Canada's Eliot Grondin wins World Cup snowboard cross gold
CBC Sports | Posted: March 4, 2021 12:16 PM | Last Updated: March 4, 2021
Sainte-Marie, Que., native now sits 2nd in the overall seasons standings
Canada's Eliot Grondin captured his first-ever World Cup snowboard cross victory on Wednesday, in Bakuriani, Georgia.
The 19-year-old from Sainte-Marie, Que. – who took a bronze medal earlier in the season in Idre Fjall, Sweden – finished ahead of Austria's Alessandro Haemmerle and Italy's Lorenzo Sommariva, and said his win was largely due to strategy.
"In my first heat, I almost didn't make it, it was super tight, but after that I figured out my strategy for the race and then I knew that I could win the start in the big final and let people pass me. And that's what I did.
"Alessandro [Haemmerle] passed me and then also Lorenzo [Sommariva], and for me it was the perfect situation to draft and pass for the finish."
WATCH | Grondin races to World Cup gold:
The win moves Grondin into second place in the overall standings, just eight points behind leader Haemmerle.
Fewllow Canadians Kevin Hill and Liam Moffit finished 28th and 29th, respectively.
On the women's side, Eva Samkova won her second gold medal of the snowboard cross season, ahead of France's Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau and American Lindsey Jacobellis.
WATCH | Samkova scores gold in Bakuriani:
The top Canadian finisher was Zoe Bergemann, in 10th.
You can stream more snowboard cross coverage on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET with Road to the Olympic Games, our weekly program spotlighting the best high-performance athletes from Canada and around the world.