Eliot Grondin of Levis, Quebec is now an Olympic medalist. On Thursday, Grondin won a silver medal in the men’s snowboard cross at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Grodin becomes the second Canadian in two days to win an Olympic medal in snowboardcross. He follows Meryeta O’Dine of Prince George, British Columbia, who won the bronze medal in the women’s snowboardcross on Wednesday.
Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria won the gold medal. Omar Visintin of Italy won the bronze medal. Grondin lost to Hammerle in the men’s big snowboardcross final by the narrowest of margins, as it took a photo finish to determine who won gold and who won silver.
Grondin won his first round heat, quarterfinal heat, and semifinal heat. A medal was expected for Grondin after he won a bronze medal in men’s snowboardcross at the 2021 World Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships in Idre, Sweden, and two medals during the 2021-22 World Cup. The first came on December 18 in Cervinia, Italy, when he won silver, and the second came on January 9, when he won bronze in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
Canada is currently in fourth place in the overall medal standings with 10 medals (one gold, three silver and six bronze). They are behind Norway and Austria who have 12 medals each, and Russia, who have 11 medals.
