Big Air Mar: Olympic champ Thompson edges Smith to win gold and Crystal Globe

LA PLAGNE, France – Canadian skicross star Marielle Thompson capped her dream season in style Sunday by winning her second career Crystal Globe.

Thompson, who won Olympic gold last month at the Sochi Games, edged rival Fanny Smith of Switzerland to win the final World Cup of the season Sunday.

The Canadian entered the competition with a slim five-point lead on Smith in the World Cup rankings.

Thompson, from Whistler, B.C., fell behind Smith in the final before executing a dramatic pass to take gold and the overall title. Smith settled for silver and Georgia Simmerling of West Vancouver, B.C., won bronze.

Calgary’s Brady Leman won bronze in the men’s race. Jean Frederic Chapuis of France won gold and Austria’s Christoph Wahrstoetter took the silver.

The 21-year-old Thompson became the first Canadian to win a skicross Crystal Globe in 2012. She won this season’s overall title with 755 points.

Smith was second with 730 and Ophelie David of France was third with 572 points.

Sweden’s Victor Oehling Norberg won the men’s Crystal Globe with 494 points. Andreas Matt of Austria was second with 482 and Germany’s Daniel Bohnacker was third with 399 points.