Smith wraps up Crystal Globe with podium finish on day one in Idre Fjäll

Fanny Smith has won the 2025 Crystal Globe after finishing third on day one in Idre Fjäll on Saturday.

Smith started the day 135 points ahead of nearest active rival Joli Galli, knowing a good performance on day one in Sweden would be enough to wrap up the Overall a day early.

As it was, Smith was thrown an early bit of fortune in the form of Galli being knocked out at the quarter-final stage when the Italian finished third behind Smith and her Swiss team-mate Anna Dietrich.

Smith went on to win her semi-final and then battled well to finish in third in a big final won by Germany's Daniela Maier, with Courtney Hoffos of Canada taking second place.

It is Smith's fourth Crystal Globe title, having previously come out on top in 2013, 2019 and 2021.

"Wow. Amazing. Incredible," the Swiss skier said. "I couldn't wish for better. It's... wow.

"It's pretty special after everything I've been through the last year. It's what I'm skiing for and giving everything to try to still be on top.

"What I'm most proud of is that I have this longevity and consistency. It's a lot of hard work and a lot of determination and work for the sport, so I'm happy."

Smith says she was not thinking of the permutations of what making the big final did for her points tally ahead of her last race.

"I didn't really think about it," she said. "I was just trying to ski my best - but I didn't for the final, I completely messed up my start.

"Then I was just thinking about pushing back and at least get on the podium, which I did and I'm really happy."

It caps off an incredible season for the 32-year-old, who is also a double world champion after winning gold in the individual as well as the mixed team events in St. Moritz last weekend. However, despite having secured the Globe a day early, she says she will still go all out on day two of racing on Sunday.

"I'm obviously pretty tired after the world champs and after this season," she said. "We've never had so many races; tomorrow will be the 19th race of the season.

"It's kind of tough and I feel it honestly now that it's the end of the season. I'm happy but tomorrow I will still fight for it and enjoy it."

Maier is now third in the standings courtesy of her victory - India Sherret is second but out for the season with an injury suffered at the World Championships - with Smith out in front on 976 points and Maier on 865. There are only a maximum of 100 points available on day two in Idre Fjäll on Sunday, which means the Swiss star cannot be caught.

"It was tricky today with the wind and everything," Maier said of her victory. "For the final run I just said to myself 'Dani, do the fastest start you can do, and then all the way down'.

"It was good, that run down. It was perfect."

Hoffos described the day's racing as "tough battling" and “a lot of fun”, adding that she wants to end her campaign strongly on Sunday's final day.

"I'm definitely excited to end the season on a high note," the Canadian said.

"I'm tired, I can feel it. My body is like 'Yeah, we can be done'. It's been a lot of fun, the latter part of the season."

Marielle Berger Sabbatel was the woman to miss out on a podium place after coming fourth in the big final, which leaves her in fifth place overall on 799 points. Galli is fourth with 807 points.

Dietrich, meanwhile, ended her impressive day by winning the small final to take fifth spot - her best World Cup result in five appearances, having only made her debut in Veysonnaz last month.

Dietrich was followed over the line by French pair Jade Grillet Aubert and Anouck Errard, while Talina Gantenbein of Switzerland took eighth spot overall.

Advantage Howden in race for men's Globe

Reece Howden was the big winner in the men's section on Saturday, winning each of his races all the way to the big final to take 100 points in the race for the men's Crystal Globe.

It could scarcely have been tighter at the top at the beginning of the day, with Howden coming into the race lying second in the Overall; 12 points behind leader Florian Wilmsmann and 13 points ahead of Simone Deromedis.

As it was, Germany's Wilmsmann suffered an early exit, coming third in his opening heat after struggling to get the better of lightning-quick pair Youri Duplessis Kergomard and defending Crystal Globe champion David Mobaerg.

That left the door open for Howden and Deromedis, who both duly took their chance as the Canadian ended the day at the top of the podium with the Italian next to him after finishing second.

If Howden's racing was all-conquering - qualifying fastest and winning each of his races - Deromedis was made to work a bit harder for his podium place.

The 24-year-old nearly lost out at the quarter-final stage as he found himself in third place late on, chasing Olympic and World Champion Ryan Regez and Tristan Takats with the finish line nearing. The Italian was able to put on the afterburners in the closing stages to eventually win the quarter-final, setting up a place in a semi-final from which he and Howden progressed together.

Following Saturday's results, Howden now leads the Overall with 938 points, 33 points ahead of Deromedis in second. Wilmsmann is in third on 866 points - 72 points adrift of the Canadian pacesetter - with one last day of racing to come.

"It's definitely been a stressful day and we've still got a little bit of stress left," Howden said.

"I'm just trying to focus on myself. Everyone's been working really hard and making it easy. The techs were up before five this morning getting the skis ready.

"Kudos to the staff for making this an easy day. I'm just happy to be able to do my job and focus where it counts."

After Deromedis' heroics to reach the big final, he found himself in a similar position late on in the showpiece: in third with plenty to do. Once again, though, he finished superbly to overhaul Erik Mobaerg who would eventually finish third, and very nearly caught Howden but couldn't quite manage it in time.

"In the last race I was catching up so much, I had double draft and the skis were super fast," Deromedis said.

"I hoped until the last feature to also get Reece but he's a really fast guy on this track. I'll get him tomorrow!"

Deromedis said nerves were not a factor ahead of the big final, given that he had ensured he would at least be close to Howden regardless of the result.

"I am in the best position I could be," he said. "I came into this race with a big gap to the fourth guy and a small gap to the guys in front of me, so I had nothing to lose - just something to win."

The Italian, who has traded the Overall lead with Wilmsmann and Howden all season - maintaining that it never brought the leader any luck as it always seemed to change hands - wondered if the curse would strike once more on Sunday.

"We will see if the golden bib spell will hit again," he said. "Hopefully tomorrow we can make it; it's still close, it's still open for the three of us and we're going to fight until the end."

David Mobaerg finished the big final in fourth, while Germany's Tobias Mueller won the small final ahead of Swiss pair Tobias Baur and Regez, and Edoardo Zorzi of Italy.

It all means that after 16 races of the season, the men's Crystal Globe will go to the final day as it did last year. Twelve months ago Howden lost out to David Mobaerg on the self-same Idre Fjäll track.

The Canadian will be doing everything in his power to ensure that doesn't happen again, but regardless of the result, he is aware he will have a mammoth task on his hands keeping Deromedis and Wilmsmann at bay.

"We all know how hard we've all battled," Howden said of his rivals. "We're just going to take it one heat at a time.

"We're here to battle. Those guys were skiing really fast today. Florian had a mean heat to start with, with David and Youri. I'm definitely happy I wasn't starting out in that heat.

"Kudos to him for putting down that battle. It just didn't go in his favour, but he's going to be really trying to get a win tomorrow - I know it, and I know he's going to be in the big final.

"We all love to win and that's why we're here. It's going to be a battle every race and we all know that. It's going to be one heat at a time and don't expect an easy inch."

The final day of the FIS Ski Cross World Cup season takes place on day two in Idre Fjäll on Sunday 30 March.