TIGNES, France — Canadian freestyle skier Naomi Urness won gold in the women’s big air event at a World Cup stop Friday to secure the Crystal Globe as the season champion.
The 21-year-old from Mont-Tremblant, Que., needed a sixth-place finish or better in Tignes to clinch the title in her rookie season. She finished atop the big air standings with 340 points, ahead of Finland’s Anni Karava (230) and Britain’s Kirsty Muir (219).
Urness scored 166.75 to edge Karava (166.00). Switzerland’s Giulia Tanno was third at 160.00.
The victory was Urness’s second World Cup win and fourth big air podium this season, following a second-place finish in Secret Garden, China, on Nov. 29, a third-place result in Beijing on Dec. 6 and a win in Steamboat, Colo., on Dec. 13.
The only interruption in her string of podium finishes came with a sixth-place result at last month’s Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy.
In the men’s event, Norway’s Tormod Frostad won gold with 186.50 points, followed by compatriot Leo Landroe (171.00) and American Troy Podmilsak (170.50). Canada’s Dylan Deschamps was fifth at 166.50.
