Perisher ski cross racer Sami Kennedy-Sim enjoyed a World Cup career best performance when she clocked the third fastest time in qualifying and convincingly won the consolation final to finish fifth overall Blue Mountain, Canada.

Canadian Marielle Thompson, Austrian Katrin Ofner and Switzerland’s Katrin Mueller filled the podium placings.

The 23-year-old Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport athlete is experiencing her best World Cup season since debuting in 2008.

It was only several weeks ago that Kennedy-Sim achieved a then personal best, a sixth overall in the World Cup fourth round at the French resort of Alpe d’Huez.

The last 12 months have seen a significant turn-around for Kennedy-Sim and her results in the last month show that an even stronger commitment with training and focusing more on the technical aspects of her skiing are translating into higher finishes.

AIS ski cross program head coach Matt Lyons said Kennedy-Sim was happy with fifth yet disappointed that an error in her semi-final cost her a chance to make her first World Cup final.

“It was a little unfortunate that she did not get into the final,” Lyons said.

“She made a mistake up at the top when she was in second place and Katrin Ofner was able to pass her. Sami was definitely in there with a good chance to qualify for the final.

“Sami has done a lot of training and put in a lot of hard work and things are starting to come together for her.”

Teammate Katya Crema qualified 10th but was also beaten to the line by Ofner in a quarter final to miss the semis to finish the day 11th overall.

The team’s number one female athlete, Jenny Owens, crashed in her quarter final to finish in 14th place.

In the men’s event, Anton Grimus qualified for the finals after being 11th fastest, however, a race strategy error pushed him back to 16th place overall.

Canadian Brady Leman won with compatriot Christopher Delbosco second and Austrian Andreas Matt third.

The Blue Mountain event marked the half way stage of the World Cup ski cross season and the Australians will return home for 10 days before resuming their campaign in Bischofswiesen/Goetschen, German, on February 25.