Para snowboard makes PyeongChang debut

A beautiful sunny day greeted the Para snowboard team at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre for the first of two Para snowboard medal events of PyeongChang 2018. Para snowboard cross was the first event for the Canadian team, with the discipline making only its second appearance at the Paralympic Winter Games. Canadians came flying out of the gate during the qualification runs, with all seven snowboarders making it through to the 1/8th final heats. 

An all-Canadian matchup in Men’s Upper Limb saw Curt Minard (Vernon, BC) edge out Canadian teammate Andrew Genge (Oshawa, ON) to qualify for the quarter-finals, before falling to Italy’s Manuel Pozzerle. In Men’s LL-2, John Leslie (Arnprior, ON) beat out Australia’s Ben Tudhope before narrowly losing out to Japan’s Gurimu Narita in the quarter-final matchup.

Racing in Women’s LL-1, Calgary’s Michelle Salt was the top Canadian in fourth, and like the rest of her teammates, left everything out on the course.

“Today I rode my heart out, I put it all out on the course and I couldn’t be happier with my fourth-place finish“, said Salt. “I also just want to say a big thanks to Canada for all the love and support. I feel like I was able to accept my fourth-place finish today because I had my country behind me and I know that no matter what they are proud.”

Snowboarding returns to the slopes of the Jeongseon Alpine Centre on March 16th for the first-ever Games appearance of Banked Slalom.