The Thompson siblings both made some strides forward in different ways in the 2019-20 ski season, and both are feeling amped up for whenever competition returns after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.
For older sister Marielle, the 2014 Olympic ski-cross champion and three-time FIS Crystal Globe winner, the season had several ups and downs. Though she had three victories and finished third in the overall chase for the second consecutive year, the 27-year-old said she had her share of frustrating contests as well.
"I'm happy with how it went. I had a few tough races where I think I just wasn't quite on it and it showed. I got stuck behind other athletes with nowhere to go and I got fourth a few times [on three occasions]," she said. "I think, otherwise, I skied well and won three World Cups, which is pretty awesome."
While the ski-cross World Cup didn't drop many events due to pandemic precautions, Thompson said losing the finals at Veysonnaz, Switzerland scuttled her opportunity to at least climb past Switzerland's Fanny Smith into second overall. Also disappointingly, her mom had come all the way over to watch the racing and faced additional challenges getting home after the contest was wiped out.
"The World Cup finals got cancelled less than a day beforehand," Thompson said. "I was definitely skiing fast on that track, so it was tough news to get."
As part of the trip, Thompson was planning to compete in the first Red Bull SuperSkiCross at Andermatt, Switzerland, but the contest was also postponed until next year.
Thompson noted that she felt she was "just getting going" heading into the final events in Switzerland, and heading into the Olympic qualification years of the quadrennial, feels she's in the spot she wants to be in as part of the four-year flow.
"I'm definitely building. I had some things I wanted to work on this spring, but that's not going to happen with no ski resorts open," she said. "Having to navigate these next few months, having to play it by ear, we don't really know what's going to happen."
Thompson said her conditioning coach has brought over some equipment for her to use at home to keep training over the summer.
Admittedly, Thompson acknowledged even after losing a race, it's been difficult to grasp the situation fully, as her springtime day-to-day is still fairly similar.
"For us winter athletes, it would be our holiday time anyway, a little break from the gym and a break from skiing," she said. "We wouldn't be doing that much different except it might be on a beach or somewhere nicer."
Younger brother Broderick, an Alpine Canada racer, was working his way back from a devastating injury at Nakiska Ski Area while training downhill in advance of the season. Thompson suffered a dislocated knee, a torn ACL, MCL, LCL, and a completely ruptured patella tendon. However, he did return to snow this winter.
"I think I'll be on the same level as everyone else once everything gets going again," he said.
Thompson said he had a return-to-snow camp at resorts in Alberta, doing plenty of freeskiing, before taking the opportunity to focus on skills such as getting back into gates and regaining his speed. Those later camps took place in Panorama and, conveniently, in his own backyard here in Whistler.
"I feel like I'm where I was training-wise," he said. "It worked well with the terrain because in Panorama, the terrain is a little bit more mellow and in Whistler, the Dave Murray Training Centre has a little bit more terrain and picks up the pace a bit. It was a good progression.
"To finish it off in Panorama, it was a good slope where I could push it a bit."
During his local training session, Thompson dropped in with some of the WMSC athletes, working with U14 and U12 racers.
"Coming from me, it gives them a good idea because it's stuff that I'm doing on a regular basis that their coaches are telling them to do," he said. "They might not think it's necessary, but it totally is, and I think when they saw me doing it, they really got the idea.
"I like to give back to the kids because they're in the same boat, just 10 years younger than me."
Thompson is eager to re-join the team and continue his training with new Alpine Canada men's head coach and outgoing Whistler Mountain Ski Club executive director Mark Tilston.
When he does line up in the gate again, Thompson will have a new sticker on his helmet, as he's teamed up with renewable-resource data analytics company Inspiratia, which organized an electric vehicle summit in Whistler last November.
Thompson also feels he'll be in strong shape, all things considered.
"I've been working out in isolation with what I have. I have some weights around the house and have adapted my training program accordingly to what I have. I'm making do," he said.
"Everyone's in the same boat and making the most of it."
