Canadian Olympic silver medalist Eliot Grondin of Sainte-Marie, Quebec won the silver medal on Saturday at a World Cup snowboard cross event in Erzurum, Turkey. For Grondin, it was his 22nd career snowboard cross medal as he has won 12 gold medals, six silver medals, and four bronze medals.
Grondin placed behind gold medalist Leon Ulbricht of Germany and ahead of bronze medalist Nick Baumgartner of the United States. Grondin won the first first round heat, the first quarterfinal heat and the first semifinal heat.
In the World Cup standings, Grondin is in first place after five events with 375 points. Ulbricht is in second place with 245 points.
This was Grondin’s third World Cup snowboard cross medal this season. He previously won gold medals in Beidahu, China on February 1 and February 2.
This was the fifth of 10 World Cup snowboard cross events in 2024-25. The next two are in Gudauri, Georgia on March 8 and March 9. That is followed by an event in Montafon, Austria on March 21, and two final Canadian stops in Mont St. Anne, Quebec on April 5 and April 6. Grondin will also represent Canada in men’s snowboard cross at the 2025 World Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland on March 28.
Grondin won a silver medal in men’s snowboard cross at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. The silver medal for Grondin in Turkey will give him confidence as he prepares for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
