Mark Arendz crowned Para biathlon World Cup season champion

TORSBY, Sweden – Mark Arendz ended the 2024-25 Para biathlon World Cup season with a bang Tuesday as he won the final race to capture the Crystal Globe as the overall season champion for a second straight year.

It’s a third straight overall crown for Arendz and fourth in his career.

“It feels fantastic,” said Arendz. “Staying on the podium is something I’m really proud of. There are always ups and downs, but consistent shooting and skiing have been the key to success.”

In Tuesday’s men’s standing sprint pursuit race, Arendz, an 12-time medallist over four Paralympic Winter Games, was flawless in the shooting range and clocked 12 minutes and 16.2 seconds. Alexandr Gerlits of Ukraine was second, six seconds back, and Karl Tabouret of France was third in 12:39.90.

“I can’t imagine a better way to end the season,’’ said Arendz. “The two previous races here were a bit of a struggle as I was trying to find the right momentum and gear. I had some difficulties, but today I really wanted to make up for those and ensure I had a quality final race. I focused on being perfect on the range, and that was the key to today’s win.”

The 34-year-old from Hartsville, PEI showed this season he is one of Canada’s top multi-medal hopes for next year’s Paralympic Winter Games. According to the International Biathlon Union (IBU), he earned seven wins in 11 starts. He also stood on the podium in the remaining four competitions.

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“The focus now is to fine-tune everything over the next 12 months—building the ability to perform on demand at the biggest event in Para sport.”

Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C. completed her season placing fourth in the women’s standing pursuit and finished second in the overall standings. The 24-year-old showed a big improvement in biathlon this season.

In Para biathlon, she won four World Cup races in 2024-25 and was a double champion at the world championships.

She’ll be looking to win her first Paralympic medal in Para biathlon at Milano Cortina next year. She already has seven in Para cross country at the last two Games.