Jole Galli claimed victory on the second day of the FIS Ski Cross World Cup in Gudauri on Saturday, further tightening the competition at the top of the women’s overall standings.
The Italian had finished second to Fanny Smith on day one after an intense final in which she repeatedly attempted, but failed, to overtake the Swiss skier. However, Saturday played out differently. Once again, Galli stayed close to the leaders, waiting for the perfect moment to make her move. This time, her strategy paid off. Sitting in third place in the second half of the race, she executed a well-timed overtake just before the big negative turn, seizing a lead she never relinquished. Smith settled for second, while Canadaโs Courtney Hoffos took third.
“I just tried to push as much as possible at the start, even though I know Iโm slow,” Galli admitted. “But today, my skis were really, really fast. Yesterday, my moves cost me the race, but this time I was ready.”
This marks Galliโs second career World Cup win, her first coming earlier this season in Val di Fassa. “Crazy,” she said. “Thankfully, weโre staying in Georgia for another day, so Iโll have time to celebrate.”
Franceโs Marielle Berger Sabbatel finished fourth, while Canadaโs India Sherret won the small final, maintaining her impressive streak of top-five finishes in all 13 races this season. Sherret finished ahead of French skiers Jade Grillet Aubert and Mylene Ballet Baz, with Switzerlandโs Talina Gantenbein taking eighth.
The overall standings have become increasingly competitive, especially with Marielle Thompson absent due to an injury sustained in training on Friday. Sherret now leads with 795 points, followed by Thompson (744), Smith (716), and Germanyโs Daniela Maier (709), who exited in the quarter-finals. Galli remains in the hunt with 671 points, leaving just 124 points separating the top five contenders.
Smith, who had battled illness on day one, was pleased with her performances in Georgia. “I feel much better today than yesterday,” she said. “Iโm really happy with the win and second place.”
Meanwhile, Hoffos secured her second podium of the season and continued her strong return to the World Cup circuit. “It feels awesome. The competition was fierce, and the other girls skied really well, so it was fun to battle it out,” she said.
Howden Wins in the Men’s Event
Reece Howden of Canada emerged victorious in the menโs race, beating Germanyโs Florian Wilmsmann and Italyโs Simone Deromedis, who finished second and third, respectively. This was the first time all three shared the podium this season, highlighting the consistency needed to remain contenders in the overall standings.
Unlike Galli, Howden took control of the big final early, surging into the lead and holding on until the finish. Behind him, Wilmsmann and Deromedis fought for second, with the German ultimately edging ahead with a well-executed move into the negative turn. Switzerlandโs Ryan Regez attempted a similar maneuver but couldnโt hold his line, finishing fourth.
“I could feel myself getting tired in the semi-final, so I knew I had to up the intensity for the final,” Howden said. “It wasnโt perfect fast but a little choppyโbut I gave it everything, and thatโs what mattered.”
The 100 points were crucial for Howden, who had been eliminated in the quarter-finals on Friday, while Wilmsmann had failed to qualify for the first race.
After two days of racing, Deromedis remains atop the overall standings with 799 points. Wilmsmann trails by 99 points, while Howden is 121 points behind, with just four races left in the season.
“Simone is skiing really fast and consistently, so I wanted to make him work for it today,” Howden said. “I wasnโt happy with myself yesterday, and I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that I still have what it takes. It felt great.”
Wilmsmann was relieved after missing out on Fridayโs race, where Deromedis extended his lead with a dominant win. “There was a lot of pressure today to perform well,” he admitted.
For his part, Deromedis was satisfied with his two podium finishes in Georgia. “A double podium, I couldnโt ask for anything better. I felt a bit tired from yesterdayโs race, but I managed to keep up in the final, so Iโm really happy.”
Wilmsmann acknowledged that the title race is far from over. “This was a reminder that there are still four more races, and weโre not done chasing,” he said.
Howden echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of pushing Deromedis. “Heโs been skiing incredibly well, but I wasnโt going to make it easy for him. Someone has to challenge him!”
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