Sparkling debut, stunning comeback lead Canada to double Para alpine medals

CORTINA, Italy –Kalle Eriksson and his guide Sierra Smith made quite an impression in their Paralympic Winter Games debut on Saturday, producing Canada’s first medal at Milano Cortina with silver in the men’s visually impaired downhill.

An hour later, Kurt Oatway negotiated a treacherous track that gobbled up half the field to win the bronze in the men’s sitting race.

In the men’s visually impaired downhill, Johannes Aigner of Austria with guide Nico Haberl took the gold medal completing the 2,105 metre course in one minute and 16.08 seconds.

Eriksson and Smith, in their Paralympic Games debut, followed in 1:18.33 and Giacoma Bertagnolli and Andrea Ravelli of Italy were third in 1:18.64.

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‘’It feels unreal, we’re on top of the world right now,’’ exclaimed Eriksson, 21, from Kimberley, B.C.  ‘’The adrenaline is still pumping, and I couldn’t be prouder of our performance today.’’

Smith, a former women’s national alpine ski team member, was blown away by the atmosphere of their first Games experience. The stands were filled with wild cheering crowds from several nations including a strong Canadian contingent which featured the pairs’ family.

‘’It’s incredible,’’ said Smith, 25, from Ottawa. ‘’This first-ever experience of something of this magnitude is a really, really cool thing to be a part of.’’

The Canadians delivered their run  on an extremely challenging course in warm and sunny conditions basking the Dolomite Mountains.

‘’There were a couple of tricky sections where you didn’t want to get in a sticky situation,’’ said Eriksson. ‘’The conditions though were a huge improvement from the training runs. There was a good surface with something for us to stand on which was all much better.’’

In the men’s sitting race, Jesper Pedersen of Norway was the winner in 1:18.14.  Niels de Langen of the Netherlands took the silver in 1:19.24 and Oatway returned to the Paralympic podium for the first time in eight years clocking 1:19.42.

‘’This one is special because I’ve been on a long road back from recovery,’’ said Oatway, still a medal threat every time he heads to the start gate at age 42. ‘’To be on the podium at the sport’s biggest stage always feels good.’’

In 2022, just weeks before the Beijing Games, Oatway crashed at the world championships and was severely injured (broken collarbone, two torn ligaments, three broken ribs in five places, and a punctured lung).

‘’As I was sitting in the hospital in 2022, I told myself it’s not over I’ll be back,’’ said Oatway, the Super G champion in 2018. ‘’Today I was a little nervous.  My training runs weren’t the greatest. I needed to make sure I hit my markers, paid attention to my lines and was gentle with the edge.

‘’It worked out.’’

In that race, 11 competitors did not finish, including Brian Rowland of Merrickville, Ont.

In the women’s standing downhill, Mollie Jepsen of West Vancouver and Michaela Gosselin of Collingwood, Ont., placed fourth and fifth respectively.  Ebba Aarsjoe of Sweden took the gold.

Jepsen, a six-time Paralympic Games medallist, was the defending champion but is obviously dealing with a leg injury as she hobbled to meet reporters.

‘’I’m really proud with how I showed up today,’’ said Jepsen, who missed most of the previous three seasons due to injury. ‘’I’ve been battling with some pretty complex injuries over the last month.’’

‘’Just being here for me is amazing.’’

Alexis Guimond of Gatineau, Que., did not finish in the men’s standing race.

Alpine competition resumes Monday with the men’s and women’s Super G.