Canada's Brady Leman, who had announced his retirement earlier in the week, won his final race at the FIS Ski Cross World Cup in Craigleith ©Alpine Canada

Canada’s Olympic gold medallist Brady Leman brought the curtain down on his career with victory at the 2022-2023 International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Ski Cross World Cup in front of his home fans in Craigleith.

Leman, who announced his retirement earlier this week, defeated France’s Youri Duplessis Kergomard and Switzerland’s Joos Berry in the men's Big Final in Ontario’s Blue Mountains.

"I'm so pumped!" Leman said after the race.

"This is the best way to go out.

"I just wanted to leave it all out there today.

"It was a fight every round and I battled hard the whole day.

"Got a little lucky in the finals but I got to put an exclamation on an amazing career.

"I love racing,

"I've always loved racing!"

"Today was crazy emotional.

"There were some tears this morning and lots of emotion but I tried to keep my focus.

"I'm just so happy to have my family and friends here, and to be with my team-mates."

The 36-year-old Leman had won Canada’s first men's Olympic ski cross medal at Pyeongchang 2018.

"The successes were rewarding, but I will most remember the time with my team-mates whether training, competing, or just hanging out," Leman said last Tuesday (March 14) when announcing his decision to leave the sport.

"Those memories will always bring a smile to my face and are probably what I'm going to miss the most about ski racing."

In the women's Big Final, France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel won the second World Cup race of her career as she finished in front of Canadians Marielle Thompson and Britt Phelan in a race where the favourite and the winner of yesterday’s race, Switzerland’s Fanny Smith, crashed when leading.

After the racing was finished, the Crystal Globe for overall winners of the FIS Ski Cross World Cup were awarded to Canada’s Reece Howden and Sweden’s Sandra Näslund.

Näslund, winner of 10 consecutive World Cup races, had missed the two days of action in Craigleith due to a knee injury.

Howden, having clinched the overall title by winning yesterday, took things easy today and failed to get beyond the second run.

Sweden's Sandra Näslund was officially presented with her Crystal Globe following a season which saw her win 10 consecutive World Cup races before injury stopped her ©FIS
Sweden's Sandra Näslund was officially presented with her Crystal Globe following a season which saw her win 10 consecutive World Cup races before injury stopped her ©FIS

The "Rookie of the Year" awards went to Austrians Mathias Graf, winner of a World Cup leg in Innichen in Italy in December, and Sonja Gigler, whose best performance was a second place in Reiteralm last month.

Both are injured at the moment and were not present in Canada to receive their awards.

To cap off the hugely successful season final for Canada, they earned the Nations Cup trophy as the most successful team of the season.