Val Thorens, France – Brady Leman picked up his second podium in as many races by taking silver in the men’s final at the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup race in Val Thorens, France, on Wednesday, just ahead of American Joe Swensson.

Leman, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, battled Switzerland’s Armin Niederer all the way to the finish to follow up his second-place result in Telluride, Colo., last week with another second at the first European stop on the 2012-13 ski cross World Cup tour. Leman sits second in the individual ski cross World Cup standings with 200 points. Niederer is first with 260 points.

Fellow Canadian Dave Duncan, of London, Ontario, finished fourth in the men’s final after advancing through three heats alongside Leman.

“I’m proud of what I did today but with that said, I want to win,” said Leman, who was No. 2 in the world last season and has made it his goal to be the first Canadian man to win the individual ski cross World Cup title this year. “The Crystal Globe, for me, it’s my main goal this season. It’s what I’ve set out to get; it’s what I want.

“(I’ve had) two silvers in a row and it’s going to take that kind of consistency this year to have a shot at it.”

Leman and Duncan worked well together all day but in the men’s final there were effectively two separate races as Leman tucked in behind Niederer and Duncan tried to pass Swensson, of Niantic, Conn., from the back of the pack.

Leman battled all the way down and came close on a few occasions but ultimately wasn’t able to pass his Swiss rival.

“When you know you are behind the guy who’s leading the overall . . . I was really trying to get ahead of him but I just couldn’t,” Leman said. “Both ‘Dunc’ and I messed up out of the gate. I was third out of the start and passed the American.  I had the speed coming up behind Armin. He made a little bit of bobble off the second-last jump and he did a nice swing back to keep me behind him. He’s racing so strong right now. It’s going to be interesting to see how the year keeps going.”

It was a long day for all the racers, with course inspections, qualification, training runs and then the finals all squeezed into one day following weather-related issues on the previous two days.

“I’m so pumped about the race. I really needed it because my first two (races this season) weren’t so hot,” said Swensson, whose previous best result was a 12th from last February. “The course was long and had a little bit of everything in terms of terrain. My skis were flying today and I was able to get out in front most of the time. This was a great opportunity to prove to myself that I am capable of competing with the best of them.”

U.S. Freeskiing’s John Teller, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., missed qualifying for the final and finished 40th.

On the women’s side,  Switzerland’s Fanny Smith once again showed she’s the woman to beat this season as she made a superb pass in the ladies’ final to take the win from Norway’s Marte Hoeie-Gjefsen. Austria’s Andrea Limbacher was third.

Smith is now a perfect three for three after the opening three World Cup races of the 2012-13 World Cup season. She leads the ski cross World Cup standings with 300 points, while French veteran Ophelie David is second (182 points).  No American women competed.

Reigning world champion Kelsey Serwa, of Kelowna, British Columbia, was the only Canadian who made it through to the quarter-finals after finishing seventh in the qualification round. Serwa got off to a slow start in her quarter-final and then lost her speed when she was pinched at a turn as she tried to make a pass. She was eliminated and finished 15th.

Next up on the Audi FIS World Cup Ski Cross circuit is a stop in Innichen/San Candido, Italy, Saturday and Sunday.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Ski Cross World Cup
Val Thorens, France – Dec. 19, 2012

Men

Women