Éliot Grondin, a snowboard cross racer, secured a spot on the podium at a World Cup event held in Dongbeiya, China, on Saturday. Jakob Dusek from Austria clinched the gold medal in the big final, with Grondin coming in second and Australia’s Adam Lambert taking home the bronze.
Grondin, who attained a world championship title and emerged as the men’s Crystal Globe winner for leading the overall World Cup circuit last year, celebrated his first podium finish of the season at this event, marking his 26th career podium achievement.
Having previously claimed a silver and a mixed team bronze at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the 24-year-old athlete from Sainte-Marie, Que., showcased his skills once again with a silver medal win in the snowboard cross event. The upcoming men’s snowboard cross competition at the Milan Cortina Games is scheduled for February 12 in Livigno, Italy.
Following Saturday’s performance, Grondin ascended to second place in the overall discipline rankings with 116 points, trailing Lambert by four points. Dusek currently holds the third spot overall, trailing Grondin by a mere three points.
Unfortunately, Evan Bichon from North Vancouver, B.C., the only other Canadian participant in the event, was eliminated in the round of 16. None of the Canadian athletes managed to advance past the qualification round in the women’s event.
Grondin, the reigning world champion, showcased a strong comeback after finishing seventh at the season-opening World Cup event in Italy last month. The action will continue in Dongbeiya on Sunday, serving as the final World Cup event before the Milano Cortina Winter Games, where Grondin aims to secure a gold medal to add to his collection of silver and bronze medals from the Beijing 2022 Olympics.
For those eager to follow the live coverage of Sunday’s event, it will commence at 12 a.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.