Canada’s Para nordic skiers on fire to start World Cup season

TOBLACH, Italy – It’s no secret that Canada is a superpower in Para nordic skiing and that fact was reemphasized with six medals at the first two days of competition at the season opening World Cup in Toblach, Italy.

Mark Arendz of Hartsville, PEI, an 11-time Paralympic medallist, has led the charge with gold in the men’s standing 10 kilometre classic and silver in the 10 kilometre mass start.

Canadians on the podium in Para nordic and Para alpine skiing

Mark Arendz of Hartsville, PEI, an 11-time Paralympic medallist, led a triple podium Canadian performance with gold in the men’s standing 10 kilometre cross country race Wednesday at the season opening Para nordic World Cup competition in Toblach, Italy.

Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask. added silver in the women’s 10 kilometre standing event while Derek Zaplotinsky of Smoky Lake, Alta. collected a bronze in the men’s sitting 10 kilometre.

Eriksson/Smith, Guimond repeat medallists at Para alpine World Cup

VEYSONNAZ, Switzerland – Canadians Kalle Eriksson and his guide Sierra Smith continued their stunning start to their Para alpine World Cup careers on Tuesday with the silver medal in the men’s giant slalom for visually impaired at the circuit’s third stop.

Meanwhile two-time Paralympic Games medallist Alexis Guimond of Gatineau, Que., marched to a seventh medal in seven races this season with bronze in the men’s standing GS.

Sixth podium in six World Cup Para alpine races for Canada’s Alexis Guimond

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.

Gautier and Clement conclude opening World Cup on the podium

Photo UCI: start of men's H3 including Canadians Charles Moreau and Joey Desjardins

ADELAIDE, Australia – Shelley Gautier of Niagara Falls, Ont. and Nathan Clement of West Vancouver each collected their second medal Wednesday as Canada concluded a very successful season opening Para cycling World Cup road event.

The Canadians finished the three-day competition with nine medals (one gold, four silver and four bronze).

Three more medals for Canadian riders at Para cycling World Cup

ADELAIDE, Australia – Canada’s Para cyclists are trumpeting great promise ahead of the Paralympic Games as they added three more medals in the road races on Tuesday at the season opening World Cup.

Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B. took silver in the men’s C3 event after winning gold on Monday in the time trial. Lowell Taylor of Lethbridge, Alta. and his pilot Ed Veal of Toronto notched silver in the men’s tandem while Carla Shibley and Meghan Brown of Calgary took bronze in the women’s tandem.

Canada’s Alexandre Hayward wins gold at Para cycling road World Cup

ADELAIDE, Australia – Canada’s Para cyclists opened the Paralympic Games season with a bang on Monday as Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B. won the gold medal in the men’s C3 individual time trial at the year’s first World Cup.

Hayward, 26, clocked the 15.6 kilometre ride in 19 minutes and 04.94 seconds. Two-time Paralympic track cycling champion David Nicholas of Australia took the silver finishing more than 11 seconds back, and Eduardo Santas Asensio of Spain was third.

Important tests for Paralympic Games coming to Canada in 2024

While entries have yet to be finalized, there could be an occasion to get a taste of this summer’s Paralympic Games with international and national events scheduled to take place in Canada.

In addition to those opportunities to measure their progress leading into the Games, for some athletes team trials will determine whether they get their ticket to Paris 2024.

Here are some scheduled events:

April 26-May 5: Défi Sportif Altergo, Montreal