Canadian freestyle skier Dara Howell scores big air bronze

Canadian freestyle skier Dara Howell will bring home a bronze medal from the first big air event of the World Cup season.

Huntsville, Ont., athlete takes 1st medal of the season in Italy

Canada's Dara Howell, shown in this February 2014 file photo, won a bronze medal at a World Cup big air event on Sunday in Modena, Italy. (File/Getty Images)

Canadian freestyle skier Dara Howell will bring home a bronze medal from the first big air event of the World Cup season.

Howell, of Huntsville, Ont., scored a combined total of 151.50 points in the season-opening event in Modena, Italy.

Switzerland occupied the top two spots on the podium as Mathilde Gremaud (178.00) won gold and Giulia Tanno (159.50) took silver.

Canada's Megan Oldham finished in fifth place with 103.25 points.

It was Howell's first World Cup competition after she opted for a season-ending knee surgery in October of 2018.