ZAGREB, Croatia – Frédérique Turgeon of Montreal earned her first career international medal on Wednesday winning the women’s standing slalom at the season-opening event on the Para alpine World Cup circuit.
The 2018 Paralympian who skies with two adaptive poles and on one ski on her left foot, posted a two run time of two minutes and 22.34 seconds in a decisive victory. Petra Smarzova of the Czech Republic was second and Anna-Maria Rieder of Germany third.
‘’This is big,’’ she told Sportcom. ‘’This represents all the efforts that I put into my sport and all the sacrifices I make so I have the opportunity to win. It’s very satisfying to reach your goal after so much training.’’
The first run was held in late afternoon and the second run in the evening in windy conditions. She’ll race in another slalom on Thursday.
‘’I had less energy on my second run,’’ she said. ‘’So I hope to better manage my fatigue in my next race.’’
Turgeon, 19, made her Paralympic Winter Games debut in 2018. She initially competed in Paralympic sports on both legs before a crash that broke her leg in late 2013. She then had to adapt to skiing on one leg. Her right leg has been impaired since birth.
Live streams of the World Cup races and the World Para Alpine Skiing Championship Jan. 21-Feb. 1, are available via the CBC Gem app and cbcgem.ca, as well as on the CPC Facebook page, with select events available on the Radio-Canada Sports app and radio-canada.ca/sports.
