Canada's Kevin Drury wins World Cup ski cross gold in France

Canada's Kevin Drury battled his way to a gold medal at a World Cup ski cross event on Friday in Val Thorens, France.

Drury found himself fourth at the start of the big final before taking an aggressive line into the first negative turn on the course, vaulting into a lead that he would not surrender.

The win was the Toronto native's first in five years, and he was swarmed by his Canadian teammates after crossing the line.

The winner of Thursday's event, Simone Deromedis of Italy, took silver after a photo-finish with Austrian Tristan Takacs, who claimed bronze.

Reece Howden, of Cultus Lake, B.C., finished first in the small final to end up fifth overall on the day.

On the women's side, Sweden's Sandra Naeslund earned her second of back-to-back gold medals at Val Thorens.

France's Marielle Berger Sabbatel and Switzerland's Fanny Smith won silver and bronze, respectively.

Three Canadian women raced their way into the semifinals but Britt Phelan, Courtney Hoffos, and Hannah Schmidt each ended up in the small final. Phelan finished second in that event to end up sixth overall on the day while Hoffos and Schmidt did not finish the small final.

Earlier in the day, fellow Canadian India Sherret suffered a crash and had to be tobogganed off the course.

Canada's Sherret injured after ski cross crash at World Cup race in France

The next World Cup ski cross event begins on Sunday in Arosa, Switzerland.