Evan Bichon of Prince George posted one of the best World Cup results of his snowboard cross career when he finished 12th Friday in Montafon, Austria.
Bichon started the day winning his eighth-final heat and was third in the quarter-final, finishing behind French riders Loan Bozzoillo and Aidan Chollet, who went on to claim gold and bronze respectively.
Adam Lambert of Australia won silver.
Eliot Grondin of Sainte Marie, Que., was the top Canadian in sixth place. James Savard Ferguson of Baie Saint Paul, Que., was 22nd and Liam Moffatt of Truro, N.S. finished 23rd.
Bichon, a 26-year-old Mackenzie native, qualified 28th in a field of 69.
He will be paired with Audrey McManiman of Saine Ambrose de Kildare, Que., in Sunday’s mixed team event.
McManiman was the top Canadian in Fridays women’s race, finishing ninth, just ahead of 10th-place Tess Critchlow of Kelowna. Critchlow and Moffatt will also represent Canada in the team event.
French women Lea Casta and Julia Pereira de Sousa were 1-2 respectively on the podium Friday while World Cup points leader Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain won bronze.
Meanwhile, at the ski cross world championships in Engadin, Switzerland, Gavin Rowell of Prince George had an eventful eighth-final heat on Friday.
Grouped with former Olympic champion Ryan Regez of Switzerland, Rowell and Adam Kappacher of Austria got in front early when Regez and Swiss skier Romain Detraz collided with each other on the first turn. Rowell was trying to catch Kappacher for the lead when he lost an edge and went down on the course, allowing Regez to advance to the quarter-final and he went on to capture gold for his first career world championship title.
Tobias Mueller of Germany was the silver medalist and Ryo Sugai of Japan claimed bronze.
Jared Schmidt of Ottawa topped the list of Canadians in ninth place, one spot ahead of Toronto’s Kevin Drury. Rowell finished 24th and Reece Howden of Curtus Lake was 25th.
Howden is second in the Crystal Globe points standings with 838 points, 12 behind leader Florian Wilmsmann of Germany. Simone Deromedis of Italy is third with 825.
In the women’s race, Fanny Smith of Switzerland got to the finish first ahead of Courtney Hoffos of Invermere and third-place Daniela Meier of Germany.
India Sherritt of Cranbrook placed eighth.
Smith, with 916 points, has overtaken Sherritt (869) in the Crystal Globe points standings.
Schmidt is matched with Abby McEwen of Edmonton, while Drury/Hoffos will also compete in Sunday’s team event.
