Canadian skier Reece Howden from Cultus Lake, B.C., has made history by securing 21 World Cup gold medals, surpassing the previous record. His recent victories in Switzerland and Italy highlight his dominance in the season leading to the Olympics. Howden now leads the overall standings with 353 points.
The World Cup ski cross season kicked off strongly for Reece Howden, who won three consecutive races in December, breaking records along the way. His first victory came in Arosa, Switzerland, where he claimed his 19th gold medal, overtaking France's Jean-Frederic Chapuis, who had 18. Howden dominated every heat and celebrated at the finish line, saying, “That’s 19, right? Today’s race was unreal. A huge shoutout to Jean-Fred, now retired, setting an amazing benchmark and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to compete with him and to take this mark and to push it higher. This has been hanging over my head for a couple of weeks now and it’s amazing to get it done.”
This achievement positioned Howden as the winningest male ski cross racer in FIS World Cup history. He followed up with back-to-back wins in Innichen, Italy, over a challenging long course. There, he emphasized strategy, noting, “You have to be smart on a long course like this. If you’re tired, you know that the other racers are tired as well and conserve energy where you can.” His success in Innichen included four career wins at the venue, another record for male ski cross racers. Howden reflected, “It’s special to have a weekend like this in a place like Innichen. It’s a tough track, and the legs are a little tired. This is a great way to start the Christmas season, and looking forward to getting home for the holidays.”
These triumphs brought Howden's total to 21 gold medals across 81 World Cup starts, with 33 podiums—a 30 percent win rate. He now tops the season standings with 353 points, ahead of Italy's Simone Deromedis at 260. Four more races await before the Olympics in Livigno, Italy, where men's ski cross is scheduled for February 21, 2026.
