Serwa, Leman win X Games gold as Canadians take four skier x medals

Feature photo: Kelsey Serwa holds her skier x gold medal on January 30, 2016. 

Canadians won an incredible four of six medals in the two skier x (ski cross) events at X Games Aspen on Saturday.

Reversing their 1-2 finish at Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Kelsey Serwa and Marielle Thompson won gold and silver in that order in the women’s competition.

That was followed by Brady Leman and Chris Del Bosco going first and third in the men’s race.

Brady Leman bites the X Games medal after winning skier x (ski cross) gold on January 30, 2016.

Brady Leman bites the X Games medal after winning skier x (ski cross) gold on January 30, 2016.

All four skiers are Olympians and have enjoyed a strong World Cup season in the FIS circuit racing with their fellow Alpine Canada teammates. In Aspen, their brilliant tour form extended to the X Games, where their event was returned to the calendar for the first time since 2012.

Serwa had won the 2011 women’s gold in skier x, the same year Del Bosco took silver on the men’s side. A year later Del Bosco was on top of the podium as the only Canadian medallist in the discipline’s last appearance at X Games until this year.

Chris Del Bosco (green bib) extends his arm to beat Alex Fiva of Switzerland for third place at X Games skier x (ski cross) on Saturday, January 30, 2016.

Chris Del Bosco (green bib) extends his arm to beat Alex Fiva of Switzerland for third place at X Games skier x (ski cross) on Saturday, January 30, 2016.

The two non-Canadians on the skier x podium on Saturday were both from France. Alizee Baron was third in the women’s race, while Bastien Midol got between Leman and Del Bosco in the men’s competition, where a dramatic finish saw the Canadian cross ahead of Switzerland’s Alex Fiva by a finger for third.

More X Games wins by O’Brien | Parrot | McMorris

At time of writing, Serwa and Leman joined fellow Canadian Olympians Spencer O’Brien, Max Parrot and Mark McMorris as X Games champions through three days of snowboard and ski competition in Aspen.