Super weekend for Canada in Para cycling, Para alpine and Para nordic

OTTAWA – Tristen Chernove collected three medals, including one gold, at the Para cycling track world championships to highlight a great weekend for Canadian Para athletes which also featured podium appearances at World Cup Para alpine and Para nordic skiing events.

Para cycling track world championships: Appeldoorn, Netherlands
Chernove, Canada’s top Para cyclist for the past few seasons, earned a gold in the C2 classification scratch race, silver in the individual pursuit, and bronze in the kilo race. He also bagged a perfect medal set at last year’s track worlds and the 2016 Paralympic Games.

‘’It was super fun,” said the 43-year-old Cranbrook, B.C., resident, who was diagnosed in 2009 with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, which affects his lower legs. “I always love bunch racing, so the scratch event I was most excited about. To come away with a victory, I feel thrilled.”

Keely Shaw of Saskatoon took her first career world championship medal with silver in the women’s C4 individual pursuit while Ross Wilson of Edmonton added a bronze in the C1 individual pursuit.

Para alpine skiing World Cup: La Molina, Spain
Frédérique Turgeon of St-Sauveur, Que., let no doubt she is Canada’s revelation in Para alpine skiing for the 2018-19 season with four silver medals at the next-to-last stop on the World Cup circuit. The 19-year-old placed second in two standing giant slalom races and two slaloms. She heads to the World Cup Final as the season’s overall leader in both events.

‘’The series in La Molina has been amazing,” said Turgeon, a triple medallist at the world championships last month, who has an impairment in her right leg. “I really can’t wait until the Final. I’m aiming for the Crystal Globe, so that’s still on my mind, but I’m still going in with the same mentality for these final (World Cup) races.”

Alana Ramsay of Calgary, who races in the same category as Turgeon, added bronze medals in her two slalom races.
Veteran Braydon Luscombe of Duncan, B.C., celebrated on the last race of his career by skiing in a denim Canadian tuxedo while stopping to acknowledge his coaches during his descent. The 26-year-old was on the national team for eight years and competed at the last two Paralympic Winter Games.

Para nordic skiing World Cup: Sapporo, Japan
Canada won 10 medals at the Para nordic skiing World Cup. Brian McKeever of Canmore, Alta., Canada’s most successful winter Paralympian, and his guide Graham Nishikawa of Whitehorse took gold in the 5 km and 10 km men’s visually impaired cross country races.

Mark Arendz of Hartsville, PEI, a six-time medallist in PyeongChang last year, won gold in the 5 km cross country, silver in the 12.5 km biathlon and bronze in the 7.5 km biathlon in the men’s standing category. 
In women’s standing action, Emily Young of North Vancouver notched a career-high three medals with silver in the 5 km biathlon and bronze in both the 10 km biathlon and 2.5 km cross country races. 

Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C., won the 2.5 km cross country and added silver in the 7.5 km.

“It was a fantastic team effort in tough conditions that suited us well,” said Arendz. “It feels amazing to lay down an incredible performance. I felt great right from the start and pushed exactly how I wanted. Our team (tech team) just nailed the skis and gave us the best boards possible for all conditions.”

Para Sport Notebook
–    Maude Jacques of Sherbrooke, Que., also a member of Canada’s national wheelchair basketball team, was eliminated in the second round at the ITF Georgia Open wheelchair tennis tournament in Rome, Georgia, USA. 
–    The Para alpine skiing World Cup Final goes this Tuesday to Thursday in Morzine, France. It will be carried live as part of the Canadian Paralympic Super Series on the CPC’s Facebook page.
–    Canada’s Para ice hockey team will face arch-rivals the USA in a two game World Championship tune-up this Friday and Saturday in Indian Trail, North Carolina. The worlds are April 27 to May 4 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Star player Greg Westlake, pondering retirement since the end of the Paralympic Winter Games, returns to the Team Canada line-up.