Canadian Para skier, Alexis Guimond, clinched the gold medal in the men’s standing super-G race at a recent World Cup event held in Saalbach, Austria. Hailing from Gatineau, Quebec, Guimond topped the competition with a remarkable time of one minute and three seconds, securing the top spot on the podium. France’s Arthur Bauchet (1:03.06) and Russia’s Aleksei Bugaev (1:03.81) claimed the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Guimond’s victory in the super-G race marked his third consecutive win in the discipline this season, adding to his impressive track record of seven podium finishes out of 10 World Cup races. Expressing his satisfaction with his performance, Guimond mentioned the challenging course setup during the race and credited his ability to maintain speed through difficult sections for his success. The back-to-back wins have significantly boosted his confidence this season, with the athlete acknowledging the positive momentum within the team.
Meanwhile, fellow Canadian competitor Kurt Oatway secured the bronze medal in the men’s sitting event, crossing the finish line in 1:04.75. Jeroen Kampschreur of the Netherlands claimed the gold with a time of 1:03.24, while Takeshi Suzuki of an impressive silver performance in 1:04.53.
Oatway, who hails from Calgary and had been managing an injury, expressed his delight at returning to competition and achieving a podium finish in his first race of the season. The result affirmed his skill foundation and provided motivation to build momentum as the season progresses towards the Paralympic Games in Cortina.
In the women’s standing super-G category, Mollie Jepsen of West Vancouver, British Columbia, secured the bronze medal with a time of 1:09.26, marking her seventh podium finish of the season. Jepsen highlighted her satisfaction with her consistent performances in the super-G discipline and expressed eagerness to further improve. Varvara Voronchikhina claimed the gold with a time of 1:07.93, while France’s Aurelie Richard secured the silver in 1:08.54. Additionally, Michaela Gosselin of Collingwood, Ontario, finished fifth in 1:13.08.
The Canadian Para skiing team’s strong showing in the World Cup event reflects their dedication and hard work towards the upcoming Milano Cortina Paralympic Games.