Australia’s Jenny Owens delivered her best result in two years with an impressive fifth place in the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships ski cross final in Deer Valley, USA.

Canadian pair Kelsey Serwa and Julia Murray were consistently strong throughout the four race knock out finals series picking up the gold and silver medals while Sweden’s Anna Holmund was third across the line.

Owens qualified for the first of the four rounds in 12th place but drew on the experience acquired from nine years as a national team member to advance to the quarter finals with a second place in the first knock out race.

The Australia won her quarter final ahead of the newly crowned World Champion, who advanced to the semis with a second place.

However, a racing incident, which often goes with the hustle and bustle of this exciting ski discipline, cost Owens the chance of advancing to the medal round.

Finishing the semi in third place, she had to be content with a berth in the consolation final.

The Australian Institute of Sport skier was determined to make a point and crossed the line in the consolation final in first place, ahead of Poland’s Karolina Riemen, German Heidi Zacher, who is currently leading this season’s World Cup points standing, and Norway’s Marte Hoeie Gjefsen.

Teammates Katya Crema and Sami Kennedy finished in 17th and 18th.

In the men’s event, leading skier Scott Kneller had a day he would like to forget. Qualifiying for the first knock out round in 6th place, the NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder and winner of this season’s round two of the World Cup tour, experienced a disastrous start and failed to finish in the top two places required to advance to the next round.

Anton Grimus, who qualified for the finals in 30th place, suffered an equally disappointing day and did not finish his first knock out round race.

In the aerials World Championship finals, Australia’s Laura Peel demonstrated why many observers believe the 21-year-old has great potential by qualifying for the final and achieving a creditable 11th place in the biggest event of her fledgling career. J

umping in front of a huge Deer Valley crowd, the World Championship was won by China’s Shuang Cheng, compatriot Mengtao Xu grabbed silver while Ukrainian Olga Volkova won bronze.

In the men’s event Canadian jumper Warren Shouldice won his first World Championship, a distinction he can now add to his bronze medal from the same event in 2009.

Australia’s David Morris finished in 14th, unfortunately unable to qualify for the final.

OWI