More medals for Wilkie and Arendz at Para cross-country skiing world championships

Photos Nordiq Canada

TOBLACH, Italy – Multiple Paralympic Games champions Natalie Wilkie and Mark Arendz won silver and bronze medals respectively on Wednesday to open the FIS Para Cross-Country World Championships.

Wilkie, a doubles Games champion in Beijing in 2022 from Salmon Arm, B.C., took the silver medal in the women’s 10 kilometre individual classic, crossing the line 36 seconds behind the winner.

Vilde Nilsen of Norway claimed her eighth world title. China’s Zhiqing Zhao was third.

“I’m very satisfied,” said Wilkie, who injured her left hand in a school workshop accident in 2016 and skies with one pole.

‘’It was a tough course and everyone was working super hard. It was a really good race.”

Emma Archibald of Ottawa finished 13th in her world championships debut.

Arendz, an 11-time medallist over four Paralympic Games from Hartsville, PEI, battled to bronze and finished 57 seconds back from the gold medallist.

Japan’s Taiki Kawayoke claimed his first world title since 2019 with a strong second quarter to take a halfway lead. He won by just over six seconds over France’s Karl Tabouret.

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Both Canadian medallists were coming off double golden performances at the Para biathlon worlds which concluded Sunday in Pokljuka, Slovenia. Canada won six medals at the event.

“After last week, that was a tough one to open up with,” said Arendz, also a one pole skier due to losing his arm as a child.

“I’ve done well on this course before so I was just trying to find what worked and seeing what I could do against some of these guys.

‘’It’s tough to compete against these guys but I’m really happy with how it went.”

Derek Zaplotinsky of Smoky Lake, Alta. was seventh in the men’s sitting race.

Competition in Toblach continues Thursday with the team relays

With files from FIS