Canada's Reece Howden clinches 3rd career ski cross Crystal Globe with back-to-back wins
Social Sharing
Canadian ski cross racer Reece Howden won the third Crystal Globe of his career on Sunday with a victory in the final men's World Cup race of the season in Idre Fjäll, Sweden.
Howden, who also took gold on Saturday, captured the overall title with 1,038 points after racing to seven wins and nine podiums across 17 events this season. He also has a silver and a bronze medal this campaign.
The 26-year-old from Cultus Lake, B.C., won Sunday's big final ahead of France's Youri Duplessis Kergomard and Italy's Simone Deromedis, respectively. Deromedis finished second behind Howden in the overall World Cup standings, 73 points back.
Kris Mahler, from Canmore, Alta., claimed his second fourth-place finish of the weekend.
Howden also won the Crystal Globe in 2021 and 2023.
WATCH l Howden speeds to gold in final race of season:
Canada's Reece Howden wins final World Cup ski cross race, captures crystal globe
3 hours ago
Duration 3:17
Cultus Lake, B.C.'s Reece Howden claimed Sunday's World Cup ski cross race in Idre Fjall, Sweden and was also crowned overall champion of the season.
Fellow Canadian Courtney Hoffos, 27, earned silver in the women's race for the second straight day.
The Windermere, B.C., native finished behind Swiss skier Fanny Smith, who clinched the Crystal Globe on Saturday. Switzerland's Talina Gantenbein was third.
Abby McEwen of Edmonton placed ninth.
Hoffos finishes seventh in the overall standings with five medals this season (three silver, two bronze).
WATCH l Hoffos takes silver in World Cup finale:
Courtney Hoffos captures her 3rd World Cup ski cross silver medal this season
1 hour ago
Duration 2:23
Windermere, B.C.'s Courtney Hoffos took silver Sunday at the World Cup ski cross race in Idre Fjäll, Sweden.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
26 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Will visa delays and border fears keep international fans away from the Club World Cup in the US?
As the United States readies for the FIFA Club World Cup, concern over such things as international travel, fan safety and even economic uncertainty threaten to diminish enthusiasm for the tournament. The United States will see the arrival of 32 professional club teams from around the globe to 11 cities for the tournament. There's a $1 billion prize pool. The Club World Cup is considered in many ways to be a dress rehearsal for the big event, the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. But there seems to be little buzz for the Club World Cup at home or abroad. The expansion of the field from seven to 32 teams has diminished the exclusivity of the event, and ticket sales appear slow. At the same time, the tournament is being played amid reports of foreign tourists being detained and visa processing delays. Chaotic U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and President Donald Trump's travel bans aren't exactly reassuring international fans, either. Wary travelers, visa woes Trump's policies appear to have already impacted travelers. The National Travel and Tourism Office released data showing visitors to the U.S. from foreign countries fell 9.7% in March compared to the same month last year. The travel forecasting company Tourism Economics has predicted that international arrivals would decline 9.4% this year. The U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit group that represents the travel industry, has urged the Trump administration to improve such things as visa processing and customs wait times ahead of a series of big sporting events on U.S. soil, including the Club World Cup beginning June 14, the Ryder Cup later this year, next summer's World Cup, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Association President Geoff Freeman said, for example, that the wait in Colombia for a visa interview appointment is upwards of 18 months — already putting the 2026 World Cup out of reach for some travelers. He said his organization is working with the White House's World Cup Task Force to address issues. 'They (the task force) recognize how important this event is: success is the only option. So we're eager to work with them to do whatever it is we need to do to ensure that we can welcome the millions of incremental visitors that we think are possible,' Freeman said. 'But these underlying issues of visa and customs, we've got to address.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing last month, suggested consular staff could be put on longer shifts and that artificial intelligence could be used to process visas. 