Wilkie concludes Para cross country worlds with second silver

TOBLACH, Italy – Natalie Wilkie left no doubt she’ll be a force to reckon with at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

The 24-year-old three-time Paralympic champion from Salmon Arm, B.C., added another medal to her collection with a silver in the women’s standing 20 kilometre freestyle to conclude the Para cross country skiing world championships on Friday.

It was her second silver of the competition, she was also second in Wednesday’s 10 kilometre and was a double gold medallist last week at the Para biathlon worlds in Slovenia.

In Friday’s race, Vilde Nilsen of Norway completed a golden sweep in the category while Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova third.

Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask., was fifth and Emma Archibald of Ottawa ninth.

Another star over the past week for Canada, Mark Arendz of Hartsville, PEI, was sixth in the men’s standing 20 kilometre.

Arendz, an 11-time medallist over four Games, took bronze on Wednesday in the 10 kilometre as well as two gold and a bronze at the Para biathlon worlds to also draw his line in the snow for Milan-Cortina 2026.