Canadian Skiers Lag Behind in Olympic Men’s Ski Cross Results
In a challenging snowstorm setting, Canadian skiers faced significant hurdles during the Olympic men’s ski cross event. Reece Howden, a prominent figure in the sport, expressed his frustrations following his elimination in the quarterfinals.
Reece Howden Critiques Olympic Conditions
Reece Howden, 27, did not hold back his criticism of the event’s harsh weather. “This is an absolute joke,” he stated in an interview with CBC Olympics. Howden emphasized his relief at not competing in the semifinals or finals. He remarked, “This is not ski cross; this is terrible.”
Unfavorable Weather Impacts Events
The Olympic organizers faced difficult decisions as several competitions were postponed due to severe weather conditions. With the Games ending soon, scheduling challenges arose for the men’s ski cross event.
Canada’s Performance in Ski Cross
For the first time since ski cross was introduced at the Winter Olympics in 2010, Canada did not have any athletes on the podium in this category at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. This disappointing outcome followed a troubling trend for the Canadian team, as no Canadian women reached the finals earlier in the week.
- Reece Howden finished fourth in his quarterfinal heat.
- Kevin Drury also placed fourth, failing to advance.
- Jared Schmidt and Gavin Rowell were eliminated before the quarterfinals.
With this outcome, it becomes increasingly clear that Canada is on track to achieve its lowest medal count at the Olympics since the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, where they secured 17 medals. Currently, Canada has 17 medals at the Milano Cortina Games and is set to increase this total as both the men’s curling and men’s hockey teams are competing in final matches.
