Emeline Bennett secured first place in the ski cross at the Junior World Ski Championships ©Alpine Canada

Canada's Emeline Bennett claimed her first ski cross title in just her second appearance at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Junior World Championships in Passo San Pellegrino, while Sweden's Fredrik Nilsson won the men's event.

Bennett defeated Germany's Veronika Redder and Mattli Fersch, and Switzerland's Margaux Dumont, in the big final in Italy.

The Canadian had finished third in qualifying with a time of 1min 2.82sec, but jumped to the top when it mattered most.

Redder kept her place from the qualifying in finishing second.

Dumont finished first in the qualifier with a time of 1:01.55, but struggled to match that speed in the final, taking third.

In the men's event, Nilsson was able to claim a victory in the big final against the line-up of Austria's Christoph Danksagmueller, Robin Tissieres of Switzerland and Britain's Scott Johns.

Nilsson finished with the best time in the qualifiers, a clocking of 57.80sec, and he took that level of performance with him to the final.

Danksagmueller finished in second after claiming the third best time in qualifying.

Tissieres took bronze after ending second in qualification.

In the mixed team event, the Swiss duo of Tissieres and Dumont took victory.

Second place went to Canada's Bennett and Nicholas Katrusiak.

Rounding off the podium was the duo of Edgar Bailleta and Mathilde Brodier of France.