♦ Wins

Canada Wins Two Crystal Globes in Tough Month for Ski Cross Racing

Members of Canada’s ski cross team raised their glasses and two Crystal Globes in honour of their beloved teammate Nik Zoricic in Grindelwald, Switzerland, on Sunday night.
 
Zoricic, 29, of Toronto, Ont., passed away March 10 after suffering head injuries in a crash at a World Cup race in Grindelwald. The day's race was subsequently cancelled, as was  the final race of the 2011-12 World Cup season. 
 
International Ski Federation (FIS) rules say that in the event of a race cancellation, points are awarded according to qualifying positions, meaning Canada wins the Nations’ Cup Crystal Globe as the top-performing country on the World Cup circuit for the fourth successive year. 

Marielle Thompson, 19, of Whistler, B.C., also becomes the first Canadian to win an individual ski cross Crystal Globe. Brady Leman, of Calgary, Alta., was leading the men’s overall standings prior to this weekend but after finishing 14th in qualification on Friday, he was passed by Slovenia’s Filip Flisar, who won the qualification round and takes the men’s Crystal Globe.
 
“I’ve got one large silver case in front of me with a Nations’ Cup that we are happy to bring back to Canada once again for the overall best team in the world. I have a smaller case with the first Crystal Globe for an individual athlete for Marielle Thompson,” said Dave Ellis, director of sport for Canada’s ski cross team, during an emotional conference call from Grindelwald on Sunday. 
 
“This is not the best way to have a trophy presented to you but tonight at dinner we will pull out the Globe and have a toast for Nik. We’ve been in constant contact with his father, a very strong man. He said to make sure we celebrate and carry on the tradition of winning and podiums for Nik, as we always have.”
 
Canada finishes the 2011-12 World Cup season with 2,093 World Cup points. Second-placed Switzerland has 1,794 and France is third, with 1,595.
 

Photo courtesy of Alpine Canada.

SnowOnline Editor: Lori Knowles