Ski cross in Val Thorens – Smith on the podium at the start – Gantenbein just off the mark – Sport

• At the ski cross season opener in Val Thorens, Fanny Smith finished second on the podium.
• Talina Gantenbein also made it to the final, but had to settle for fourth place.
• In the men’s category, Tobias Baur is 5th as the best Swiss.

After a bit of a dry spell at the end of last winter, Fanny Smith made it back to the World Cup podium. At the season opener in Val Thorens, France, the 32-year-old fought a long neck-and-neck race with Marielle Thompson in the final.

However, the Canadian overall World Cup winner from last winter had more staying power towards the end of the course. Smith crossed the finish line in second place, celebrating a successful start to the season. The Vaudois woman last finished on the podium at her home race in St. Moritz at the end of January.

Talina Gantenbein, a second Swiss woman, was also able to flirt with a podium place for a long time. The 27-year-old also made it to the final, but had to give way to third-placed Daniela Maier. Saskja Lack – like the former dominator Sandra Näslund (SWE) – got stuck in the quarterfinals.

Baur in the small final

Among the men, only two Swiss made it through qualification. On race day, Tobias Baur held the Swiss flag high. Thanks to two tactically perfect drives, he made it to the semi-finals.

That was the end for the 27-year-old, but thanks to his victory in the small final, he secured a strong 5th final place, like last year. He had only been ranked better twice in the World Cup. Teammate Marc Bischofberger was eliminated in the round of 16 after a fall.

So let’s move on

The second race is scheduled for Friday in Val Thorens. While the women have the same trio at the start from a Swiss perspective, the men have grown. In addition to Bischofberger and Baur, Alex Fiva and Romain Détraz also qualified for the second race.