Jenny Owens has finished in second place in the inaugural Continental Cup ski cross at Mt Hotham, going down to former world number one, Alisha Klein of Canada.

Owens claimed the silver despite losing one of her poles, as SSA ski cross coach Matt Lyons reports.

“Jen lost a pole she came out of the start gate in the final, but she managed a couple of very slick passing manoeuvres to muscle into second place, just behind the eventual winner, Alisha Klein.

“Third place went to Julia Murray, who is one of the Canadian team's up and coming young athletes (currently ranked 10th in the world). Murray was holding second place until a gutsy move by Jen on the last berm of the track pushed the Canadian back into the third position.”

“The competition was held under perfect blue skies, with an encouraging field of 30-odd men and 15 women, including members of the Canadian National SX team who were in Hotham for a three-week training and racing block over their summer, as part of preparations leading into the qualifying year for Vancouver 2010.”

“It was a great spectacle, with the standard of the athletes among the best in the world.”

“We head back to New South Wales now for a couple of weeks of start-specific training, using a purpose-built, portable on and off-snow start gate (provided through the combined efforts of NSWIS and the Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Centre) that meets the specifications of the Olympic start gates that will be used in Vancouver in 2010.”

“We're also going to try and get some terrain and jump training in at Thredbo, Perisher and Hotham over the last part of the winter.”