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Canada's Reece Howden races to gold at ski cross World Cup in Sweden

Ski cross racer Reece Howden of Cultus Lake, B.C., shown in this file photo, scored a World Cup ski cross gold medal on Sunday in Sweden. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images - image credit)
Ski cross racer Reece Howden of Cultus Lake, B.C., shown in this file photo, scored a World Cup ski cross gold medal on Sunday in Sweden. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images - image credit)

Reece Howden captured his second medal of the weekend in Idre Fjall, Sweden, as the Canadian ski cross racer won gold on Sunday to go along with the silver medal he captured on Saturday.

Howden, of Cultus Lake, B.C., has now landed on the World Cup podium in five consecutive races and sits atop the overall ski cross World Cup standings.

The 24-year-old also won all heats he participated in on Sunday in the lead-up to the final.

"It's pretty sweet," Howden said in a release. "It's been a lot of work and having to do five races a day is tough. Fortunately, right now I'm fast and I'm focusing mentally to control what I can, and to keep fighting to just send it. It seems to be working out for me and I want to keep it rolling.

"The team is skiing great, and I'm super stoked to see the whole team doing well."

On the women's side, Marielle Thompson skied to a bronze medal on Sunday, improving upon her fifth-place result on Saturday.

"Feels good to be back on the podium," said Thompson to Alpine Canada. "I had to redeem myself after yesterday's fifth place. I knew I had better skiing in me and I'm happy to make the big final and to be on the podium. It was tough racing today. There was some wind and you really had to work every feature to find speed wherever possible."

The 30-year-old has now secured a podium finish four times this World Cup season.

In other Canadian results, Ottawa's Jared Schmidt finished sixth overall in the men's event, while Tiana Gairns, of Prince George, B.C., won the women's small final for a fifth-place finish.