World Cup champ Howden set to make Olympic debut with stacked Canadian ski cross team

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/01/2022 (1329 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canada’s Reece Howden knows that there will be a lot of pressure on him at the Beijing Olympics as ski cross’s reigning Crystal Globe winner. But he also knows that he’s far from Canada’s only medal hope in the sport this year.

Howden earned the Crystal Globe as the overall World Cup men’s ski cross champion in 2020-21 after winning four races and making it to the podium two other times. The product of Cultus Lake, B.C., said he has to focus on the one thing he can control: his skiing.

“I know that if I ski well, if I do what I’m supposed to do, I’m going to be successful. The results will come,” said Howden. “I’m trying not to get too carried away in the results.

“But yeah, the pressure is there, for sure. But I’m dealing with it really well and I’m excited to see what I can do this year.”

The depth of Canada’s men’s ski-cross team only begins with Howden.

Ottawa’s Jared Schmidt is a podium threat having won bronze at a World Cup event in Bakuriani, Georgia, on Feb. 27 and again in Arosa, Switzerland, on Dec. 14. He also earned silver at a Nor-Am Cup in Nakiska, Alta., on Jan. 19 in Nakiska, Alta.

Toronto’s Kevin Drury won the Crystal Globe in 2019-20, meaning Canada has been home to the world’s best men’s ski-cross racer in back-to-back years. Drury earned the honour with seven World Cup wins that season. He also finished fourth in the ski cross final at the Pyeongchang Olympics four years ago.

Calgary’s Brady Leman is the reigning Olympic champion, having won gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. He said holding the title is a double-edged sword because of the expectations that come with it but because it can also be freeing.

“I worked my whole life dreaming of winning an Olympic medal, but knowing full well that it might not happen,” said Leman. “It takes a little bit of the pressure off for this time (having already won), for sure.

“Just to win one is totally a dream come true, so it’s pretty special. I’m just kind of trying to roll with it, embrace it.”

The top-ranked men’s ski-cross racer of 2021, Howden will be making his Olympics debut in Beijing. It won’t be his first time in an Olympics-like environment, however, as he also represented Canada at the 2016 Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

“I have a pretty good grasp of what the general idea is, of what’s going to go on,” said Howden. “Besides the fact that, you know, with COVID and the Olympics being in China, it’ll be definitely new for everybody.”

Despite his considerable Olympic experience, Leman agrees with Howden that there will be an element of surprise at the Beijing Games.

“I’m sure that’ll be a whole different ball game,” said Leman, who added he didn’t know what to expect for the entire ski-cross season. “But my philosophy last time was just to try to enjoy it all and really embrace the moment at the Olympic Games, because it’s on a totally different scale than anything else we deal with as athletes.”

Ski cross will be held at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China, about 200 kilometres northwest of Beijing. Men’s ski cross will be held on Feb. 18.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2022.