'We want it to be a success. It's a priority for the president,' said Rubio. But the Trump administration may have added to the concerns for international visitors by issuing a ban on travelers from 12 countries, with restrictions on travel from nine more countries. Iran, one of the countries named, has qualified for the World Cup. The proclamation included an exemption for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' It did not mention fans. Fan fears There are signs current immigration policies were already impacting soccer fans and spurring worries over safety. A Latin American supporters group in Nashville stayed away from a recent Major League Soccer game because of ICE activity in the city. The city's Geodis Park is set to host three Club World Cup matches. Danny Navarro, who offers travel advice to followers on his social media platforms under the moniker TravelFutbolFan, said the World Cup Task Force announcement did not allay fears about travel, especially when Vice President JD Vance said, 'We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to (Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem.' That insinuated fans visiting the United States for the World Cup could use it to stay in the country, which is nonsensical, Navarro maintained. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are broadly viewed as higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Navarro put the onus on FIFA. 'They must know that there is an anxiety among international travelers wanting to come in. They must know there's an anxiety among the U.S. fan base that is multicultural and wanting to go to all these places. Are they going to? Are they going to be harassed by ICE?' Navarro said. 'There is just a lot of uncertainty, I would say, too much uncertainty, that the fan base doesn't want to think about.' If you build it, will they come? It remains to be seen how outside factors will ultimately impact the Club World Cup, which is not the global spectacle or draw that the World Cup is. Ticket sales, which were based on a dynamic pricing model, appear to be slow, with lowered prices from earlier this year and a slew of recent promotions. For a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo at the Rose Bowl on June 19, there were wide swaths of available seats going for $33.45. FIFA created an incentive program that says fans who buy two or more tickets to the Club World Cup 'may' be guaranteed the right to purchase one ticket to the World Cup next summer. Navarro said economic uncertainty and fears of inflation may make fans hesitant to spend their money on the Club World Cup — when the more desirable World Cup is looming. In some host cities, there's little sign the Club World Cup is happening. A light rail station in Seattle had a lone sign advertising the event. The Seattle Sounders are among the teams playing in the tournament. Hans Hobson, executive director of the Tennessee State Soccer Association, suggested part of the problem is that, unlike the national teams that play in the World Cup, some of the club teams playing in Nashville are just not known to U.S. fans. 'It's not leagues that they watch. If it was the Premier League or the Bundesliga or something like that, then they'd go, 'Oh, I know players there. Let's go check it out,' Hobson said. There were tickets available to LAFC's match against Esperance Sportive de Tunisie in Nashville on June 20 for $24.45. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has traveled to several host cities to gin up enthusiasm. He has promised 'the world will be welcomed.' But some say the United States isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for visitors in the current climate. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I could see trepidation for anyone looking to travel to the U.S. at this current political climate,' said Canadian national team coach Jesse Marsch. 'So it's a sad thing, I think, that we have to talk about visiting the U.S. in this way but I think everybody has to make decisions that are best for them and that fit best with what's going on in their life and their lifestyle.' ___ AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker contributed to this report ___ AP soccer:
Global News
4 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. Lions dump visiting Edmonton Elks 31-14 in season opener
Nathan Rourke threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, and the B.C. Lions opened their CFL season with a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. 'They had some answers, definitely, for what we were doing,' Elks head coach Mark Kilam said after the loss. 'I thought we gassed out a little bit on defence. We need to maintain a few more drives on offence to help those guys out. But really there were errors in all three phases, and we are a three phase football team, so there's definitely things we need to get better at in all three phases.' The Canadian quarterback went 27-for-36 on his passing attempts, linking up with Stanley Berryhill III twice in the end zone. Justin McInnis caught his first TD of the year and James Butler drove in another major. Veteran kicked Sean Whyte contributed a 22-yard field goal for the Lions, who played their first game under rookie head coach Buck Pierce. Story continues below advertisement Elks quarterback Tre Ford put up 178 passing yards, connecting on 17 of his 27 attempts and throwing one interception. He was sacked twice. 'I don't think we did fantastic offensively,' Tre said. 'I think we were stuck in a lot of second and longs, which isn't a good situation for offence, so we've got to do better on first down. But a lot of that stuff comes back on me, right, I'm the quarterback. I have to make some more things happen out there for us.' Cody Fajardo chalked up two short-yardage rushing majors for Edmonton, who also have a first-year head coach in Mark Kilam. Rapper Snoop Dogg performed for the announced crowd of 52,837 fans before kickoff. The game got off to a promising start for the Lions with Rourke and his teammates steadily working the ball up the field to give B.C. a first down at Edmonton's two-yard line. