Double podium for Del Bosco at Val Thorens World Cup

Chris Del Bosco (right) flies through the air in Val Thorens France, on December 11, 2015 (Photo: GEPA Pictures for FIS). 

He may be a winter athlete, but Olympian Chris Del Bosco is scorching hot.

The Olympic ski cross racer from Canada kicked off the 2015-16 World Cup season with a victory last week in Montafon, Austria. This weekend at two World Cup races in Val Thorens, France, Del Bosco found the podium twice.

On Friday, Del Bosco won his second consecutive race, beating Filip Flisar of Slovakia and his own Alpine Canada teammate Brady Leman. A week ago in Austria Del Bosco and Leman were first and second.

Chris Del Bosco (third from right) and Brady Leman (second from right) take first and third World Cup podium places in Val Thorens, France on December 11, 2015 (Photo: GEPA Pictures for FIS).

Chris Del Bosco (third from right) and Brady Leman (second from right) take first and third World Cup podium places in Val Thorens, France on December 11, 2015 (Photo: GEPA Pictures for FIS).

A day later, Del Bosco was back in the medals finishing third behind Jean Chapuis of France and Austrian Thomas Harasser. Leman’s podium streak ended at two as he placed sixth. Del Bosco is the overall FIS World Cup leader in men’s ski cross through three outings.

On the women’s side, Olympic champion Marielle Thompson at Val Thorens couldn’t quite duplicate her impressive winning start to the season in Montafon, although with fourth and fifth place results in the two races she stays in the hunt for the overall title behind Anna Holmlund of Sweden, who dominated this weekend winning both World Cup contests.

The tour moves to Innichen, Italy next weekend with two more World Cup events. There are two Canadian stops this season in Nakiska, Alberta (January 23, 2016) and the season finale at Blue Mountain in Ontario (March 19, 2016).