Canada's Marielle Thompson claims ski cross Cross Alps title

​Canada's Marielle Thompson overcame an uncharacteristic mistake in Thursday's World Cup ski cross big race to capture the overall women's title from a six-race, 14-day Cross Alps Tour.

The reigning Olympic champion breezed through the heats on the Innichen track in Italy before finishing fourth behind Germany's Heidi Zacher, Fanny Smith of Switzerland and Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France.

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Thompson, 24, also won the season-opening race in Val Thorens, France and four days later in Arosa, Switzerland to remain the overall leader on the World Cup circuit.

The native of Whistler, B.C. added a fourth- and fifth-place finish during the two-week tour over 1,000 kilometres of terrain, from the French Alps to the Italian Dolomites.

Vancouver's Georgia Simmerling, 27, followed Wednesday's third-place finish by winning the women's small final Thursday and finishing fifth overall while Brittany Phelan, 25, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was 12th.

On the men's side, Whistler resident Dave Duncan qualified for his first big final of the season after advancing to the semifinals in a photo finish.

The 34-year-old two-time champion on the Innichen track narrowly missed the podium with a season-best fourth-place result.

Filip Flisar of Slovenia was Thursday's men's champion, followed by Christoph Wahrstotter of Austria and Arnaud Bovolenta of France.

Calgary's Brady Leman was ninth after failing to advance to the semifinals despite sitting second through the quarter-final and dropping out by photo finish. In Arosa, Switzerland, Leman placed second for the second straight event.

Fellow Canadians Kris Mahler, Kevin Drury and Ian Deans finished 16th, 17th and 22nd, respectively on Thursday.

The World Cup schedule resumes Jan. 15 in Watles, Italy.