Mackenzie native Evan Bichon had a great start to the opening week of the World Cup snowboard cross season in Cervinia, Italy.
The 26-year-old was second-quickest in the second qualifying run of the day and placed 22nd overall out of 70 racers to make it into the top 32 for Saturday’s race.
Bichon finished the course in 40.54 to advance to the eighth-final round on Saturday. He finished third in his heat, behind Guillaume Herpin of France and Lorenzo Sommariva of Italy, and was eliminated, placing 21st overall.
Bichon finished the 2023-24 season ranked 23rd in the world and headed into the new season ranked 19th overall in the FIS standings.
Defending Crystal Globe champion Eliot Grondin of Sainte Marie de Beauce, Que., won his quarterfinal and semifinal heats and engaged in a first-place battle with Austrian Jakob Dusek when the two tangled and Grondin fell.
Jacob Dusek went on to win the big final. Cameron Bolton of Australia won silver and Sommariva, the Italian favourite, claimed bronze despite a fall on the first element.
Grondin and Bichon were the only Canadians to qualify for Saturday’s race.
Prince George native Tess Critchlow, 29, a two-time Olympian who grew up in Kelowna, was the lone Canadian to crack the top-16 in women’s qualifying Friday.
Critchlow was 16th-quickest (45.31) in the qualifying round and ended up 16th overall after she finished fourth in her quarterfinal heat.
Lea Casta of France won the women’s big final, her first career World Cup medal, while Josie Baff of Austria took silver and Maja-Li Iafrate Danielson of France won bronze.
Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Meryeta O’Dine of Prince George, 27, was 23rd in her first qualifying run Friday and did not finish her second run.
Thirty-seven racers competed in the women’s event.
Other Canadian qualifying results were as follows:
Women – Audrey McMainiman, Sainte Ambrose de Kildare, Que. (18th, 45.55), Rose Savard-Ferguson, Quebec City (32nd, 48.43); Men – Liam Moffatt, Truro, N.S. (49th, 41.69), Jacob Lebel, Sainte Marie de Beauce Que. (69th, 43.48).
The World Cup snowboard cross tour resumes Jan. 23-25 in Dolni Morava, Czechia.
Meanwhile, on the World Cup ski cross circuit. Gavin Rowell of Prince George is in Arosa, Switzerland for the first event of the season. Qualifying is on Monday and the night-time race is set for Tuesday.
