Canada’s Reece Howden Slims Down to Frustration Over Olympic Ski Cross Conditions
Canada’s men’s ski cross team faced an abrupt end at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games on Saturday, with all four Canadian entrants knocked out in the quarterfinals. Reece Howden, the reigning World Cup Crystal Globe winner, was among them and didn’t hide his disappointment about the course conditions in an interview with CBC’s Kelly VanderBeek.
“Honestly, the weather is ridiculous. It is a joke,” Howden said after his race. “I bet you – I don’t know what the times are, but it’s gotta be, like, 10 to 15 seconds slower. It’s a completely different course.” He added, “If I waited four years for this [event], I’ll wait for another four because this is a joke.”
Heavy snowfall had complicated racing, creating slow zones away from the main lip of the course and making it hard for athletes to clear the jumps. Howden described the conditions as snowing so aggressively that the track felt “dead slow,” calling the situation “an absolute joke” and saying he was glad not to be involved in the race because it wasn’t true ski cross.
After topping the seeding round with the fastest time, Howden started strong in his 1/8 final heat and moved into second place. However, in the quarterfinals, he was crowded on a turn by Italy’s Federico Tomasoni, losing momentum and finishing fourth, which ended his Olympic run in his second Games.
Other Canadians also exited in the quarterfinals. Kevin Drury of Toronto advanced from the 1/8 final by finishing second, but finished fourth in his quarterfinal heat. Ottawa’s Jared Schmidt, 28, finished second in his 1/8 final heat but received a yellow card for contact from behind, leaving him ranked last (RAL); he reacted by smashing a ski pole in the finish area. Gavin Rowell of Prince George, B.C., placed fourth in his 1/8 final and did not advance.
Italy’s Simone Deromedis won the event, with Federico Tomasoni taking silver and Switzerland’s Alex Fiva earning bronze.
If you’re following Milano-Cortina 2026, you’ll see this event noted for harsh weather and contested conditions that sparked debate about whether Olympic-level ski cross should proceed under such weather. And this is the part many readers wonder about: should organizers adjust course design or scheduling to protect athletes in extreme conditions, or is pushing through the peak of competition the true test of Olympic spirit? Share your thoughts on whether the conditions were fair and what changes, if any, you’d advocate for in future games.
