Canadian snowboard cross athlete Éliot Grondin secured a spot on the podium at a World Cup competition held in Dongbeiya, China. In the final race, Jakob Dusek from Austria clinched the gold medal, with Adam Lambert from Australia taking the bronze. Grondin, the reigning world champion and last year’s men’s Crystal Globe winner on the World Cup tour, celebrated his first podium finish of the season and the 26th of his career.
Having previously achieved a silver and a bronze at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the 24-year-old from Sainte-Marie, Quebec, is gearing up for the men’s snowboard cross event at the upcoming Milan Cortina Games in Livigno, Italy on February 12. Following his performance on Saturday, Grondin now holds the second spot in the overall discipline standings with 116 points, trailing Lambert by only four points, while Dusek follows closely in third place, just three points behind Grondin.
In the competition, the only other Canadian contender, Evan Bichon from North Vancouver, British Columbia, was eliminated in the round of 16. Unfortunately, no Canadian athlete advanced beyond the qualification round in the women’s event. Grondin’s recent achievement marks a significant improvement after finishing seventh at the season’s opening World Cup event in Italy.
The event in Dongbeiya continues on Sunday, serving as the final World Cup competition before the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Grondin aims to enhance his medal collection by striving for gold at the upcoming event, building on his silver and bronze performances at the Beijing Olympics. Live coverage of Sunday’s action can be viewed starting at 12 a.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.