Canada’s Eliot Grondin won the silver medal in a thrilling photo finish in men’s snowboard cross at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Thursday.
Grondin crossed the finish line just a fraction of a second behind Austria’s Alessandro Haemmerle, throwing himself across in the hopes of claiming the gold and prompting a delay in the final results as the judges reviewed the tape.
“I kind of knew I was going to be silver, but I tried everything I had,” he said.
“Just to share the podium with Alessandro is amazing.”
The 20-year-old native of Saint-Marie, Que., led the pack in every elimination round throughout the afternoon, setting himself up in a strong position for a medal.
- Claude Lemieux’s death sparks renewed focus on CTE as family donates brain to research
- Blue Bombers beat Stamps on walkoff field goal
- Castillo hits last-second field goal as Bombers pick up season-opening win in Calgary
- ‘Perfect for the World Cup’: Gastown, DTES marketed as Canada’s first Mexican Barrio
He was once again leading the final four during the difficult first half of the course, only for Haemmerle to overtake him, forcing Grondin to play catch-up to the very end.
Get breaking National news
Italy’s Omar Visintin took the bronze.
Fellow Canadians Kevin Hill and Liam Moffatt did not make it past the 1/8 finals earlier in the day.
It marks Canada’s second snowboard cross medal in as many days, after Meryeta O’Dine won bronze in the women’s event on Wednesday.
— with files from The Canadian Press.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.