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Chase Brice came in for short yardage duty and appeared to stretch the ball into the end zone on third down. A review by the command centre, though, determined the QB went down before getting the ball across the line. Ford struggled early, going 0-for-3 on his first attempts of the game before connecting with Zach Mathias for a six-yard gain on his fourth attempt of the night. Story continues below advertisement Edmonton got on the board with just over three minutes left in the first quarter when Cody Grace sent a 66-yard punt into the end zone for a rouge. B.C. again came within inches of a touchdown early in the second frame when Rourke threaded a crisp pass to Jevon Cottoy directly under the uprights. The Canadian receiver fumbled the ball, then stared at his gloves in apparent disbelief. Whyte posted the home side's first points of the night, booting a 22-yard field goal to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. The Elks took control again midway through the second quarter when Fajardo muscled his way through traffic for a one-yard rushing major. Vincent Blanchard missed the convert and Edmonton went up 7-3. The score stood at the end of the first half after the Elks kicker sent a 49-yard field goal attempt wide in the final seconds of the frame. B.C. came alive early in the second half, stringing together a possession that ended with Rourke escaping the pocket, taking a few steps and sailing a 34-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill in the end zone. Whyte made the convert and the Lions jumped out to a 10-7 advantage. Edmonton had an opportunity to level the score minutes later when Blanchard lined up for a 45-yard field goal, but the kick again went wide. Story continues below advertisement Rourke proved on the next possession that he's a dual threat, rushing for 13 yards on one play and 22 on another. He capped the drive with a 37-yard lob to Berryhill under the uprights and another convert from Whyte increased the Lions' lead to 17-7 midway through the third quarter. Ford responded with some fast feet of his own in the dying seconds of the third quarter. The 27-year-old Canadian deftly darted around midfield to avoid multiple sack attempts and got a 37-yard pass off to Justin Rankin, who similarly snuck past several B.C. defenders before being felled at the three-yard line. Edmonton opened the fourth with Fajardo powering through traffic for his second touchdown of the night. Blanchard sent the convert through the uprights to cut the Elks' deficit to three points. B.C. kept pressing and launched a seven-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped by a 17-yard pass from Rourke to McInnis in the end zone. McInnis, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que., led the CFL in receiving yards last season with 1,469. The Lions defence got to work next with linebacker Ben Hladik picking off Ford's pass and dashing 61 yards to put his team back in prime scoring position. B.C. capitalized with Rourke handing off to running back Butler, who sprinted into the end zone for the home side's fourth touchdown of the night. Another convert from Whyte put the Lions ahead 31-14. Story continues below advertisement A massive 92-yard kickoff return by Javon Leake looked to cut Edmonton's deficit midway through the fourth, but Elks linebacker Josiah Schakel was called for an illegal block on the play. NOTES Lions linebacker Jeremy Lewis (hamstring) and defensive lineman Deshawn Stevens (foot) did not return for the second half. … The game marked the first time two Canadian quarterbacks have started and gone head to head in a CFL season opener. UP NEXT Elks: Host the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, June 19. Lions: Visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday.
Canada Standard
5 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Colombia striker Duran to miss Argentina clash
Xinhua 08 Jun 2025, 06:52 GMT+10 BOGOTA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Striker Jhon Duran has been ruled out of Colombia's World Cup qualifier against Argentina due to a back injury, the Colombian football federation said on Saturday. The 21-year-old complained of discomfort after the Cafeteros' goalless draw with Peru in Barranquilla on Friday and medical staff later confirmed his unavailability for next Tuesday's duel in Buenos Aires. "Jhon has left the squad due to a recurrence of lower back pain that will prevent him from being fit to face Argentina," the federation said in a statement. The entity did not immediately name a replacement for the Al-Nassr player. Colombia is currently sixth in the 10-team South American zone standings with three qualifiers remaining. The top six teams will earn direct entry to football's showpiece tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year while the seventh-ranked side will dispute a playoff.
