Australia's ski cross World Championship preparation received a confidence boost last night with a strong performance in Germany.
Competing in the World Cup sixth round in Grasgehren, all three women team members finished in the top 13, a team best this season.
Jenny Owens, a veteran of 29 World Cup starts and three podiums, lead the charge by finishing seventh, her fourth consecutive top 10 place this season and will go into next Friday's World Championships in the United States with solid prospects.
The final was won by Sweden's Anna Holmlund, Germany's Heidi Zacher was second while Switzerland's Katrin Mueller finished third.
Fellow AIS/NSWIS scholarship holder, 22-year-old Sami Kennedy recorded an individual season best performance by qualifying ninth fastest, just one place behind Owens, and ended the day in 11th, her best finish since making her World Cup debut in 2008.
A further two places back in 13th, Katya Crema also enjoyed her best World Cup finish of the season after qualifying in 12th.
But as far as the Australian team was concerned, the day belonged to Owens who finished in second place in her quarter final after challenging for the lead throughout the race but unfortunately the Perisher based skier missed the start of her semi-final, which cost her any chance of advancing to the final.
Owens turned around her misfortunes at the starting gate in the consolation final and quickly gained second position only to be overtaken towards the end of the race by a fast finishing Andrea Limbacher from Austria.
AIS Ski cross head coach Matt Lyons said that Owens skied well despite being physically exhausted before the World Cup sixth round.
Owens' preparation for this season's World Cup was not as rigorous as she would have liked due to a recovery period after knee surgery last March.
Lyons added that Owens will benefit from several days of rest before the World Championships, an event she finished 15th in two years ago in Inawashiro, Japan.
In the men's event, Mt Buller-based 20-year-old Anton Grimus finished 24th after making what Lyons described as a "rookie error". He finished behind event winner Andreas Matt from Austria, compatriot Patrick Koller and Switzerland's Armin Niederer in third.
The team's number one men's skier, Scott Kneller, missed the Grasgehren event to compete in the X-Games in Aspen, United States.
All members of the AIS ski cross team will now travel to Utah for the World Championships event later this week.
Competing in the World Cup sixth round in Grasgehren, all three women team members finished in the top 13, a team best this season.
Jenny Owens, a veteran of 29 World Cup starts and three podiums, lead the charge by finishing seventh, her fourth consecutive top 10 place this season and will go into next Friday's World Championships in the United States with solid prospects.
The final was won by Sweden's Anna Holmlund, Germany's Heidi Zacher was second while Switzerland's Katrin Mueller finished third.
Fellow AIS/NSWIS scholarship holder, 22-year-old Sami Kennedy recorded an individual season best performance by qualifying ninth fastest, just one place behind Owens, and ended the day in 11th, her best finish since making her World Cup debut in 2008.
A further two places back in 13th, Katya Crema also enjoyed her best World Cup finish of the season after qualifying in 12th.
But as far as the Australian team was concerned, the day belonged to Owens who finished in second place in her quarter final after challenging for the lead throughout the race but unfortunately the Perisher based skier missed the start of her semi-final, which cost her any chance of advancing to the final.
Owens turned around her misfortunes at the starting gate in the consolation final and quickly gained second position only to be overtaken towards the end of the race by a fast finishing Andrea Limbacher from Austria.
AIS Ski cross head coach Matt Lyons said that Owens skied well despite being physically exhausted before the World Cup sixth round.
Owens' preparation for this season's World Cup was not as rigorous as she would have liked due to a recovery period after knee surgery last March.
Lyons added that Owens will benefit from several days of rest before the World Championships, an event she finished 15th in two years ago in Inawashiro, Japan.
In the men's event, Mt Buller-based 20-year-old Anton Grimus finished 24th after making what Lyons described as a "rookie error". He finished behind event winner Andreas Matt from Austria, compatriot Patrick Koller and Switzerland's Armin Niederer in third.
The team's number one men's skier, Scott Kneller, missed the Grasgehren event to compete in the X-Games in Aspen, United States.
All members of the AIS ski cross team will now travel to Utah for the World Championships event later this week.
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