The Whistler Freeride Team’s Aleisha Cline continued to dominate women’s skier cross by defending her title in the X-Games Skier Cross at Aspen Colorado on Jan. 30.
The format is similar to other skier cross events, but with six skiers in the gate rather than four.
Cline easily won her bracket, and advanced with the top three to the finals, where she faced some of the top racers in the world. She was challenged by Karin Huttary of Austria the whole way down, but held on to win gold.
"As I was racing I could see there was somebody there. And there was not supposed to be anyone there. I was surprised to have someone that close," Cline told Freeze Magazine.
Cecilie Hagen Larsen of Norway was third, Magdalena Jonsson of Sweden was fourth, and Valentine Scuotto and Ophelie David of France were fifth and sixth in the final.
Whistler’s Ashleigh McIvor, competing in only her second professional skier cross, narrowly missed the finals with a fourth place finish in her bracket, but went on to win the consolation final.
Both McIvor and Cline have remained in Aspen to compete in the U.S. Open contests this weekend.
For complete results from the winter X-Games, visit www.expn.com/x-games/wxg/vii/
