VEYSONNAZ, Switzerland – Two-time Paralympic Games medallist Alexis Guimond continued to display consistency this season on the Para alpine World Cup circuit on Monday with a bronze medal in the men’s standing giant slalom at this winter’s third stop.
Guimond, from Gatineau, Que., has reached the podium in his six World Cup races this season with one gold, two silver and three bronze.
It was one of two bronze for the Canadians on Monday. Canada Games champion Kalle Eriksson of Cochrane, Alta. and his guide, former women’s national team member Sierra Smith of Ottawa, were third in the men’s visually impaired GS.
Robin Cuche of Switzerland won the men’s standing gold with a two-run time of 1:52.24 as the thermometer reached +5 Celsius making for sticky conditions. Triple Paralympic champion Arthur Bauchet of France was the fastest on the second run but remained second overall in 1:52.51.
Guimond, 24, also improved on his second run moving from fourth after the first to third overall clocking 1:56.61.
‘’My expectations are high, and I feel I can win gold every time I race,” Guimond told Sportcom. ‘’The conditions were difficult today and I wasn’t aggressive enough on the first run.’’
Eriksson was second after the first run in the men’s visually impaired GS and ranked third in the second for the bronze in 1:56.64. Paralympic champion Johannes Aigner of Austria and Michal Goals of Poland were 1-2.
“It’s a very cool experience to be on the podium in our first World Cup race,” said Eriksson. “We didn’t really know what to expect coming into this race series but it feels good starting off with a solid result. Today we both feel that we worked very well together as a team and had great communication.’’
Eriksson started to lose his vision three years ago from a rare case of solar retinopathy while skiing on a glacier in northern Sweden. He hooked up with Smith in 2022.
Kurt Oatway of Calgary was eighth in men’s sitting GS.
Competition resumes Tuesday with another set of giant slalom races for men and women.
