Winter Olympics: Fanny Smith awarded women's ski cross bronze after appeal

Swiss skier Fanny Smith will be awarded the women's ski cross Olympic bronze medal after winning an appeal against a controversial penalty that relegated her outside the Beijing 2022 medals.

Smith, 29, crossed the line third but was demoted when judges decided she had hampered Germany's Daniela Maier.

Maier was awarded the bronze instead.

Smith appealed and the International Ski Federation (FIS) has reversed the decision, finding that her actions were «neither intentional or avoidable».

The FIS said: «The appeals commission met four times and reviewed both video and written documentation for several hours and ultimately found that the contact was the result of a sequence of actions which happened in unison.

»The jury decision should have been rendered as an official warning, which as written in the Guidelines on Intentional Contact, would lead to no sanction."

In a statement, Smith said: «Of course I'm relieved about this decision. I was always convinced that I hadn't made a mistake.

»At the same time, it hurts me to think about Daniela Maier, who is now suffering from the situation."

Sweden's Sandra Naeslund won gold in Zhangjiakou, while Canada's Marielle Thompson claimed the silver.