Canadian snowboard cross athlete Éliot Grondin secured a spot on the podium at a World Cup competition held in Dongbeiya, China. Grondin finished behind Austria’s Jakob Dusek in the final race, earning a silver medal, while Australia’s Adam Lambert claimed the bronze.
Last year’s world championship winner and men’s Crystal Globe holder, Grondin, celebrated his first podium finish of the season and the 26th of his career. The 24-year-old from Sainte-Marie, Quebec, who previously clinched a silver and a mixed team bronze at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, will compete in the men’s snowboard cross event at the upcoming Milan Cortina Games on Feb. 12 in Livigno, Italy.
Following Saturday’s competition, Grondin advanced to second place in the overall discipline standings with 116 points, trailing Lambert by only four points, while Dusek closely followed in third place, three points behind Grondin. Unfortunately, the only other Canadian contender, Evan Bichon from North Vancouver, was eliminated in the round of 16, with no Canadian progressing beyond the qualification round in the women’s event.
Grondin’s impressive performance marked a significant improvement from his seventh-place finish at the initial World Cup event in Italy. The competition in Dongbeiya will continue on Sunday, serving as the final World Cup event before the Milano Cortina Winter Games, where Grondin aims to enhance his medal collection with a gold after securing silver and bronze at Beijing 2022.
Those interested can catch the live coverage of Sunday’s event starting at 12 a.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.