France's Bastien Midol topped the men's qualification standings yet again at the FIS Ski Cross World Cup in Sunny Valley in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region ©Getty Images

France's Bastien Midol and Canada's Marielle Thompson topped the respective men's and women's qualification standings for the second day running at the International Ski Federation Ski Cross World Cup in Sunny Valley in Russia's Chelyabinsk region.

World Cup leader Midol clocked an unrivalled time of 1min 01.67sec among the men on the Cross Park course.

Fellow Frenchman Francois Place finished second in 1:02.00, while Canada's Brady Leman came third in 1:02.29.

The top 32 athletes have all qualified for the final.

Midol currently sits atop the World Cup standings with 496 points, putting him 113 ahead of compatriot Jean-Frédéric Chapuis who ranked fourth today.

In women's qualification, recently-crowned world champion Thompson prevailed with a time of 1:05.58.

Switzerland's Fanny Smith, who walked away from Sunny Valley with a victory last season, finished second in 1:05.69, while France's Alizee Baron came third in 1:05.74.

The top 16 athletes have all qualified for the final.

Smith leads the World Cup standings on 563 points with Sweden's Sandra Naeslund, the seventh-place finisher today, second on 550 and Thompson third on 470.

Finals in Sunny Valley are due to be held tomorrow and on Sunday (February 24).