Canadian Roundup: Gold medals, double podiums and worlds success
Over the weekend Team Canada won lots of gold, produced double podiums and delighted fans from around the world and on Canadian soil.
There were a lot of medals, so lets get to it.
Downhill Skiing
Read: Guay wins downhill silver for second medal of world championships
Erik Guay, found his second podium at the Alpine Ski World Championships over the weekend. The Canadian’s downhill silver medal came after he won super-G gold on Wednesday. With less than one year to the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Guay’s impressive performance puts him on the world’s radar.
Speed Skating – Long Track
Read: Jean wins world mass start bronze after switch from short track
Read: Blondin, De Haître bring home bronze, silver from worlds
Over the weekend Canadian long track skaters tested out the Gangneung Oval at the world single distances championships, which doubled as an Olympic test event. Canadians picked up three medals starting with a 5000m bronze by Ivanie Blondin. Vincent De Haître followed up with a 1000m silver, before Olivier Jean capped off the medal count for Canada with a mass start bronze.
Moguls
Read: Moguls skiers land two double podiums at PyeongChang 2018 test event
The world’s best moguls skiers also got to test out their sports’ PyeongChang 2018 venue. At the World Cup event Canada produced two double podiums. Mikael Kingsbury led the way winning the men’s event, while Philippe Marquis took bronze. On the women’s side Justine Dufour-Lapointe and Andi Naude claimed silver and bronze respectively.
Snowboard – Big Air
Read: McMorris and Parrot finish 1-2 in Quebec City big air
The final stop of the World Cup big air circuit brought athletes home to Quebec City. Mark McMorris picked up a lot of hardware on Saturday winning the men’s big air competition, overall FIS tour and the super series title. Max Parrot also landed on the big air podium in Quebec with a silver medal.
Snowboard – Slopestyle
Read: Three medals for Canadian slopestyle snowboarders at Quebec World Cup
On Sunday Sebestian Toutant claimed the top spot in slopestyle, sharing the podium with silver medallist McMorris. Toutant’s family and friends got celebrate with his as he stood atop the podium listing to the national anthem play in his home province. On the women’s side Brooke Voigt left the competition with a bronze medal.
Snowboard Cross
Read: Snowboard cross bronze for World Cup newcomer O’Dine
Over in Germany World Cup rookie Meryeta O’Dine picked up a snowboard cross bronze. Her first World Cup medal came just two weeks before she celebrates her 20th birthday.
Freestyle Skiing – Slopestyle
Read: Ski slopestyle bronze for Beaulieu-Marchand on home snow
Alex Beaulieu-Marchand also found the podium in Quebec City. After an intense men’s competition the Canadian came out with a bronze medal, that he got to celebrate in front of family and friends in his hometown.
Ski Cross
Related: Thompson and Leman top the ski cross podium in Sweden
Brady Leman and Marielle Thompson gave Canada a double gold podium at the world Cup stop in Idre Fjall, Sweden. Leman found his first victory of the season after five silver and a bronze medal. Olympic champion Thompson returned to the top of the podium for her sixth gold on the 2016-17 circuit.
Speed Skating – Short Track
Francois Hamelin grabbed a short track bronze at the World Cup event in Minsk, Belarus. The Canadian finished behind Kazakhstan skaters Denis Nikisha and Abzal Azhgaliyev, who placed first and second respectively.
Athletics
Three Canadians were victorious at the prestigious Millrose Games in New York. Olympic champion Derek Drouin won men’s high jump with a leap of 2.27m, tying his Canadian teammate Mike Mason for height, but won based on having a cleaner record sheet. On the women’s side Phylicia George won the women’s 60 metre hurdles in 7.98 seconds and Kate Van Buskirk won the 3000m in 8:52.08s.
Judo
At one of the highest level tournaments this season, Kelita Zupancic grabbed a Paris Grand Slam silver in Judo. The Canadian who finished seventh at Rio 2016 and is currently ranked 17th in the world, fell to world number three Chizuru Arai from Japan in the gold medal final.
