Canada’s Guimond, Jepsen, Ericsson earn bronze medals at Para alpine World Cup finals
Canada’s Para alpine skiers shine with three bronze medals at FIS World Cup finals
Canada’s Para alpine skiers showcased their talent on the second day of racing at the FIS World Cup finals in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, bringing home three bronze medals.
Alexis Guimond, hailing from Gatineau, Que., clinched third place in the men’s standing giant slalom event with a time of one minute 54.26 seconds. The podium was dominated by France with Arthur Bauchet (1:51.72) and Jules Seger (1:53.55) securing the first and second spots.
The 25-year-old Guimond, a two-time Paralympic bronze medalist in the discipline, continued his successful streak by finishing third in the opening giant slalom race in Veysonnaz on Thursday. With five medals in six World Cup races this season, Guimond is poised for more success in the upcoming races.
“Feels good to be back on the podium again,” Guimond expressed. “The skiing is there and great to have consistency. It truly builds confidence. Definitely felt like today was a possible victory, but mistakes happen and looking forward to chase the top of the podium tomorrow.”
Kalle Ericsson from Kimberley, B.C., along with guide Sierra Smith of Ottawa, bounced back from a crash on Thursday to claim bronze in the men’s vision impaired giant slalom, finishing just 1.6 seconds away from the gold medal with a time of 1:54.94.
“Coming off yesterday’s crash, it feels great to be back on the podium today,” Smith commented. “Today’s result will give us a boost of confidence and help us go into tomorrow charging.”
Italy’s Giacomo Bertagnolli and Andrea Ravelli (1:53.34) secured the top spot, while Austria’s Johannes Aigner and Nico Haberl narrowly edged out the Canadians for second place.
Mollie Jepsen, a native of West Vancouver, B.C., claimed bronze in the women’s standing giant slalom with a time of 2:08.47. The six-time Paralympic medallist, competing in just her second race since returning from injuries sustained at the Beijing Games in 2022, expressed her satisfaction with the accomplishment.
“The last three years, two of which being out with my knee and my elbow, have been super challenging so I am trying to be kind to myself, dust off the cobwebs, and gain confidence with every start,” Jepsen shared. “Today was a huge accomplishment and shows me I’ve been taking the right steps to get back to the top of the podium. Stoked to continue to build on today’s momentum.”
Sweden’s Ebba Aarsjoe was the sole skier to go under two minutes, claiming gold with a time of 1:58.79. France’s Aurelie Richard finished ahead of Jepsen to secure the silver medal.
Saturday’s giant slalom events will be followed by slalom races on Monday and Tuesday, offering more opportunities for Canada’s Para alpine skiers to showcase their skills on the world stage.
