Canadian Olympic silver medalist Eliot Grondin of Sainte-Marie, Quebec won the snowboard cross gold medal in a men’s World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy on Saturday. The gold medal has significance because it came on the same course that Grondin will be competing at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. and the first place finish for the Quebec snowboarder should give him an incredible boost of confidence.
Grondin won the night event over American silver medalist Jake Vedder and Australian bronze medalist Jarryd Hughes. Grondin wore bib number one throughout the event, and was the most dominant snowboarder. He won the eight finals, quarterfinals and semifinals.
In the World Cup men’s snowboard cross standings, Grondin is the leader by a wide margin. He has 720 points. That is 372 more points than Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria, who is second place with 348 points.
Grondin has now won 17 World Cup medals in his career since 2020. He has won eight gold medals, five silver medals, and four bronze medals. This was Grondin’s fifth World Cup gold this season. He previously won in Les Deux Alpes, France on December 3, in St. Moritz, Switzerland on January 26, in Gudauri, Georgia on February 3, and in Gudauri, Georgia on February 4. Grondin won his Olympic silver medal in men’s snowboard cross at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
