Ski crosser fourth at World Cup event

A split-second blink of an eye.

That’s all that separated Prince George ski cross racer Tiana Gairns from a medal Sunday at the World Cup mixed team event in Bakuriani, Georgia.

Reece Howden, the Crystal Globe series points champion from Cultus Lake, did his part in the Big Final, winning the men’s race, but only by the slightest of margins. Just 16 hundreds of a second separated first from fourth.

In the mixed team event, the women wait in the start gate and the gate drops as soon as their male partner crosses the finish. Gairns hung within striking distance of the leaders for the entire race and was in third place behind Fanny Smith of Switzerland and was right on the tail of second place Sandra Naeslund of Sweden as the skiers approached the bottom part of the course.

Courtney Hoffos of Windermere, whose partner was Chris Del Bosco of Montreal, tucked into the draft and just before the final jump she made her move, passing Gairns and Naeslund for second place and a silver medal.

Gairns and Del Bosco ended up fourth on what was a monumental day for Canada.

“It’s a fun event but as the second racer you feel like you have a bit more pressure but this guy set me up well each round,” said Gairns, 22, who recovered from a shoulder injury and a concussion this season and now ranks 21st in the world.

Her fourth-place result is a career best. Gairns finished eighth in the solo event Saturday, after qualifying fifth-quickest.

Virtually the same course is being put to the test this week when Bakuriani hosts World Cup snowboard cross racing. Meryeta O’Dine, Evan Bichon and Colby Graham, all of Prince George, are on the World Cup tour this season.