Mark Arendz wins para-biathlon silver at Pyeongchang test event
Canadian comfortable on Paralympic course
Canada's Mark Arendz won silver in the men's 7.5-kilometre standing biathlon event at the World Para-Nordic World Cup in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The 26-year-old from Hartsville, P.E.I., finished with a time of 18 minutes 54.4 seconds at the test event for next year's Paralympic Games.
"It was a very solid and consistent day for me," said Arendz said in a press release. "I was great on the skis, powerful on the flatter sections and was able to switch well to stay light and fast on the climbs."
Arendz, who recently won five medals — including two gold — at the world championships, finished 20 seconds behind French gold medallist Benjamin Daviet. Norway's Nils-Erik Ulse rounded out the podium.
Results for men's biathlon sprint standing:<br>🥇 <a href="https://twitter.com/DavietBenjamin">@DavietBenjamin</a> 🇫🇷<br>🥈 <a href="https://twitter.com/markarendz">@markarendz</a> 🇨🇦<br>🥉 Nils-Erik ULSET🇳🇴<a href="https://twitter.com/pyeongchang2018">@pyeongchang2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCupPyeongChang?src=hash">#WorldCupPyeongChang</a> <a href="https://t.co/TUwpSZdufm">pic.twitter.com/TUwpSZdufm</a>
—@ParaNordic"The warm temperatures and bright sunlight caused the majority of the course to be very deep, soft and wet snow," Arendz said about the future Paralympic course. "I really enjoy the course here. It is a great mix of hard climbs, rolling and pancake flat sections with both straightforward and technical descents.
"The wind will play an important role in the shooting, but the warm and soft conditions that we are experiencing is exactly what we had expected from the venue."
The event continues on Saturday.