Canada fails to make Olympic women’s ski-cross podium for first time

For the first time, there won’t be a Canadian woman on the ski-cross podium.

Marielle Thompson, Brittany Phelan and Hannah Schmidt were all eliminated in the quarterfinals of the event on Friday in Livigno at the Milano-Cortina Olympics.

Thompson, 33, entered these Games as a strong favourite to add a third medal to her gold from 2014 and silver from 2022. She was Canada’s opening ceremony flag-bearer, alongside Mikael Kingsbury.

But lining up in the first quarterfinal, she was knocked out by top seed Daniela Maier of Germany and France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel.

Phelan and Schmidt then lined up next to each other in the third quarterfinal, but were taken out by Switzerland’s Franny Smith and France’s Jade Grillet Aubert.

Maier went on to capture gold while Smith took silver and Sweden’s Sandra Naeslund earned bronze.

Ski cross was introduced to the Olympic program at Vancouver 2010. The men’s ski-cross event in Italy is set for Saturday.

Meanwhile, Canada will also head home empty-handed in men’s aerials.

Both Lewis Irving and Emile Nadeau barely missed out on the second final, finishing seventh and ninth, respectively.

Irving, 30, helped Canada win bronze in the mixed-team event four years ago in Beijing, breaking a 20-year drought in the sport. Nadeau, 22, was also competing at his second Games.

Canada’s final shot for an aerials medal will come as it attempts to return to the podium Saturday in the mixed-team event.