Biography:

At Sochi 2014, Marielle Thompson made sure the women’s Olympic ski cross gold medal remained in Canadian hands. After winning each of her eighth-final, quarterfinal, and semifinal heats, Thompson defeated teammate Kelsey Serwa in the Big Final for Canada’s third 1-2 finish of the Games.

Since making her World Cup debut in December 2010, Thompson has become one of the world’s biggest ski cross stars. She was just 19 when she earned her first World Cup gold medal in February 2012, which happened to come on Canadian soil at Blue Mountain. She ended the season with a total of six World Cup podiums, including three victories, to give her the overall World Cup title in women’s ski cross. That put her in the history books as the first Canadian ski cross racer to win a Crystal Globe.

Thompson got off to a slower start in 2012-13, but the end of her season more than made up for it. She won a silver medal at the World Cup event in Sochi that served as the Olympic test event. She went on to win silver at the 2013 FIS World Championships, putting Canada on the women’s ski cross podium for the third straight worlds. Still just 20, she was eligible to compete at the 2013 FIS World Junior Championships and won the gold medal. In 2013-14 she won her second Crystal Globe on the strength of six podium finishes in 11 races and never placing lower than fifth.

Thompson competed in just three World Cup events in 2014-15, winning all of them, before a knee injury at the world championships cut her season short. She returned to the World Cup circuit in the fall of 2015, finishing second in the World Cup standings as she racked up four victories. Thompson claimed her third Crystal Globe in 2016-17, posting wins in seven of her 13 starts. That brought her career total to 20 victories in her 31 World Cup podiums.

In mid-October 2017, Thompson ruptured her ACL and MCL when she fell during a training run in Switzerland and underwent surgery. Despite not competing at all in the months that followed, she was still named to the PyeongChang 2018 team. In her first race after the injury, she posted the fastest time in the Olympic qualification round but was eliminated in the 1/8 finals.

A little more about Marielle…

Getting into the Sport: Skated and skied as a child… Started skiing at age two… Began ski racing at age 11 and started ski cross at age 16… Outside Interests: Enjoys cross-country biking, hiking… Odds and Ends: As a child she looked up to Canadian alpine skier Britt Janyk who was also from Whistler… Not overly superstitious but does toss salt over her shoulder if she spills it and doesn’t walk under ladders… Attended the Vancouver 2010 ski cross events as a spectator…

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