SAN CANDIDO, Italy (AP) — World champion Kelsey Serwa of Canada won her first ski cross race since returning from an injury, ending Swiss rival Fanny Smith’s run of three straight victories to open the season.
Serwa won the opening two World Cup races at San Candido last season then injured her knee.
She looks back at her best, having dominated the quarterfinal and semifinal, then rallying from last to first in a wild final Sunday, which saw Swiss standout Katrin Mueller spin out and French veteran Ophelie David disqualified.
Canadian teammate Georgia Simmerling finished second, and Mueller ended up third.
Smith, who finished last in the small final, still leads the standings.
In the men’s final, Switzerland’s Alex Fiva got his first victory this season, finishing ahead of Germany’s Daniel Bohnacker and Sweden’s Victor Oehling Norberg.
