled on the course.

On top of winning the race, Schmidt also moved comfortably clear at the top of the men's standings with 312 points after he and Reece Howden were the only two from the top ten of the standings to make it into the quarter-finals. Howden crashed out of the small final to finish eighth in Innichen and is now second in the overall standings with 152 points.

"I did it. Wow. I don't have too many words," a stunned Schmidt said after the big final.

"I said in Arosa that our team was skiing really well and I think we showed it today; Carson (Cook) stepping up, Reece in the small final. It just feels great – three back to back.

"It's what we work so hard to do. It feels good to be able to do it. Thank you to my girlfriend, my family and all my sponsors that have helped me get here. It's been a wild ride and that's three in a row."

Asked about the source of his impressive start to the season, Schmidt said: "I don't know. I've kind of known it's always been there, I just needed to find that extra gear and I think I found it. I think we're rolling pretty fast now and I'm just excited to keep skiing and having fun."

France’s Nicolas Raffort, who had previously never made it to a big final, took second place in a photo finish for a first ever World Cup podium, and countryman Youri Duplessis Kergomard finished in third for a first podium of the season.

"I'm super happy," said Raffort. "I've been sick all through the night so it was big trouble for myself. It was really close on the finish line, ten metres more and maybe I would win but there is another chance tomorrow and I'll try to be better."

Duplessis Kergomard said: "The final here was a big fight with an icy track and big jumps and speed. I'm happy to have my first podium here and so happy to share it with Nicolas Raffort for his first podium."

Austrian Adam Kappacher missed out on getting a second ever World Cup podium by coming fourth in the big final, while compatriot Mathias Graf won the small final and Carson Cook finished second for a career-best sixth overall. Tobias Baur of Switzerland crossed the line ahead of Howden for seventh place.

Naeslund returns to winning ways

There was a more familiar feel to the women's section as Sandra Naeslund recaptured her form to win the Innichen big final for a fifth consecutive time and reclaim top spot in the overall standings from Marielle Berger Sabbatel.

France's Berger Sabbatel finished fourth in the big final, while Switzerland's Fanny Smith crossed the finish line in second spot for her second podium of the season, and Canada's Hannah Schmidt continued her good early form with third place.

"I felt really good today," Naeslund said. "All the days here I've been feeling good but it's a tricky course and that third turn is really important.

"I saw Marielle passing in all her heats so I was just like 'OK, I need to do this turn better now'. I think I did it a little bit better and then I just tried to ski smart and fast.

Reigning crystal globe winner Naeslund had missed out on podium places in the last two races, but after a comfortable day in which she won a record-extending 39th World Cup, she is back to her best.

"I skied pretty OK in Arosa also," the Swede said. "I had one bad start then it was too short a course to recover.

"But for sure I really like this course and coming here it looked even better than last year. I was really happy to see that and then the skiing has been feeling good so I'm super happy."

Germany's Daniela Maier won the small final with a late surge for the line to finish ahead of Marielle Thompson of Canada, while Talina Gantenbein from Switzerland finished seventh overall and Canada's Brittany Phelan finished in eighth.