It doesn’t sound like Reece Howden agreed with the decision to run the Olympic men’s ski-cross event in a fierce snowstorm.
The Canadian star sounded off about the conditions after he was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
“This is an absolute joke,” Howden, 27, told CBC Olympics. “Honestly, at this point I’m happy I’m not involved in this race (the semifinals or finals) because this is ridiculous. This is not ski cross, this is terrible. Olympics is supposed to be the best of the best, the peak of our sport. Like I said before, I’ll wait four more years (for another Olympics) because this is an absolute joke.”
Olympic organizers postponed several events in the mountain region this week because of inclement weather. But with the Games scheduled to end Sunday, there was less wiggle room with men’s ski cross.
Howden, a three-time World Cup season champion and the leader in the standings this season, finished fourth in his four-man quarterfinal and was ousted. Only the top two in each quarterfinal advanced.
For the first time since the event debuted at the Winter Olympics in 2010, Canada did not place an athlete on the podium in ski cross at Milano Cortina 2026.
After no Canadian women reached the final Friday, all four Canadian men were eliminated in the quarterfinals or earlier on Saturday.
Kevin Drury was the other Canadian to advance to the men’s quarters, but also finished fourth in his run.
Jared Schmidt and Gavin Rowell were eliminated earlier.
It is now all but guaranteed Canada will finish with its lowest number of medals since the country won 17 in Salt Lake City in 2002.
Canada has 17 at Milano Cortina 2026, and is guaranteed to get at least 19 with men’s curling and men’s hockey teams playing in their respective finals.
