Canadian Olympic silver medalist Eliot Grondin of Saint-Marie, Quebec is a world champion in men’s snowboard cross. On Friday, Grondin won his second career medal at the World Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships. He is the first ever Canadian world champion in men’s snowboard cross.
Grondin entered the World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland as the number one seed. After eight competitions on the World Cup circuit, Grondin leads with 504 points. He has a commanding 141 point lead on Loan Bozzolo of France, who is in second place with 363 points.
In the big final, Grondin won the gold medal, Bozzolo won the silver medal, and Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria won the bronze medal. In an interesting big final, Haemmerle and Jakob Dusek of Austria were in control with the lead for a significant period of time, before all of a sudden Grondin made a fantastic move and went from near the back to the very front.
Grondin won the first first round heat, and then finished second behind American Nick Baumgartner in the first quarterfinal heat, before winning the first semifinal heat. Grondin’s prior medal at the World Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships was a bronze medal in men’s snowboard cross in Idre, Sweden in 2021.
Grondin won a silver medal in men’s snowboard cross at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. The world championship gold will give him confidence as he prepares for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
