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Calgary’s Brady Leman hits podium, taking bronze at World Cup ski cross

Dec 21, 2018 | 7:45 AM

INNICHEN, Italy — Canada’s Brady Leman captured bronze in a World Cup ski cross event on Friday.

The 32-year-old Calgary native, who won gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, finished behind two skiers from France at the World Cup — winner Jonathan Midol and his younger brother Bastien Midol.

It was Leman’s fourth career podium finish in Innichen.

“Racing here in Italy is always really tight. Every run is just a battle. There are places to pass the whole way down, and lots of guys are skiing really fast so it’s important to be really clean,” said Leman, who now boasts a first, second, and two third-place World Cup finishes on the course.

“It was a tough heat in the finals and I skied some of my best to get third.”

Chris Del Bosco of Montreal finished eighth, Kevin Drury of Toronto came 10th, Reece Howden of Cultas Lake, B.C., was 17th and Zach Belczyk of Banff, Alta., was 38th.

On the women’s side, 2014 Olympic champ Marielle Thompson of Whistler, B.C., just missed the podium, finishing fourth.

Two other Canadians finished in the top 10, with Abby McEwen of Edmonton coming a career-best sixth and India Sherret of Cranbrook, B.C., placing eighth.

“I had no idea what was going to happen. It was very nerve-wracking, but really fun,” McEwen said of her first World Cup small final. “I had a big smile on my face in the start gate. I just wanted to go fast. I had no idea how I was going to end up. It is a tricky course, very icy but in my small final I was out of the gate second and was able to hold on.”

Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, B.C., was 12th, Mikayla Martin of Squamish, B.C., was 16th and Brittany Phelan of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was 17th.

Another World Cup at Innichen will take place on Saturday.

The Canadian Press