Canadian Para skier Alexis Guimond clinched the top spot in the men’s standing downhill event at a recent World Cup competition held in Saalbach, Austria. Hailing from Gatineau, Que., Guimond secured the gold medal with a swift time of 54.91 seconds, edging out France’s Arthur Bauchet who finished closely behind at 54.95 seconds. Switzerland’s Robin Cuche claimed the third spot with a time of 55.27 seconds.
This victory marked Guimond’s first World Cup gold in 18 career downhill races, following his third-place finish in a previous race. In another remarkable performance on the same day, Mollie Jepsen from West Vancouver, B.C., took third place in the women’s standing downhill category, completing the course in 59.05 seconds. Aurelie Richard of France seized the gold medal with a time of 58.09 seconds, while Varvara Voronchikhina of Russia secured the silver with a time of 58.35 seconds.
Jepsen’s achievement in this competition adds to her impressive track record, having now reached the podium in all four World Cup downhill races this season and a total of six out of nine races overall. Meanwhile, Michaela Gosselin from Collingwood, Ont., finished in fifth place in the same event.